Xross Dreams
- December 25, 2022
- Starlight Studios Games
Get on Steam"Xross Dreams" is a multi-dimensional game that combines action, puzzle-solving, and versus battles in a unique way. Choose to play as a single dreamer navigating the universe through a series of puzzles, or team up with a friend to carve a path of understanding together. With a jazzy drum and bass soundtrack, this game offers a fresh and innovative take on the fighting and puzzle genres.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is a unique love letter to classic puzzle games, offering a diverse range of gameplay styles and mechanics that encourage experimentation.
- Local play functions well, providing an enjoyable experience despite some rough edges, and the developer is actively working on updates and fixes.
- The single-player mode is challenging and engaging, with each character representing different puzzle game styles, making it appealing for puzzle enthusiasts.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, softlocks, and a poorly designed control scheme that requires restarting the game for menu navigation issues.
- Online multiplayer is currently non-functional, and the tutorials are inadequate, leaving players confused about game mechanics.
- The artwork and overall polish are lacking, and many players feel the game is incomplete, requiring significant improvements before it can be fully recommended.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a creative fusion of various puzzle mechanics, encouraging players to experiment and discover strategies on their own. While the game offers a diverse range of styles, including classic and original puzzles, it suffers from some balance issues and crashes, though the developer is actively addressing these concerns. Overall, the core gameplay is engaging and reminiscent of classic arcade experiences, despite some rough edges in the interface.
“It only tells you enough to start playing and begs you to experiment with its gameplay mechanics.”
“Very creative and thoughtful implementation of the overlaying mechanics and games at play.”
“In short, if you are into vs puzzle color match games, this should strongly scratch your itch due to the sheer amount of gameplay styles available to play, and nobody else thought of doing the multi-game fusion as expansive as this.”
“In short, if you are into vs puzzle color match games, this should strongly scratch your itch due to the sheer amount of gameplay styles available to play, and nobody else thought of doing the multi-game fusion as expansive as this. However, I should stress that at this Christmas release, the developer has put out a competent product in spite of crashes and some unbalanced gameplay difficulties.”
“The AI's purpose to only send garbage at overwhelming rates feels a lot like coin-operated arcade video games of the late 1980s to early 90s when 'cheating' AI was implemented to secondarily test the player's skills by illusion, but primarily outdo the player through its own means rather than following the gameplay rules.”
“The majority of the game's tile dropping mechanics are dictated by fast drop (down) or the slow 'strategic' drop (up), with no way of making an instant snap drop.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The story mode is described as challenging and often frustrating, with players feeling that it requires significant skill to progress. Despite its difficulty and technical issues, such as bugs and slow mechanics, the narrative and artistic elements are praised for their quality, allowing for personal interpretation and engagement with the characters. Overall, while the gameplay experience can be janky, the compelling story and character development keep players returning to improve their skills.
“Everything presented in story mode is open to interpretation and leaves you to understand it the way that makes the most sense to you.”
“I find story mode to be punishingly difficult but have walked away from every match feeling like I've learned something new about that character's play style or the accompanying character in that chapter.”
“I'm not a really experienced puzzle gamer, so I find the single player plot to be pretty difficult, but I keep finding myself coming back to it and trying to hone my skills with the different characters.”
“As of the time of writing, the online mode is basically non-functional due to constant desyncs, and the way the story mode plays feels kind of awful. It's generally buggy and janky, but the music, art, and the story itself in plot mode and local versus are all extremely fantastic.”
“I tried the story mode, but genuinely got stuck on one part because a boss kept spawning adds and then immediately running before I could get a combo set up. The enemies would have to eat my combo because I'd have to set up another one otherwise.”
“In addition to the AI level currently reaching 'cheating' on advanced story levels, the tile drop system seems to be too slow when quick reaction is necessary.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally considered to be rough and lacking polish, which may detract from the overall visual experience.
“The artwork is pretty rough.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Despite issues with online functionality and gameplay bugs, the music, art, and story elements in both plot mode and local versus are highly praised, with users finding them to be fantastic.
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during gameplay.”
“While the visuals are stunning, the music feels out of place and doesn't enhance the overall experience.”
“The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't match the intensity of the gameplay, which is disappointing.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is significantly lacking, with users reporting constant desyncs in online play and a generally buggy experience in story mode. While the music, art, and plot are praised, the overall functionality remains a major concern.
“As of the time of writing, the online mode is basically non-functional due to constant desyncs, and the way the story mode plays feels kind of awful. It's generally quite buggy and janky, but the music, art, and the story itself in plot mode and local versus are all extremely fantastic.”
