Dreamscapes

Why did I review this game?
Well it's quite simple: I saw that pic of the white haired woman with an assault rifle and the white unicorn. So cool I mean what's better? Probably ninjas and nothing else! Jokes aside, that was a powerful picture (also really well drawn) and the title "Dreamscapes" was captivating.

So I read the plot: the world is ending and Arielle, helped by the unicorn Mia, have to save it undertaking a quest that looks to be rather difficult since the world is constantly shifting... like it was a dream. And the title "Dreamscapes" (dream + escapes) becomes very appropriate.

This idea that spawned this game (an entry for the 2017 IGMC - Indie Game Making Contest) was really intriguing because it makes sense when you play through a series of disjointed maps, where going back means finding yourself in another place, or even in no place, staring at the black emptiness of space that interrupts the road and the rest of the scenario. Simple concept but cool idea indeed.


Well........ no? Not at all! Or are you scared of chests and piles of wood?

The adventure is not very long and it's also pretty linear, anyway it's interesting and mysterious. Arielle and the unicorn will traverse different locations, some of them are really well made, others not so much, especially because both Arielle, the unicorn and the few npcs use custom made realistic charsets and the rest was made with Rtp... so expect finding those tiny tanks and small cars made for chibi characters that shows a bit of style dissonance. Anyway this is still a dreamlike journey so it's not a problem. Bosses have a more realistic appearance and fits well the style of the world and its inhabitants, while the normal opponents... well they just appear as abstract flames that will try to attack our protagonist on sight (luckily no random encounters here!). The odd thing is that I felt the random enemies were more difficult than the bossfights, and that's due to the fact that boss are single enemies while groups of lesser opponents attack several times and sometimes (like in the forest with the dark elves and the deadly tree-things) proved to be deadly.

But our characters will defend, of course: Arielle is the most physical character that can use powerful assault rifles and also few magical attacks, even if these (like the Magic Bullet attack) often seem to be weaker than her standard attack, but maybe it's due to the fact I used each upgrade to make her a stronger warrior (see later, anyway it's the most logical choice, I think!).
On the other hand Mia the unicorn is a more magically inclined character with powerful spells and healing capabilities. There aren't lots of consumables and most of them are used to resurrect defeated party members or restore their mana, so the healing ability of the white unicorn is really important. For the rest it's a good idea to exploit the elemental weaknesses of the opponents encountered.


Ratatatatatatatatata... the rifle is the best weapon, sometimes better than magic!

I also appreciated that sometimes combat isn't always the answer (even if you can fight as much as you want)... still there is a lot of combat. And I mean a LOT. This is also due to the fact that random enemies are really difficult to avoid, and also the final combat takes really a lot to finish. Winning combat encounters in some cases awards items (fighting bosses lets you earn weapons, normal enemies give consumables) but also permanent upgrades that may be spent on one of the two characters: these increase attack, hit points, agility, mana points or the defenses (magical and normal). It's a nice idea, even if it is a bit annoying to enter the items menu each time to spend them, anyway the game includes also some more "traditional" level-ups after some particular events that make the characters grow, also learning new powers and attacks.

The game includes also some simple puzzles that won't be too hard to solve, I think. Anyway I liked them and they were a wortwhile addition since they give some different kind of challenge.

So how is the game? Well I liked a lot the idea and the custom graphic parts are very well made, battlers are nice, and the picture with the two protagonist is simply beautiful. Unfortunately from the gameplay point of view the game is a bit generic, I mean you wander and fight, yes there are dialogues but not many characters involved, and the plot is... well starts good but later becaomes a bit... foreseeable. It's not a bad thing, but I expected a bit more especially for the final parts, let's say that the game alternates some dull moments to other really good parts I liked. In the end the final experience is more or less positive, I think!


There is a thin line between courage and foolishness...

Final Verdict
I know that the dev doesn't think that this is a great game, anyway in my opinion is not bad either. I admit that I was really excited by the plot and the idea, and in the end I wasn't totally disappointed, but maybe there was room for more, I guess. Anyway the game is polished and looks good, difficulty is well balanced (even if that oddly problem that made me have a hard time with normal opponents and an easier time against bosses... except for the last one!). Considering also that this was an entry for an event in 2017 (so made in a limited time) the final result is more than acceptable. Not bad, not bad at all.