Bedtime Digital Games released the Demo of his new work, a sequel for Figment: an oniric and action/puzzle game set in the deep of the mind.
The first Figment, developed by Bedtime Digital Games in 2017, was a beautiful surprise in the videogames industry. An action/adventure game where you have to explore an oniric and surreal universe merged in music, humor and a quite complex narrative.
The story before
We had to lead Dusty, the mind’s former voice of courage, and his friend Piper, on an adventure through the different sides of the mind.
Once the mind was calm, but something happened, and new thoughts started to emerge in the shape of nightmarish creatures who spread fear everywhere. The only hope for Dusty, the former voice of courage, is to get back his old self, and help the mind to face its fears.
The gameplay comprehended puzzles and musical action elements, and just these last ones had a little space in the adventure and a weak complexity.
That aspect made the game a good relaxing adventure, but not so suitable for those who search for a challenge.
The new adventure
In Figment 2: Creed Valley Prologue we met Dusty and Piper, and they are again in the lands of the mind.
Our heroes are already immersed in the core of the action, and they are going to face a mind’s recurring nightmare: the Black Hog.
When the mind is stressed the Black Hog comes and spreads a Dark Gloom everywhere, and inside it strange creatures are lurking.
The only way to fight and defeat these Dark Fears is with the Light (of reason).
Demo and Gameplay
We can move through small islands and platforms, linked together by bridges or stairs, and the character can attack with a basic combo and perform an evade roll.
Often the Dark Gloom will block our way: we can’t go through this, because fog will damage and push us back. The Dark Gloom can be vanquished just by turning on Lamps Posts scattered around the map. We need a Synapse Battery to make them work, and we have different Battery colors to fit the appropriate Posts.
Otherwise Dusk Shrubs will spawn from the Gloom blocking the way: some are not aggressive while others can do us harm, in all the cases we need to destroy them with our sword.
These kinds of puzzles will be the main of all the adventure, becoming gradually more complex as we get closer to the Black Hog.
During the adventure we can bump into some of the mind’s inhabitants, and have some funny and hilarious interactions!
Face up your Nightmares!
The Dark Hog is infesting the mind’s place, a huge wild boar with a tiny mask on his nose, and we need to destroy him!
But forget about a canon action/adventure Boss Fight: nightmares have their own theme songs, so attacks and dodges are timed to the Boss soundtrack.
We will meet him more than once and in most of the fights we’ll have to dodge his attacks and overcome environmental puzzles that once solved allow us to strike him.
The encounters became step by step more elaborate until the final showdown.
What i do expect from the full game
In other games you can read the boss moveset, in Figment 2 you can listen to it!
Niels Højgaard Sørensen is Game Director, Writer, Composer and Audio Designer of the project and what I see in the about 15, 17 minutes of Nintendo Switch Demo is very well designed and smart.
I see wonderful artistic concepts, beautiful sketches, inspired landscapes, funny dialogues and a smart sound idea that winks at the rhythm games genre with a few action/adventure elements.
Obviously I don’t expect the challenging component of either genre: it is all relaxed, smooth and not challenging, but I think this is what the Designer wants.
Concerning the idea of seeing Nightmares and other NPCs sing their own soundtrack and interact with them, it blows my mind! I can not wait to play it!
Figment 2: Creed Valley is announced for February 2023, meanwhile you can play the free Demo.
Sweet Dreams!
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