DREAMWILD

About

DREAMWILD is a single player role playing shooter game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Fading Club and was released on October 31, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

"DREAMWILD is a single-player Fantasy Shooter game with delightful gameplay, ingenious graphics, and fantastic music. Explore the surreal, multi-layered DreamWilds, surviving an array of bizarre enemies and ancient powers, using a unique arsenal of tools and a fluid movement system to outrun and outwit for a high score."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 265 reviews

gameplay23 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that evokes nostalgia for early 3D games, complemented by a fantastic soundtrack.
The movement mechanics, particularly bunny hopping and strafing, are addictive and rewarding once mastered, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
The game offers a surreal and whimsical atmosphere, with quirky characters and environments that enhance the overall charm and creativity.

The steep learning curve and punishing difficulty can be frustrating for new players, often leading to repeated deaths and a sense of discouragement.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with a lack of meaningful progression and permanent upgrades, making it less engaging over time.
The combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel unbalanced, with enemies overwhelming players and the health system being punishingly restrictive.

gameplay
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The gameplay of Dreamwild is a mixed bag, heavily reliant on movement mechanics like bunnyhopping and strafing, which can be both rewarding and frustrating for players. While many appreciate the unique mechanics and the satisfying feeling of mastering them, others find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in depth, with a steep learning curve that may deter casual players. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience with a catchy soundtrack, but its core gameplay may not resonate with everyone, leading to varied opinions on its enjoyment and replayability.
- “The main gameplay is running through the various worlds known as dreamwilds, where the game takes heavy inspiration from old source movement through its reliance on bhopping to get around quickly. To a normal player, this might throw them off for a while, but it's very fun once you get the hang of it.”
- “The gameplay is simple but enjoyable!”
- “This game combines satisfying movement mechanics, catchy tunes, beautiful graphics, and a seriously addictive gameplay loop all into one neat little package.”
- “This game feels as though it is almost expecting you to completely understand and master the surf and bunny-hop mechanics before even getting a feel for anything else.”
- “However, the gameplay just isn't satisfying or very interesting.”
- “The core gameplay could've worked fine, but the constant zerging with no room to breathe is too much.”
graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and nostalgic aesthetic, blending elements reminiscent of late 90s and early 2000s visuals, including claymation and pre-rendered styles. Players appreciate the vibrant art direction, character designs, and the overall atmosphere, which is enhanced by a captivating soundtrack. However, some reviews note that while the visuals are stunning, they may not compensate for gameplay shortcomings, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience.
- “The visuals and the music are absolutely stunning, and the movement is very reminiscent of Quake/CS; it feels really good to move once you get the hang of it.”
- “The combination of visuals, music, and gameplay made for a wonderful experience; I enjoyed every second of it.”
- “First of all, the game obviously looks absolutely gorgeous with its super unique art style that's really reminiscent of classics like LSD: Dream Emulator for the PS1.”
- “The amazing worlds and art style is dulled, if not killed by the lack of content.”
- “Hope you like early pre-rendered graphics and also playing demoknight in TF2.”
- “Really cheap game too, I'd maybe recommend it just for the aesthetic it has but as for gameplay I can't.”
music
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
25%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its unique soundtracks for each room and level, which enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as phenomenal, catchy, and fitting perfectly with the game's retro aesthetic, contributing to a nostalgic and immersive atmosphere. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and an exceptional soundtrack makes the game highly recommended for those who appreciate artistic and musical elements in gaming.
- “The game offers surreal visuals with that late 90's charm, fun yet simple gameplay mechanics, a phenomenal soundtrack, and an interesting perhaps even symbolic story.”
- “The art direction is stunning as ever, with a lovely soundtrack to complement its surreal visual style.”
- “The music is really catchy and I was surprised at how many different tracks there were for just what I found.”
- “As it is now though, I have no desire to play the game despite the music and style very much begging me to.”
- “Stick to musical attempts and tinkering with 3D, but don't make any more games.”
- “I recommend this game for $6-8 so far - if nothing else, the soundtrack and sprite work is lovingly done.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game's story is noted for its depth and intriguing themes, though some players feel it is underdeveloped and somewhat hidden within the gameplay. While the narrative offers enriching lore and symbolic elements, many reviewers express a desire for more character development and backstory, suggesting that the game could benefit from additional storytelling opportunities and optional quests. Overall, the unique and surreal atmosphere enhances the experience, but players are left wanting more substantial narrative content.
- “That said, there are many things to enjoy still in this adventure. The game offers surreal visuals with that late 90's charm, fun yet simple gameplay mechanics, a phenomenal soundtrack, and an interesting, perhaps even symbolic, story.”
- “I didn't buy this game expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. To be honest, I wasn't even aware that there would be a story, but to my surprise, the story actually had some depth.”
- “One of my biggest pros towards any fading club game is that they have such an enriching story, with a lot of lore that you're left to discover, and that was also the case for Dreamwild.”
- “The story is there if you're looking for it, but it's a bit hidden.”
- “The framing of its atmosphere and top-down RPG style segments led me to expect a focus on the story, though it ended up only being a small part of it; and it feels like even the developer thought that this would be the way the game would go, as it is written in a way that makes it feel like you really should care about the characters and the world, even though the game never gives itself the time to develop them (I only knew the name of a single character by the end… which I learned from the trading cards).”
- “I even wish to know more about some of the characters, and I feel like there's room for more storytelling, or just seeing more in general.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
9%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, unique art direction, and captivating sound design, creating an engaging and sometimes eerie experience. While many players appreciate the game's ability to immerse them in its world, some feel that the narrative and character development do not fully capitalize on the atmospheric potential. Overall, the game's atmosphere is a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience.
- “Very cool, stunning atmosphere (just like Psychopomp), I love it.”
- “Great atmosphere and really cool art direction.”
- “Amazing atmosphere: graphics, art style, and music!”
- “The framing of its atmosphere and top-down RPG style segments led me to expect a focus on the story, though it ended up only being a small part of it. It feels like even the developer thought that this would be the way the game would go, as it is written in a way that makes it feel like you really should care about the characters and the world, even though the game never gives itself the time to develop them. I only knew the name of a single character by the end, which I learned from the trading cards.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging part of the experience. The necessity to grind for upgrades and the lack of meaningful rewards contribute to a sense of frustration, with many suggesting that improvements such as automatic experience collection and permanent upgrades could enhance the overall enjoyment. Overall, grinding is viewed as a significant drawback that detracts from the game's potential.
- “The combat is tedious; as a roguelike, it uses randomness in all the wrong ways, and the progression can only be described as nonsensical.”
- “The game also promotes grinding for upgrades, which makes the start feel like a chore.”
- “Grinding feels unnecessary, or at least that a death removes all progress is over the top, far too tedious for what it needs to be.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it surprisingly enjoyable to revisit despite its short length, others note a lack of substantial after-game content and rewards that could enhance the replay experience. The aesthetics and soundtrack are praised, but many feel that the limited gameplay variety diminishes long-term engagement.
- “Update: surprisingly replayable ^^”
- “Gameplay-wise, however, the game lacks a lot of replayability.”
- “There isn't much after-game content and replayability either to reward you for beating it, which sucks, but I did like the end-game content and cutscenes, which felt satisfying.”
- “That would help with replayability or at least make progression feel like it's worth it.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its charming and quirky characters, such as the adorable imp, and a delightfully bizarre aesthetic reminiscent of early 2000s 3D art. Players find the funny enemies and whimsical worlds enhance the overall experience, making it both fun and memorable. The combination of amusing character designs and entertaining movement mechanics contributes to a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “Really fun to play and the experience is enhanced by seeing all the funny enemies and worlds.”
- “Massively fun and dizzying movement, delightfully crusty aesthetic, wonderful weird world and characters. I can't get those laughing heads out of my mind; the imp is the cutest character I've seen in months.”
- “The game is extremely charming with strange, funny characters and this sort of early 2000's 3D art style that I absolutely adore!”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers praise the character development for its unique and abstract designs that blend artistic creativity with relatable human traits, creating an endearing quality. The overall art direction, including music and character aesthetics, enhances the game's immersive experience, though some feel the characters could benefit from deeper exploration.
- “First and foremost, I love the art direction; everything from the art style, music, and character designs was absolutely perfect.”
- “The character design is a huge plus, and I'd like to see the emptiness this game has filled with their details.”
- “The character design is a huge plus, but I'd like to see the emptiness this game has filled with more details.”
- “The character designs are abstract but still oddly human and kind of endearing.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a sense of emotional emptiness regarding the combat, which constitutes a significant portion of the game. The lack of meaningful engagement or reflection on the act of defeating enemies contributes to a feeling of disconnection and absence of emotional impact.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's stability is characterized by a mix of enjoyable glitches, such as bunny hopping, and mechanics reminiscent of Counter-Strike surf maps, appealing to players who appreciate these features. However, this may not resonate with those seeking a more polished experience.
- “The game is riddled with bugs that make it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “Frequent crashes and server issues ruin the overall experience.”
- “I encountered numerous glitches that disrupted gameplay and made it frustrating.”