Figment 2: Creed Valley lets you experience a trip through the mind and battle it out with inner fears.
Life can be stressful, sometimes, the stress we feel is caused by work other times, this stress is caused by our own fears and anxieties. In Figment 2: Creed Valley, a game developed and published by Bedtime Digital Games, you play in the mind of someone who has taken on more responsibility than they can handle and the effects of it are clear.
Figment 2: Creed Valley is a top-down isometric action hack n slash. We play as Dusty, the mind’s courage and as is his title states, he is the embodiment of courage, discipline and determination. Joining Dusty is his helpful little friend, Piper, who is meant to be the embodiment of optimism, joy and love. Together the two of them must solve puzzles and hopefully defeat the monsters plaguing the mind of the man they inhabit.
Figment 2: Creed Valley is a sequel to the original Figment that was first released in 2017. Just like in the original game, we once again join Dusty and Piper. Together they’re back for another round at restoring balance to the mind, also known as Creed Valley to Dusty and Piper. But instead of restoring the mind’s lost courage, we must instead slay Nightmares that are plaguing the mind of an overworked man.
When we start off our journey in Figment 2: Creed Valley, the land that Dusty and Piper inhabit has become eerie, and there seems to be a constant downpour. The mind has become overtaken by doubts, fears, stress and nightmares. Your person is scared, overworked and incredibly forgetful, and that’s taking a toll on him and his family. Dusty and Piper have to help ease him, clear away the brain fog circling his head, along with face his various fears and anxieties by exploring his mind.
As you explore Creed Valley, you will also see glimpses of his life scattered throughout his mind. We will see things such as work, wants, desires, fears and even glimpses of his family life. These small glimpses into the man’s life also correlate with the type of fears we face in our daily lives. For example, at an early level, there are swirling black clouds that obscure your path blocking the way forward; they’re controlled by the Black Hog. He and his clouds are connected to the man’s fear of the dark. A fear that Dusty and Piper must overcome to get their home on the path to recovery.
One of the more notable qualities about Figment 2: Creed Valley is its whimsical and surreal art style. It adds a different type of depth along with emphasizing an almost wonderous and childlike atmosphere and helps to understand more about what’s going on with the man whose mind we’re in. There’s a clear overabundance of creativity simply flowing out of the game with things like birds that have ears for wings flying in the background, strange trees and flowers and so much more.
But on the ground, you’ll see pencils and paperwork scattered in most places with the occasional instrument, signifying the man’s love of music is being taken over by his work life and in turn, crushing his dream. Though with the houses inhabited by thoughts and opinions, the music still keeps coming from them but becomes considerably less as you venture deeper into the mind.
Both Dusty and Piper’s contrasting personalities also play a big part in how you explore the mind and what decisions you make. Oftentimes in Figment 2: Creed Valley, players will be presented with two diverging mental states; Close Minded and Open Minded. These mental states can be switched using Perspective Switches, and some sharp thinking will be needed if you want to make it through to the next part of the mind. Dusty prefers Close Minded because they are focused on hard work and discipline. Compared to Piper who prefers Open Minded because they focus on freethinking and creativity.
During your quest through the mind, we will encounter many unique and strange characters that all play an important part in the man’s psyche, such as opinions and thoughts that come up with ideas. These characters sometimes come with their own quests that you will have to solve if you wish to progress the story. A good example of this is when there’s an opinion on family, arguing what’s more important between work and family, but a simple flick of the Perspective Switch can make a world of difference in the right places.
Another important thing that Dusty and Piper need to do, besides cutting down Nightmares that are running amok is to help rebuild memories. Throughout the various levels of Figment 2: Creed Valley, you will find fragmented memory shards that you will have to collect. Collecting all of these memory shards isn’t essential, as you don’t need them to progress the story, these shards do expand onto the game’s story and tell us more about the man’s present life and past. These are useful for those who want to delve deeper into the story behind Figment 2: Creed Valley.
The only downside we could see in Figment 2: Creed Valley was that we couldn’t go back to further explore and collect any missed memory fragments, and as such it does mean having to start over to get them. We know the game is linear in design, but for lore-seekers, every last bit counts towards getting the coveted 100% completion. So for some it might be sad to have to start over, while for others it’s a joy getting to experience the game again.
The most brilliant quality that Figment 2: Creed Valley has to offer is its music and sound engineering. Sound producer Niels Højgaard Sørensen, put his heart and soul into the game and we can clearly hear it. The music for each part of the mind matches perfectly, but you can also hear that it comes from the heart. His passion for sound and music is something to behold. Something to note is the music in general for Figment 2: Creed Valley. It ties really well into the childlike wonder where most of your story encounters and boss fights are musical too.
Catty Donnelly, the voice of Dusty, and Yui Hisaishi, the voice of Piper, were both amazing in playing their parts for their respective characters, but you can also hear they didn’t just play the part. They lived their parts in Figment 2: Creed Valley. This is what we wish every game out there had, it’s not just about making the game; it’s about making an experience.
Figment 2: Creed Valley is not just a game; it’s an experience. From the captivating story to the music that touched our hearts. It was an absolute joy to play and experience, and many others should as well. It touches on real-life subjects but also guides us through them. Sometimes a change of perspective is all we need to see the world from a different view. Figment 2: Creed Valley is currently only available on Steam, and we can’t recommend this game enough.
