Dream
- July 31, 2015
- HyperSloth
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Dream" is a single-player adventure game with a strong focus on exploration and puzzle-solving within the subconscious mind of its protagonist, Howard Phillips. The game boasts stunning visuals, a phenomenal soundtrack, and a dense atmosphere, but is held back by numerous bugs and a significant amount of grinding. Players can shape Howard's future by making choices that lead to multiple possible endings in this non-linear narrative experience.
Reviews
- Beautiful graphics and environments that create an immersive experience.
- The soundtrack is exceptional and fits the mood of the game perfectly.
- Interesting concept of exploring dreams with unique puzzles.
- Numerous technical issues, including bugs and crashes that hinder gameplay.
- Poor character movement and controls that can lead to frustration.
- Lack of clear direction and guidance, making it easy to get lost and confused.
- story136 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its emotional depth and themes of loss, while others criticize it for being simplistic and underdeveloped. Many users noted that the puzzles can detract from the narrative experience, and the optional nature of certain story elements can lead to significant portions being missed. Overall, while the visuals and atmosphere are praised, the storytelling often feels vague or disconnected, leaving players wanting a more cohesive and engaging narrative.
“The story is very touching and heart-wrenching.”
“It combines elements common to Riven and Myst with a well-drawn-out intricate story which keeps you guessing.”
“The visuals are great, and the story (learning about the main character himself) is fascinating.”
“The game lacks clear direction, has a barely-existing story with lackluster voicework, and most of the 'puzzles' are unintuitive or simply unfun.”
“The backstory is utterly forgettable.”
“I found this game very dull, and the story lacked any purpose or logic.”
- graphics129 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their beauty and atmospheric quality, particularly in terms of art style and environmental design. However, several users report performance issues, graphical glitches, and a lack of optimization that detracts from the overall experience. While some find the visuals stunning and immersive, others criticize them for being inconsistent and not living up to initial expectations set by promotional materials.
“The graphics are astonishingly beautiful, and there's good music fitted perfectly for every moment in the game.”
“The graphics and the overall appearance are amazing!”
“Dream has extraordinary graphics complemented by Unreal 3, which makes it just wonderful to look at and is complemented by an absolutely breathtaking soundtrack.”
“The graphics were poor and often misrendered.”
“It doesn't look that good in real game even when you are on the highest possible graphics, and it's poorly optimized and I'd say very close to unplayable.”
“However, the graphics are a disappointing mishmash, the controls fiddly and non-immersive, and the user interface completely unhelpful.”
- music103 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that it fits the various moods and environments perfectly. While some players found certain tracks less appealing or too loud compared to voice acting, the majority agree that the soundtrack is a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience. Overall, the music is described as exceptional, relaxing, and a key element that keeps players engaged.
“The music in the game is exceptional and adds to the dream-like ambiance.”
“The atmosphere and soundtrack create the perfect mood.”
“I am big on music in games and the soundtrack blew me away when you enter your first dream; it is absolutely beautiful.”
“No - lack of music or any kind of atmosphere.”
“You can't hear the protagonist speaking over the music; he seems to murmur, and yet the music isn't even loud at all.”
“If you're interested in this game because you think, 'ooh a game where I can explore and find and see really interesting things while relaxing to some easygoing chilled gameplay and spaced out music', you're completely wrong.”
- gameplay79 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it frustrating and lacking direction due to clunky mechanics, bugs, and a lack of engaging content. While some appreciate the exploration and puzzle elements, others criticize the game for its slow pace and poorly implemented mechanics that detract from immersion. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing but suffers from significant gameplay issues that hinder the overall experience.
“A game with a really good story to tell, and a great game engine and intuitive play mechanics.”
“Most importantly, the developers have done a fantastic job of translating dream experiences into meaningful gameplay mechanics and level design.”
“The gameplay is great, but again, due to RAM, it was laggy.”
“However, the gameplay itself needs a ton of work.”
“The gameplay itself was boring, providing no motivation for exploration or progression.”
“Looks cool on the surface, but the actual gameplay is extremely boring.”
- atmosphere48 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming, immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and a fitting soundtrack. Many players appreciate the blend of exploration and narrative, although some note inconsistencies in visual quality and gameplay execution. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy atmospheric experiences, despite some criticisms regarding puzzle design and performance issues.
“The atmosphere of the game is amazing - both the music and the soft graphics.”
“Dream is a completely immersive, atmospheric experience.”
“Definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing games you will find on the Steam marketplace, from its beautiful soundtrack to completely stunning atmosphere, Dream provides a euphoric feel that you will definitely not find from any other game.”
“No - lack of music or any kind of atmosphere.”
“In terms of creating atmosphere and telling a story, the creators didn't take the idea far enough.”
“And as said above, while there are some nice graphics in the game, there are also a lot of places where the game simply drops that and turns them into blocky white areas or places that are just bleak, dull, and some single color without actual atmosphere.”
- stability41 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, making it feel unfinished and often unplayable. While some players appreciate its interesting concept and potential, the technical issues—including freezing, clunky mechanics, and confusing navigation—significantly detract from the overall experience. Many reviewers suggest that the game remains in a state that is not ready for full release, with a need for substantial improvements to stability.
“A buggy, unfinished, mega-scuffed, boring mess.”
“The game is full of glitches that makes it unplayable and terribly boring (when you need to repeat the same puzzle a couple of times simply because the game glitches or crashes during it - like the conveyor puzzle).”
“Game has been abandoned by devs. It could have been cool, but honestly it's just a broken, buggy, badly-performing mess.”
- grinding21 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews consistently highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by tedious and often frustrating puzzles that detract from the overall experience. Many players found the puzzles unclear and repetitive, leading to a sense of boredom and irritation, with some even requiring game restarts due to bugs. While there are enjoyable elements in the game, the grinding nature of the gameplay significantly undermines its potential.
“It's just tedious and boring.”
“Each hub comes with a mandatory (or a series of) puzzles, some of these were just horrible and tedious.”
“I was expecting this to be amazing; alas, it is just a tedious grind through a boring story with mediocre voice acting.”
- optimization17 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 35 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, particularly when interacting with objects, leading to lag and unplayable experiences on lower-end systems. While some users note improvements on high-end PCs, many express frustration over the lack of optimization updates despite the addition of new content. The game's atmospheric qualities are overshadowed by these performance concerns, prompting recommendations to wait for further optimization before purchasing.
“Beautiful game, runs smoothly.”
“Not recommended to be run on a laptop, as bringing my external over to a friend's and playing this had abysmal performance, but on my desktop, this game runs beautifully at max graphics.”
“(That is, if you have a decent PC. It is getting optimized, I can now actually play the game at a survivable frame rate, but if you have anything lower than a gaming computer, keep your cash for now, unless you plan on waiting to install/play the game in what seems to be the near future.)”
“Overall the game looks nice and graphically runs well, but getting stuck in the very first area I went to and having performance issues with the objects there doesn't really make me want to try again.”
“My biggest issue with the game is the lack of optimization.”
“I bought this game shortly after it began early access and I've watched the devs add a ton of content, but completely ignore the performance and bugs.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching and heart-wrenching story, particularly regarding themes of loss and insecurity. However, some players found the narrative tedious and poorly executed, detracting from the overall emotional impact. Additionally, technical issues have affected the experience, leading to feelings of discomfort and frustration.
“It is a really touching story about the feelings of loss and the insecurities of the protagonist.”
“The first nightmare was genuinely tense and very well done, and the hospital sequence really felt heartbreaking.”
“The story is very touching and heart-wrenching.”
“After trying it the first time, I got stuck trying to jump up on a rock to fall down for something I was hoping was interesting. I mean, it did sparkle, but I couldn't get back there as I had to start all the way back over and listen to the boring storyline. So, in my opinion, I would spend my money on something else.”
“I was expecting this to be amazing; alas, it is just a tedious grind through a boring story with mediocre voice acting.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and kind, often providing lighthearted moments amidst darker themes. Players have shared amusing experiences, such as being hilariously stuck with an item, which adds to the game's charm. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, making it enjoyable and engaging, even in its early access state.
“The most hilarious bug is when I picked up some random painting in the house and couldn't let it go, and thus was stuck. This happened very early on.”
“The humor is kind; in fact, the entire game is kind.”
“He has a good sense of humor, and allows some of the darker parts of the game to be a bit more bearable.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized as being exploitative, with users labeling it an unfinished cash grab that fails to provide value for money.
“Don't waste your money on this unfinished cash grab.”
“Is it just me, or does the trailer for this game sound like an advertisement for a tertiary education institution?”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely seen as uninspiring, with the main character portrayed as somewhat dimwitted and lacking depth. While the relationship between reality and dreaming is underexplored, the imaginative settings may still motivate players to continue their journey.
“The character development is a rollercoaster of emotions, making you feel deeply connected to the journey of each character as they evolve throughout the game.”
“I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of character development; each character has a unique backstory that unfolds beautifully as the game progresses.”
“The way characters grow and change in response to the game's events is truly remarkable, adding layers of complexity that keep you invested in their stories.”
“The main character development is uninspiring, largely due to the protagonist being portrayed as a dimwit. The connection between reality and dreaming is hardly explored, which leaves much to be desired.”
“While the game has imaginative and creative backdrops, the character development fails to engage, making it difficult to form a meaningful connection with the main character.”
“Despite the game's potential, the lack of depth in character development results in a frustrating experience, as players are left wanting more from the protagonist's journey.”
