Fig. 2, our surreal and musical adventure into the human mind, we wanted to make it as impressive as possible in terms of sound design and music. One approach is to integrate it into the gaming environment. We achieve this by flashing lightbulbs to the beat of the music, bridges of piano keys that play when you step on them, bosses that sing you their own theme songs during battles, and music that changes based on your location and reflects your surroundings. This sequel follows the same protagonist, Dusty, the Courage of the Mind as we follow his journey into deep recesses of the subconscious.
To better align the environment with the universe, we analyzed the background music by finding where the loudest parts of the audio track are. We then use the data from this audio clip in a variety of ways, such as animating objects or playing sound effects. In the picture above you can see two trees with lights called Cocobulbs hanging from them. These cocobulbs will flash when the backing track reaches a certain volume level, represented by the green triangles in the image below, called peaks. As a result, the world dances and moves to the beat of the music.
Another part of Figment’s design that we found room for further experimentation with in the music department was general combat encounters. Certain enemies have their own music layer that is added to the (base) battle music already playing. They also attack to different beats and bars.
Fig. 2 has a whole new cast of enemies. A light attacker that attacks frequently, one with longer range and periods of invulnerability, an immovable ranged turret, and a heavy slammer with high damage attacks.
This is where the battle choreographer was born, a tool that could pick up all enemies from a given location and tell them when to attack. This tool takes into account how many of each type there are, what happens if that number goes down or up, and can also change their attack cadence if those stats change.
Then the enemies will sync to the track being played and attack. Lighter opponents can attack more frequently, while larger opponents can attack to more significant hits like the first hit of each bar to add more impact to their role in combat.
This tool allowed us to more efficiently sync enemies with battles and provide a sense of flow when the player was in combat. We can get a new enemy to attack Dusty, or have the same enemy chase you over and over if it suits the song better.
These new tools and overall game design implementations led to some new boss fight concepts. We wanted these encounters to be grand, a David vs. Goliath scenario. Nightmares take center stage and are presented through a change of scenery and music.
Nightmares manifest physically in the mind, and since you have the courage to defend them, you must face them through battles and puzzles to understand why they appeared. In this case, the fool symbolizes the fear that the responsibility will pile up and one cannot let go. When fighting them, they have Oddballs, those little balls that protect them from attacks, but they can also use them to attack Dusty.
We encountered situations where enemies or levels affected the shaping of the music. However, music and game design are mutually dependent here. In your first fight against The Jester, the Oddballs slowly move around them, dispersing at key moments of their song for you to attack. Like everything inside Fig. 2They also move and bounce in sync with the rhythm of the world. In another encounter later, the jester has a new song with a different rhythm and the story progresses – and the old design of the oddballs no longer worked. This new song had a much faster tempo, was angrier, and we had to come up with a mechanic that reflected that.
In the encounter below, the design team came up with the idea that The Jester could “shoot” the oddballs that used to protect him. He is angrier and looser in fighting style. So we had to come up with a different way of expressing it. So The Jester shoots the oddballs away like six shots from a revolver.
Every piece Fig. 2The universe is musically attuned to its surroundings. We hope players will have fun Fig. 2: Creed Valley When it comes to Game Pass on July 20th, we wish you the best of luck in rescuing The Mind from its devastating nightmares.
Fig. 2: Creed Valley
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Figment 2: Creed Valley is an action-adventure game set in the human mind. Nightmares spread chaos and have overrun once peaceful lands. Join Dusty, the brave of The Mind, on your way through puzzles, musical boss fights and unique environments. Face your fears head-on. Nightmares have destroyed the moral compass, preventing the mind from functioning properly. Dusty and his ever-optimistic sidekick Piper must journey to the Creed Valley, where The Mind’s ideals of restoring peace are being formed. A journey full of musical showdowns and tricky puzzles awaits you.
