The Dreamlands: Aisling's Quest
- April 10, 2018
- The Domaginarium
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Get on itch.io StoreHelp Aisling free The Dreamlands from The Mourner! The Dreamlands: Aisling's Quest is an adventure game that blends fantasy and mystery elements to present a gripping story.
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Reviews
- Charming adventure game with a heartwarming story that evokes nostalgia.
- Excellent voice acting and music that enhance the overall experience.
- Offers a unique twist on the Hidden Object genre with interesting puzzles and collectibles.
- The game is very short, with a runtime of under two hours, leading to a lack of replay value.
- Graphics and animations are dated and can feel janky or low-quality.
- The hint system is ineffective, leaving players confused and frustrated.
- story16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The story of "Aisling's Quest" is described as charming and heartwarming, focusing on themes of guilt and self-discovery within a dreamlike world. While some players found the narrative engaging and enhanced by unique gameplay elements, others criticized it for being predictable and lacking immersion, leading to a mixed reception overall. The game's technical aspects, particularly character animations, were noted as areas needing improvement despite the interesting plot.
“Charming adventure game with a heartwarming story.”
“Very beautiful, the story revolves around helping Aisling to overcome his feelings of guilt in a world created by his mind, diving into his nightmares as he deals with his past and tries to understand what happened.”
“Like the aforementioned games, the impact of the story is what drives the player to move forward.”
“Point and click - story - felt empty; starting off, the story did not immerse you into the game or tell you much of what is going on.”
“And the story is not good; I spent over two hours trying to figure out what I was supposed to do, very disappointed, and here I thought it was going to be a great game like my other hidden object adventure games.”
“There is some voice acting at key scenes and a few flashbacks, but the story does not overwhelm the experience.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them dated and of poor quality, while others appreciate the visuals as acceptable or quite nice. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is inconsistent, with a notable divide between those who find the graphics odd and those who see them as satisfactory.
“An adventure game, the graphics are quite nice, the gameplay is simple, your avatar Aisling.”
“Visuals are quite nice though.”
“The graphics are terrible and the movements are extremely slow.”
“Aesthetically, the game appears dated.”
“The graphics are acceptable, not good.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as moody and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience, though some players find it dull or lacking in variety. While it complements the gameplay, its repetitive nature may detract from enjoyment for some, leading to mixed opinions on its effectiveness. Overall, it serves its purpose but may not stand out for all players.
“The voice acting and music also does a great job fleshing out the experience, and the puzzles, while fairly simple and sometimes a little 'moon'-like, are overall satisfying to complete.”
“Music is fittingly moody.”
“I'm not familiar with the composer(s) or how the music came to be in the game, but I thought, like the classics (again I reference Myst), it had a nice atmospheric effect.”
“I've heard chatter among early players that the music is either dull or annoying, and that there isn't enough variety in the soundtrack.”
“This is a relatively short game to complete, and does not require a lot of music.”
“Decent art and music.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for evoking nostalgia reminiscent of classic adventure titles like "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Myst," with a strong emphasis on its effective music that enhances the overall experience, despite some minor gameplay frustrations.
“I had to scrumm a bit to get through the 1-hour runtime, and there's a bit of pixel hunting, but the overall atmosphere was worth it, giving me nostalgic feels for the first time I played Journey to the Center of the Earth or Longest Journey.”
“I'm not familiar with the composer(s) or how the music came to be in the game, but I thought, like the classics (again I reference Myst), it had a nice atmospheric effect.”
“I had to struggle a bit to get through the 1-hour runtime, and there's a bit of pixel hunting, but the overall atmosphere was worth it, giving me nostalgic feels for the first time I played 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' or 'The Longest Journey'.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is straightforward yet engaging, featuring an adventure format with appealing graphics. Players can enhance their experience by collecting hidden journal pages and interacting with optional dialogue throughout the dreamlands.
“The graphics are quite nice, and the gameplay is simple, making it accessible for all players.”
“Aisling's quest comes with a lot of additional gameplay features, such as collecting hidden journal pages and other items.”
“Players can also encounter optional dialogue while walking through the dreamlands, adding depth to the gameplay experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its charming adventure and heartwarming story, evoking strong emotional connections and resonating with players on a personal level.
“A charming adventure game with a heartwarming story.”
“The emotional depth of the characters left a lasting impact on me.”
“I felt a genuine connection to the story, which made the experience unforgettable.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that Domaginarium stands out in a market filled with exploitative monetization practices, as it demonstrates a genuine commitment to creating meaningful experiences rather than simply pursuing profit.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers minimal replay value, primarily appealing to players only interested in completing achievements related to collecting pages and toys.
“The game offers a wealth of different choices and paths, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
“With multiple endings and various character builds, I find myself coming back to explore new strategies and outcomes.”
“The random events and dynamic world keep the gameplay fresh, encouraging me to replay and discover something new each time.”
“Short game with zero replay value unless you're hunting for the pages and toy achievements.”
“Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Upon its initial release, the game was reported to be quite buggy, indicating that a period of early access could have helped address these issues before launch.
“At the time of first release, this game was fairly buggy and probably would have benefitted from a month-long early access release to work out the kinks.”
