Svarog's Dream
- December 4, 2023
- VI Game Forge
- 17h median play time
Get on Steam"Svarog's Dream" is an open-world exploration game where your decisions shape the world. As a lost soul, you possess free will and can inhabit human hosts, while avoiding the power struggle of the warring gods above. Your choices have consequences, and you may become a valuable piece in the game of the gods. The game is based on the old prophecy of Svarog, the first god who created six worlds and fell asleep, only to continue creating in his dreams.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique death mechanic where players can respawn as different characters, adding depth to the gameplay.
- The world is richly designed with Slavic mythology, offering an immersive experience with interesting quests and lore.
- The soundtrack and atmosphere create a captivating environment that enhances exploration and storytelling.
- The user interface and controls can feel clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and combat less fluid.
- There are frequent spelling and grammatical errors in the dialogue, which can detract from the overall immersion.
- The game can be punishing with its permadeath system, leading to frustration for players who become attached to their characters.
- story322 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a blend of Slavic mythology and philosophical themes, featuring a unique mechanic where players can inhabit different characters upon death, which adds depth to the narrative. While many players appreciate the atmospheric world and the integration of side quests that offer meaningful choices, some criticize the writing quality and pacing, feeling that the main story can feel scattered or overly simplistic. Overall, the narrative is seen as engaging and thought-provoking, though opinions vary on its execution and depth.
“The open world is exceptionally atmospheric, and the game's soundtrack is a perfect complement to the atmospheric and environmental storytelling.”
“Details of the story and the world intertwine nicely with the mechanics, giving more immersion and investing the player further.”
“The story is full of philosophy and good teachings, but the freedom to do evil is there, causing possible big and small changes to the world by your actions.”
“The story straight up is boring and tries to be philosophical but just comes across as pompous.”
“The actual story feels scattered, and dialogue sometimes felt like scripts, characters just spouting off text without actual interaction.”
“Unfortunately most of the quests and characters have no personality, no world building through interactions and that's probably the major flaw in this game.”
- gameplay144 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by innovative mechanics, particularly the unique death system that encourages experimentation without severe penalties, enhancing immersion and player engagement. While the combat and character progression are enjoyable, some players find the overall experience marred by repetitive tasks and a lack of depth in side quests. Despite its rough edges and occasional technical issues, the game offers a refreshing blend of RPG elements reminiscent of classic titles, making it a fun experience for those seeking something different in the genre.
“The moment-to-moment gameplay is joyful.”
“The death mechanic is very cool and does not feel like you lost your progress.”
“I was looking for something new to play, my idea was an RPG but now everything is a Diablo clone, then I discovered this game, it's like nothing I played before, the combat feels good, the death mechanic is really fun and the lore is interesting.”
“The permadeath character switch mechanic wasn’t for me.”
“From a gameplay standpoint, it's way too much running back and forth across mostly empty maps to fight some lame boss fights.”
“Other than that, there is no proper tutorial in this game, that is, the game throws you into the world as if you already know the genre well, introduces and gives you some tips and the beginning of certain mechanics, but I wish that at least some of them were explained in greater detail, such as the combat.”
- music81 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the environmental storytelling. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, noting its ability to evoke emotions and create a serene ambiance, while also being fitting for combat scenarios. Many agree that the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive world, making it a memorable aspect of the gameplay.
“The soundtrack is a work of art, sometimes it gives me TES Oblivion vibes but with superior quality; battle music is also great.”
“The music is incredible!!”
“For a game that's happy to let you run into monsters several times your level, the exploration can be surprisingly meditative, with non-violent wildlife, fields of flowers, and a serene soundtrack.”
“Without the music, which is alright... the game has no atmospheric or dynamic sound effects and is tremendously boring to play.”
“Like the RPG loot games of old, I find myself desiring more dramatic music, or music and sound effect range.”
“Some of the music I recognized is not unique to this game, but it is awesome and matches the atmosphere and epicness of some battles.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the nostalgic, simplistic art style and overall beauty, while others find them mediocre compared to major studio titles. Performance issues, such as frame rate drops and minor graphical errors, are noted, but many players appreciate the immersive quality of the visuals, especially given the game's small development team. Overall, while the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they are generally considered good enough to complement the engaging story and gameplay.
“The simplistic and creepy art style is a 10/10.”
“In my opinion, the graphics are perfect and help to immerse you into the creation.”
“The graphics are outstanding considering it was made by two people, a husband and wife team.”
“There is no voice acting, graphics and sound are (of course) not at the level of games from major development studios.”
“I see everyone giving this good reviews, but I found the gameplay incredibly slow and the graphics mediocre.”
“The art style for the items, gear, HUD, etc. all feel like they're from different games.”
- atmosphere36 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and organic open world, complemented by a superb soundtrack that enhances environmental storytelling. Players describe the atmosphere as both beautiful and eerie, evoking feelings of nostalgia and engagement reminiscent of classic titles like "The Witcher 3" and "Gothic." However, some critiques note a lack of dynamic sound effects, which can detract from the overall experience when the music is absent.
“The open world is exceptionally atmospheric, and the lack of voice acting does not impede the game at all. Instead, the game's soundtrack is a perfect complement to the atmospheric and environmental storytelling.”
“A very beautiful and mysterious open world to explore, with outstanding sounds and atmospheres to get you immersed.”
“The world matches up really well with the music and creates an amazing and immersive atmosphere, bringing me back to how I felt playing Gothic 1 for the first time. When I first played the beta for the game, I stayed up all night to finish my first playthrough, even though I had work the next day; it was well worth the sacrifice.”
“In terms of atmosphere, I would go as far as to say it manages to capture the feeling I had while exploring White Orchard in The Witcher 3 - being blown away by a stunningly beautiful soundtrack while watching the trees bending in the wind... that kind of atmosphere.”
“The entire in-game atmosphere has really made me feel like I was in a dream.”
“The game atmosphere will immerse you inside that world.”
- humor23 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players noting its clever and well-crafted dialogues that often elicit genuine laughter. Many quests are described as funny and satisfying, showcasing the developers' strong comedic sense, although some critiques mention occasional unpolished writing. Overall, the game's humor adds a unique charm, making it a delightful experience for those who appreciate witty and engaging storytelling.
“The devs have a fantastic sense of humor and I found myself laughing a lot while playing.”
“The start of the main quest was absolutely wild, and some of the side quests had me chuckling.”
“The dialogue, while translated oddly in some portions, is actually genuinely hilarious.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is inconsistent, with some players experiencing frame rate drops and stuttering, particularly when entering new areas, while others report smooth performance without any issues on higher-end systems. Overall, it appears that while the game can run well under certain conditions, it still requires further optimization to provide a consistently smooth experience for all players.
“In terms of performance, it’s been very smooth for me, with no bugs or glitches, and zero crashes on an i7/RTX 4060 laptop at 1080p.”
“The graphics are nice and the game runs smoothly; I never had a single hiccup or bug related to display in 4 hours of play.”
“Other criticisms are few, such as occasional performance stutters in certain places, and how short the game is.”
“Performance is ok for the most part, but there are still frame rate drops when entering new areas no matter what you select in the graphic options.”
“The game itself is not tremendously well-optimized or pretty, but if you can look past those bugs it's an incredibly engrossing experience.”
“I think this game looks like it will be fun eventually and maybe I'll try it again at a later date, but for now it needs way more optimization.”
- character development8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the engaging mechanics of skill improvement through usage and the unique resurrection system that adds significance to each death, others feel that their efforts in character progression are ultimately wasted due to a lack of world-building and balance. Overall, the potential for a deeper experience is recognized, but it remains unfulfilled for some players.
“The character development is interesting, and the idea to resurrect as a different person each time you die makes it quite fun; every death feels significant.”
“Character development is well done, with you improving skills by using them, gaining traits from activities you do, and leveling up from experience points while choosing abilities.”
“There needs to be more world-building and character development; with better balancing, this would be a 10/10.”
“All my stats that I gained and time spent on character development - wasted.”
“All my stats that I gained and time spent on character development - wasted.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and disruptive to the narrative experience, as they often feel forced into repetitive gear and level grinding between significant story moments. While there are effective loot mechanics, the inability to skip dialogues exacerbates the grind, making it feel even more laborious. Overall, the grinding can detract from immersion and enjoyment.
“It's rough, and I found it's made even more tedious as you can't skip through dialogues.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“In between these story beats, you're not immersing yourself into the world - you're just doing ARPG stuff like grinding for gear, levels, and theory crafting builds.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a stark contrast in monetization approaches, with some praising small developers for their passion-driven projects amidst a landscape dominated by AAA titles perceived as cash grabs. However, there are also criticisms suggesting that certain indie games may not be as genuine as they appear, with accusations of being just another cash grab despite claims of extensive development time.
“Just another cash grab.”
“Just another cash grab that they probably spent a few months of the 4 years they talk about actually working on the game.”
“In a time where 'AAA' games are just cash grabs, it's these kinds of games, made with passion, that give me hope that the industry is not completely dead.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's roguelike elements and open-world design, which contribute to its replayability through diverse enemies and quests. However, there are calls for additional content to enhance this aspect further, with some uncertainty about the overall replay value given the current offerings.
“Love the setup and the roguelike replayability of it, openness of the world with a variety of enemies and questing overall.”
“The judgment at the end is epic, and there are more elements that make it replayable.”
“I think the price point is fair for the replayability and content you currently get.”
“I don't know how much replayability the game has, but I think the price point is fair for what you currently get.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report smooth performance with no crashes or bugs, others experience issues with sticky movement, an unintuitive UI, and occasional visual glitches that detract from the overall experience.
“Movement and combat feel kind of sticky, the UI is a bit ugly and unintuitive, and the game is not the prettiest to look at (especially when some weird visual glitches show up).”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report having profound and touching emotional experiences, often describing encounters that evoke a deep sense of connection and spirituality. These moments are highlighted as some of the most impactful aspects of their gameplay.
“I unexpectedly experienced one of the most touching encounters with God in my life.”
