Figment Preview
If you have ever wondered what it would have been like if Dr. Seuss had made a video game, look no further than Figment. An upcoming indie title from Bedtime Digital Games, Figment fully embraces the vivid surrealism and lyrical characters of the late and great doctor to make a vibrant game for the 21st century. The isometric action adventure game invites players to laugh at its witty rhymes, solve puzzles, and fight off monsters within the human mind.
In Figment, you play as Dusty, the aspect of the mind that once represented courage, and he is accompanied by a cheerful bird companion named Piper. Together, you are exploring the subconscious, once quiet and content, but no longer. Dusty and Piper must track down the Nightmares spreading fear and disease, setting things right and restoring peace to the mind. Along the way, you’ll encounter singing spiders, check up on the terrified denizens, and listen in on Dusty and Piper’s ongoing banter.
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“Figment’s story carries on directly to its gameplay as solving puzzles represents restoring order to the subconscious, and combat is literally Dusty fighting off fear and doubt.”
Figment’s story carries on directly to its gameplay as solving puzzles represents restoring order to the subconscious, and combat is literally Dusty fighting off fear and doubt. Though the preview of the game did not provide a tutorial of any sort, the controls are standard and easy enough to pick up. The puzzle solving in Figment largely consists of finding batteries or other misplaced objects and placing them where they should be, as well as turning a few wheels here and there to navigate through the strange landscapes hand-drawn for you. The story translates magnificently here, as every time I placed the right colorful bulb of a battery into its respective socket, I was reminded of neurons firing, and connecting platforms brought to mind connecting synapses.
Dusty is confronting Nightmares within the subconscious, and he is literally confronting its fears. Combat consists of simple hacking and slashing, with some puzzle solving elements. For example, during one encounter with the Plague Man, he was tossing stink bombs at Dusty from a high ledge. Most exploded on impact with the ground, but the ones that didn’t could be hit back at the Plague Man by Dusty’s trusty sword.
Comparisons of Figment to a Dr. Seuss picture book are most easily made when regarding the game’s graphics, sound, and dialogue. Visually, it is a colorful, wacky take on the subconscious. Figment dives headfirst into surrealism, with giant falling teeth symbolizing fear of dentists and spider webs clogging up the logical cogs of the mind. The game is always interesting to look at, even in quiet moments, as you take in the curling blue trees and arching bridges, the swirling orbs of light and strange architecture.
Immediately noticeable is the lively voice acting in the game as Piper and Dusty take a few jabs at each other and confront the coughing, skittish Plague Man. The enemies and denizens within the mind also have outlandish voices, memorable and perfectly suitable for the cartoonish setting of Figment. Clever songs are sung by the villains to catchy tunes, evoking the silly rhymes of Dr. Seuss and certainly making for interesting miniboss music.
Figment is a vibrant and humorous take on the strangeness of the human mind. Just from seeing the in-game map, it appears that there will be many more areas to discover beyond the “Overpass of Originality” and “Clockwork Town”, more Nightmares to fight off, and hopefully, far more comical songs to enjoy. Figment is an interesting romp through the subconscious, and I look forward to seeing the entire game in action upon its release in the summer.
*** PC code provided by the publisher ***
