The Dream of Shadowlands | Game Brain — video game discovery

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The Dream of Shadowlands Game Cover

About

The first episode of an indie horror RPG series with hand-drawn visuals inspired by 90s anime.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

The Dream of Shadowlands screenshot

The Dream of Shadowlands screenshot

The Dream of Shadowlands screenshot

The Dream of Shadowlands screenshot

The Dream of Shadowlands screenshot

The Dream of Shadowlands screenshot

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

story5 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and stylish 90's anime art style that is well-executed and immersive.
The combat system is engaging, with a good balance of puzzles and exploration that keeps players interested.
The game has a charming story with entertaining character interactions and a creepy atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.

Some players find the voice acting to be hit or miss, with certain characters feeling monotonous or poorly matched to their roles.
The game can be confusing at times due to a lack of hints and guidance, leading to moments where players may feel stuck.
There are technical issues such as crashes and high resource usage that can detract from the overall experience.

graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their authentic 90's anime art style, featuring hand-drawn visuals that create a captivating atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the combination of the art style with effective level design and creature aesthetics, contributing to a sense of danger and immersion. Overall, the game's visual presentation not only meets but often exceeds player expectations, enhancing the overall experience.
- “They really nailed the 90's anime art style.”
- “Really great indie horror game with a fantastic art style.”
- “I was drawn to this game from the gorgeous art style and it exceeded my expectations!”
- “The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- “The character models are poorly designed and look like they belong in a much older game.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, making exploration feel tedious.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The game's story receives mixed reviews; some players find it bad and confusing, while others appreciate its intriguing elements and connection to puzzles and exploration. Overall, it is seen as a good fit for those looking for a relaxing narrative experience, despite some describing it as reminiscent of a fever dream.
- “The story is great and the whole thing kinda reminds me of what a bad fever dream would be like.”
- “It's a good game for relaxing to a story, but also some combat, puzzles, and exploration.”
- “The story is interesting.”
- “I don't like it; in my opinion, the storyline is bad and the game feels kind of weird.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The gameplay is characterized by its engaging hand-drawn art style, immersive atmosphere, and diverse mechanics, including first-person combat, dialogue options, and an emotion system influenced by player choices. While the combat is generally praised for its intensity and challenge, some players find certain bosses excessively difficult and suggest the addition of a difficulty option. Overall, the game effectively introduces its mechanics, though some players may overlook features due to their initial presentation.
- “The art style (which is all hand-drawn!), the atmosphere (the level design, the real sense of danger from enemies, creature design, and sound design), and the game mechanics (choices in first person or traditional attack styles, defeat or outlast bosses, avoid enemies, limited sword use, dialogue options, emotion system, fears based on your choices).”
- “This game explains its mechanics very well in the beginning and the combat is always exceptional with the constant worry of losing your sword forever.”
- “I appreciate the variety in gameplay mechanics, such as the choices in combat styles and the emotional depth added through dialogue options.”
- “Two of my main critiques are that some of the bosses are super hard (the main boss and outrunning the imp), so I'd appreciate a difficulty option in the future. I also noticed when editing my video that I forgot to use some of the game mechanics I was initially excited for (first-person combat and talking in save rooms) because they were only mentioned to me in text form at the very start and I forgot.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are not intuitive enough, leading to confusion during critical moments. I often found myself struggling to remember how to execute certain actions, which detracted from the overall experience.”
- “While the game has a lot of potential, the pacing feels off, making it difficult to stay engaged. There are moments where the gameplay drags, and it can be frustrating to navigate through certain sections.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its hand-drawn art style, immersive level design, and a palpable sense of danger from enemies, enhanced by effective creature and sound design. Players appreciate the creepy ambiance that complements the diverse gameplay mechanics, including choices in combat and dialogue that influence the emotional tone of the experience.
- “The art style (which is all hand-drawn!), the atmosphere (the level design, the real sense of danger from enemies, creature design, and sound design) creates an immersive experience.”
- “I really love the creepy atmosphere.”
- “The art style is all hand-drawn, but the atmosphere feels lacking despite the level design and creature design.”
- “I really love the creepy atmosphere, but it often feels empty and unengaging.”
- “The sound design contributes to the atmosphere, but it doesn't fully immerse you in the game world.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the enjoyable and engaging interactions between characters, which consistently elicit laughter from players.
- “The character interactions were always so nice and fun to listen to, and they made me laugh many times.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with witty dialogue that kept me entertained throughout.”
- “I found myself chuckling at the clever puns and hilarious situations the characters found themselves in.”

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