2.5/5 ★ – benhmedia's review of Figment.

I got this on the Switch eShop on sale for $2 and was intrigued by the art style so I gave it a shot. Very mixed feelings on it. Let’s get the positives out of the way: The art style is extremely creative and made with great care, and the same can be said for the sound design. This is no doubt the biggest selling point of the game. On top of that, there’s some decent puzzle solving throughout, and the musical boss fights was a fun touch. The story was alright, though it’s all pretty predictable in where it heads. Now for the negatives…there are three big things that really bring this game down for me: the writing, the combat, and the SLOW-AS-MOLASSES movement. The writing really is so tonally inconsistent. There are times where it’s so cutesy and basic that it feels like you’re watching a Nick Jr. cartoon, but then out of nowhere they throw in mildly adult language like “damn” and “bastard”. Combine that with the heavy theme of overcoming trauma and you’re just left wondering: Who is this supposed to be for? It’s a far cry from something like Pixar’s Inside Out, which manages to touch on psychological themes while being equally entertaining for both kids and adults. Figment doesn’t balance that line so well. There’s just no nuance to the writing and the jokes are BAD. The voice acting is okay, though Piper and Figment both got on my nerves for opposite reasons. As far as combat goes, there isn’t much. Swing your sword, swing your sword a little harder, and dodge roll. That’s it. The enemies are also pretty basic, making for some bland action throughout. But I’d be able to forgive the dull combat if it weren’t for the movement. I think this bothers me more than anything else in the game. It’s so slow and tedious. If players have to mash the dodge roll button in order to feel like they’re moving at a satisfying speed, you know the developers made a bad choice. Heck, even the game’s decent puzzle solving is hampered by this, especially since some puzzles require you to backtrack through the section of the level you’re currently on. The slow movement is such a drag that I seriously considered abandoning the game at two separate points, despite knowing how short the game is. I almost gave this three stars because the ending was pretty satisfying and there was a good song playing over the credits, but ultimately this game has just as many bad qualities as it does good. And some of those bad qualities do bring the good ones down. So I think 5/10 is fair. It’s clearly a competent game made by developers who care - and it’s lovely to look at. I just wish it was more fun to play, and I wish the writing was a lot better than it is.