Figment from Bedtime Digital Games is an action-adventure game set in a surreal world. Learn more about it in our Figment review!
First up, let’s talk about the game’s controls so that you know what you’re getting into. You move around with the left analog stick and can attack with our trusty sword (once you manage to recover it) with the Y or ZR buttons. If you need to dodge, you can do so with the B or ZL buttons so that you can avoid the attacks of the enemies you’ll run into. The X button is for accessing your inventory bag, while the A button is for using both the things inside of your bag as well as those already out in the open.
The game will allow you to control Dusty as you explore a surreal world set in the mind of a human being. Dusty, along with the always optimistic Piper, will set out on an adventure that will take you to several different locations as you battle the evil nightmares that have started to invade the mind, wreaking havoc wherever they go. Dusty used to be this mind’s voice of courage, and he will need to get back to being his former self so that he can put an end to all of these dark and gloomy nightmares.
You will get you started with a short quest to find ice for your warm drink. You’ll be able to examine the warm drink to get a short description of said item, and a reminder of the missing ice. You’ll then explore the nearby areas, activating a switch to make a bridge made of pencils appear on your path, leading you to the ice machine that, unfortunately, is not powered up. Why? Because it’s missing a battery! So if you go to search for the battery for the ice machine. You’ll find one nearby, and then you’ll be tasked with returning to the ice machine to open up your inventory so that you can grab the battery to use it on the machine so that you can get some ice for your drink… and that’s how you complete your first quest!
Or at least that’s how it should have gone, except that a nightmare has decided to steal your scrapbook photos and your drink! So off you go and chase the nightmare, using some moving platforms as well as a mechanical elevator or two that will bring you closer and closer to the culprit. You’ll then get to use your dodge to escape from a black vortex that is trying to devour you, and as you search for an item that can allow you to reach your sword, so that you can attack the enemies that try and get in your way you will collect some endorphins, which will power you up and help to bring you closer to becoming your former self. You’ll notice a white bar next to your hit points bar, and once you collect enough endorphins to fill up the white bar, you will level up.
Speaking of your hit points, if you feel the need of a refresher, you should grab some endurance neurons to recover from any damage you might have suffered. Going back to your attack, you can hold down the Y or ZR buttons to charge up your sword so that you can deal more damage in a single swing, but you need to be careful since while you charge your attack you will be vulnerable and open to attacks from your enemies, so be sure to plan accordingly! This is even more important when there is more than one enemy attacking you since, yes, a charged attack will deal more damage to them, but it could also distract you from taking into consideration their attack patterns.
As you explore each location you can also find big sparkly spheres which contain memories, so be sure to collect them all! The memories you find will be sent to Cerebrum City and will be placed around the tree in the middle of the city so that you can review them if you want to. The first memory will be easy to collect, but the others will require that you do some puzzle solving on the side since said set of puzzles are not part of the main story quest – and Dusty will even mention as much when you find one of these memories.
Figment is a clever, fun, charming, and great looking adventure on Nintendo Switch that you should definitely play. The game might be a tad linear, but that only means you won’t be taking on any unnecessary side-quests that could distract you from the story and your main objective: saving this mind from the nightmares. The game’s hand-drawn look, the rhythmic sounds that will complement the action and welcome you to each new area you visit, and the funny songs that are showcased during boss fights will keep you coming back for more until you complete this 6-8 hour journey.
Disclaimer
This Figment review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Bedtime Digital Games.
