Commander Keen: Keen Dreams Definitive Edition

About

Get ready to embark on an exciting nostalgia trip with the modernized release of Commander Keen Dreams Definitive Edition! This beloved sidescroller has been meticulously enhanced to provide a captivating gameplay experience while preserving its original charm. Let's dive into the detailed user gameplay experience and feature set: Visual Enhancement and Widescreen Support: Commander Keen Dreams De…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Commander Keen: Keen Dreams Definitive Edition screenshot

27%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

optimization1 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The update adds a bit of challenge and complexity that the original game lacked.
Some new music and improved sprites enhance the overall experience.
The game is playable with a keyboard, and the removal of extra lives is seen as a positive change.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with the save select screen and game crashes.
There is no difficulty selection, no way to save within levels, and the controls cannot be remapped, making gameplay frustrating.
The game runs too fast on modern systems, and the overall experience feels rushed and poorly optimized.

music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some new tracks being described as decent, while many players feel that the overall sound often feels off and that the music tends to overpower sound effects. Despite these criticisms, the definitive edition is noted to have some merits, particularly with its widescreen support and a few new tracks that fit well.
- “Music sounds kinda off most of the time, and the songs overpower the sound effects.”
- “The definitive edition still has its merits - widescreen and some new music which fits well, but purchase the Switch version as this works great.”
- “New music is sometimes decent.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The stability of "Commander Keen: Keen Dreams Definitive Edition" is notably poor, with users reporting numerous bugs, including issues with the save select screen and pause menu. The lack of settings for troubleshooting exacerbates these problems, leading some players to resort to limiting the framerate to achieve a playable experience. Overall, the game is described as very buggy and frustrating.
- “The port is very buggy, and to even be able to run the game properly, I had to limit the framerate to 60 fps on the NVIDIA control panel.”
- “Commander Keen: Keen Dreams Definitive Edition is... very buggy.”
- “Buggy save select screen and pause menu.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is perceived as exploitative, with users feeling it serves primarily as a cash grab, capitalizing on nostalgia without delivering promised features like controller support.
- “Was this just a cheap, lazy cash grab?”
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Players appreciate the high replayability of the game, as levels can be revisited, creating a sense of uncertainty about completed objectives. This encourages exploration and experimentation, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- “The levels are replayable, which creates a game experience where you can't be sure what you've completed and what you haven't.”
- “The replayability of the levels keeps the game fresh and engaging, encouraging you to explore different strategies.”
- “Each playthrough offers new challenges and surprises, making you want to dive back in for more.”
- “The levels are replayable, but it leads to confusion about what you have and haven't completed.”
- “The game lacks meaningful incentives to replay levels, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
- “While the levels can be replayed, there's little variation in gameplay, which diminishes the overall replay value.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay has received criticism for being inferior to the original, with users expressing disappointment in the overall experience.
- “The gameplay is somehow worse than the original.”
- “The gameplay is somehow worse than the original.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics have been criticized as a poorly executed rehash of the original game, featuring outdated 16-color EGA visuals and lacking options for resolution or meaningful graphical adjustments. Overall, the graphical presentation is considered a significant downgrade from its predecessor.
- “This is a really hamfisted, badly done rehash of the original game that's actually worse, leaving the severely dated 16-color EGA graphics, but somehow making the control scheme, movement, and the whole game itself worse.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which results in subpar performance on contemporary gaming PCs.