Do you remember being a kid? My earliest memories surround happy times of a carefree life, and I couldn’t tell you how often I was told to enjoy it while it lasted. Things were much simpler then, not having to worry about bills, working, or even school. All that mattered was playing with toys, eating food, and making sure you didn’t ruin your pants. Things have changed though, and now that you’re older you have many more responsibilities, and perhaps have even fallen into a bit of a slump. To quote Trent Reznor, every day is exactly the same. But what if something drastic happened to change the way you live your life?

Figment opens with some voiceover while the credits roll; a little girl is talking about parachuting and telling her dad he isn’t brave in his job of real estate since he doesn’t parachute. The dad is a bit despondent, seeming like he’s either lost in thought or is tired of where he is in life. It’s at this point that a fairly large event takes place, and we are thrown into the mind of a character where everything is manifested in a surreal manner. The player takes control of Dusty, the embodiment of courage, although he’s been more or less retired for some time having faced all the fears within the mind. However, things are starting to get a bit wonky, and although he has no desire to help, one of the nightmares took his scrapbook and he needs it back, so he reluctantly heads off to collect it.

When you think of the music or voice acting in a game, it will typically either stand out because it’s bad, or you won’t notice it because it’s good. Very rarely do you notice it, but also acknowledge it’s exemplary. That may very well be the case when you play this. It’s strange, honestly, as the bosses will each sing their own songs as you face them. It’s almost like a Disney movie, and it’s campy while also undeniably fun and amusing. Is it necessary? Not at all, but having experienced it, I can’t imagine it being any other way now. The regular voice acting itself is pretty well executed, although admittedly I thought the first nightmare you face was attempting to be from New Orleans like Tommy Wiseau, and the second one you come across was certainly channeling Earl of Lemongrab a bit. One of the coolest parts is that the levels are littered with different instruments in the environment, and the music you hear will reflect this – the sound design for this game is top notch.

The game plays in the form of an isometric action adventure game, with its fair share of puzzles. Having such a distinct focus on music, I kept getting vibes of Bastion and Transistor, especially with the beautiful hand drawn world. Gameplay itself is pretty basic, with a roll/dodge, attack, and action button. While combat is present, it’s far from the main focus in this. It feels like it was added to say the game is more than an adventure game full of puzzles to solve (remisncent of Hellblade), although it is a welcome change from monotony. Perhaps where it shines most is when the combat itself is not necessary, as the enemies affect the world around you for additional puzzle solving. The puzzles are surprisingly more challenging than I thought they would be, albeit never so difficult that it resulted in looking up solutions. Often times it just meant exploring elsewhere or coming back with a fresh mind.

Perhaps the worst part of the game is something that can be avoided once you learn the importance of the game’s design early on. If an item can be interacted with, it’ll have a little sparkle that shows up. If part of a puzzle is a one-off thing and it’s still shining, you want to take the item with you to avoid backtracking. Near the beginning I had to go back and forth a few times, which was a bit grating merely because I was not thinking I’d need to reuse puzzle pieces elsewhere. Also, at a glance, you may think this is a game for kids. The added songs with dancing may reinforce that notion. Rest assured, this is a game for older audiences. That’s not to say that kids won’t be able to enjoy it, but its rated teen for a reason, and I was honestly taken aback by some of the dialogue – it was very unexpected, but also made me laugh quite a bit.

There are a number of games these days that delve into deep emotions that are difficult for many to deal with, and this is another that does so well. Dealing with the likes of depression, it’s an eclectic take on the mind a la Inside Out from Pixar, although with a bit more craziness. Figment‘s themes will resonate with people unexpectedly, and it’s that emotional level that will make this memorable for many. Even if it’s not something someone has truly experienced, it will give insight into the lives of others and perhaps help with empathy.

There’s something to be said about a medium that chooses to explore something more than simply killing the bad guys. Going deeper into the struggles of everyday life and exploring those demons in a manifested fantasy world can be extremely powerful. Regardless of the reason for wanting to play Figment, be it the beautiful environments, the promise of wonderful music, or the deeper than normal meaning behind it all, you won’t be disappointed.

8 out of 10

Pros

• Soundtrack
• Aesthetic
• Complex Themes

Cons

• Combat Feels Tacked On
• Unwarranted Backtracking

Figment was developed and published by Bedtime Digital Games. It launched on PC in 2017 and on NS June 28th, 2018 for $19.99. The game was provided to us for review on NS. If you’d like to see more of Figment, check out the official site.

 

Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know.

Check out OpenCritic for a better idea of how our review stacks against others.