Game Title:
Dreaming Mary
Engine: RPG Maker VX Ace
Status at review: Complete
Background:
The game specifically purports itself to
not be a horror game (pey say), despite getting some it it's inspiration from
Ib. Which, if I must be honest, gave me a bit of pause before downloading. However, the game's premise on dreams ultimately drew me in.
Note that while the game engine is VX Ace, the game was initially made in VX Ace Lite. As my understanding goes, many of the restrictions of VX Ace Lite remained intact after the port.
Graphics:
The game presents itself in the same vein as your old-school
Castlevaninas,
Mario Brothers, or
Metroids. I dunno about anybody else, but this alone had me wondering if it was, in fact, made in RPG Maker. VX Lite, of all things, too!
As for the graphics, themselves, the world felt bright and cheery, as if it was the world of a child. That totally works for this game, and it's premise. Though, there is the other world I was able to visit. I assume Mary is still dreaming, so this world might be the nightmare world. I wasn't able to explore it beyond the bedroom, so I cannot comment any further on it.
Audio:
I don't mind the voice-overs that exist in game. Wait, Marrend, did you say "voice-overs"? I did, in fact! The "radio" ones seemed a little on the soft side, but it's likely it was intentional.
As for music, the tracks that stood out the most to me were "Dianthus nardiformis" and "nightmareishmix". The latter of which seemed to be bit choppy at the end, but was otherwise decent.
Story:
Mary (It's "Mari" in the opening, and the ending that I got, for some reason) was told at an early age that her dreams hold power. Perhaps, even, the power to change her life. All she needed to do was find the key. However, there is a danger to allowing herself to dream too deeply. The danger of never being able to wake up.
I'm not quite sure why, but I got the impression that the game is literal about Mary's ability to forge herself within her various dreamscapes, and figurative about the key. Though, said key could also be a literal object to be found within her dreams as well. Dream symbology, and all that ruckus. Then, there is the very blunt reference to dreaming to deeply resulting in death. Also, I don't know if Mary knows, or understands, what "eternal sleep" is, but, the reference of "not being able to wake up" is not lost on me.
Playing the game:
The game plays like an adventure game. Players visit various locations and talk to the inhabitants thereof. Of course, they have tasks for players to perform. Each character-room combination has three puzzles associated with them, but they come in sets. What that means is, after doing a puzzle in each of the rooms, you talk to another character to unlock the next round. I had a few hiccups with the last set, and failing those have a cost associated with them. Or, the game made it
feel as it they cost resources, but that's a different point altogether.
Below are a few notes I made during gameplay. While I try to be as general as possible with this, spoilers and stream-of-consciousness statements inevitably fall through the cracks.
I can get into the room with the maid, but I can't see to talk to her. Hrm.
I found the fourth door, and freed the angelfish there. I don't know the password that I'm being prompted for. Not yet, anyway.
Oh. So, there is a darkside of Xeen! I... can't seem to do anything here either. Ooookaaaayyy.
Okay, I was on top of the event and facing "up". Apparently, that wasn't the correct position to be in. I was supposed to be on the side facing... Uhh, nevermind. Technical jargon.
The first set of puzzles weren't so bad. The second set? Ehhhh.
I keep thinking that I don't want to mess with Boaris at all. I think it's the music. Though, if the between-the-lines messages I'm getting him are even remotely true, then I definitely don't want to mess with him. I hope I'm just imagining things. Though, this game...
Huh. I figured the statue of the man would have the gold fruit, as he could be construed as a prize to the goddesses. Anyway...
This seems like a really bad situation. Boaris wants three seeds, and the other characters have them. They have their reservations, of course. What worries me most is what the maid says. "But that means you'll be leaving this dream!" This dream. Note that. She's not necessarily saying Mary will wake up. Only that "this dream" will be over. Heavily suggesting that a nightmare would begin. Or, I'm presuming too much. I dunno. First, I have to figure out if there is anything else in this game that I can do outside of these seed-tasks.
I don't seem to have anything else to do, so, um, here goes? I dunno. I get the odd impression that the door on the "darkside" is locked, and Boaris has the key. It might be the way out, it might not. I guess we'll see soon enough.
The heck? Is it just me or am I seeing the maid jump off to her doom? Also, whatever it is that I'm seeing seems to be repeating itself. Is it because I got the question wrong? Let's try getting it right...
Nope, still there. Weird.
Wait. Maybe that sight is supposed to be there? "Please ignore any strange sounds or sights...", or something?
Man, I do not like the expressions on these people when you loose at their contests. It gives off all the bad vibes.
I have no clue what journal that guy is even looking for. I don't think it's any of the books in the library, since none of those have any notices of dedication. Though, where else can it be? Playing hide-and-seek with Foxanne (Whoa! I remembered a name!) should be a matter of trial and error, though I only have 10 seconds to find her.
It has occurred to me that whatever these petals are, they must be valuable. The seeds these people are guarding are valuable to them, since the act of gathering them seems to be a step to end their very existence. Or something. So, one must figure, if they are willing to part with them in exchange for a petal, then they are roughly the same worth. Think about that for a moment. What can be the same worth as one's very existence? Yeah, something is up! Or, my imagination is running away with me.
A brown journal written by Ana, with a dedication?
Nope, not finding it. The only brown book in this library is "Where the Wild the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. I think it might have something to do with "Sleeping Beauty", as it gets pretty weird at the last page (which could have it's own connotations, considering), but, yeah. I have no clue what book this game wants me to find. I think I'll just have to get this one wrong.
Where the heck is Foxanne hiding? Over several attempts, I swear, I combed over this entire room. Unless she's "down" instead of "up"? No, that didn't work either. Huh. I guess I'll fail this too, despite the fact that I think these petals are, like, shards of Mary's consciousness. Or something. Though, as I may have mentioned, I could be over-thinking this.
Yeah, that face in the HUD definitely changed after handing the second petal. Damn, you game.
Damn, you Boaris. I really don't want to give you any petals. Not when I suspect so much about their nature. Though, there does seem to be the point that there isn't all that much else I can do. The "darkside" leads to a locked door, and the angel that the professor told me to look out for... was probably the angelfish. Also, the reason Boaris wants these seeds is that it will allow Mary to dream deeper. Which the game specifically warned against at the beginning of the game, and is totally a reference to death. Minimally, they probably open a path to the horror elements the game has. Which I had hoped to avoid.
*sigh* I'm giving him a seed, aren't I?
Yep, the face on the HUD changed. Uggggh, this is such a terrible, terrible idea, it's not even funny.
Ending credits!? Sorta? I can move, so...
That's pretty weird. I get to choose if I was happy with this fate. Which I'm not, technically. So the game restarts. I assume this how the game keeps track of endings. However, I'm not seeing how I could have done differently. Unless this "new game plus" does something different with the angelfish?
Doesn't seem like it. It's possible that the angel doesn't do anything unless the password in that room is correct. I've a feeling that the password is in the "bonus.zip" file, but I could be wrong.
I never did get that door in the (presumably) nightmare world open. The professor kept bugging me to use a key on locked doors, but the key I had on me didn't seem to work on that door?
Strangely enough, I think I would feel a whole lot better about this game as a whole if Boaris was some kind of malignant dream entity that devours Mary's consiousness. Though, for all I know, that's exactly what happens when she "dreams deeper".
:
I
really like this radio thing this game's got going. I might not be able to hear this commentary, but, I like this concept.
Summary:
I liked how this game make me think about dreams, and their nature. It wasn't a necessarily enjoyable process, but, I can't deny that the game seems to have a certain lasting power after playing it.
BOTTOM LINE: 3.5/5
Side note on ratings (since there is/was/will be somewhat of a spate on what rating means what between each user):
1/5 -> Terrible. Forget about hitting an audience. The game is so bug-ridden, or otherwise unplayable, that what entertainment can be found in the game has a hard time coming to the surface.
2/5 -> Bad but playable. I had a poor experience with the game. When played by a player the game actually caters to, it would serve it's purpose.
3/5 -> Average. A solid experience, but snags somewhere along the line cause it to be held back from being "good".
4/5 -> Good. I enjoyed the experience, and have no qualms supporting it if was considered for a featured game (if it wasn't featured already).
5/5 -> Excellent. Among the paragons of gaming experiences, and instant feature material in my humble opinion (if it wasn't featured already).
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