DREAMS (PS)
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Publisher: Cryo Interactive.
Developer: Cryo Interactive. Released: 1998. Genre: 3D Platformer. Other versions: PC. Posted 6th June 2013. By Tom Clare © 2013 |
There are times whilst playing Dreams (sometimes stylised Dreams to Reality) when you genuinely won’t know whether to laugh or cry. Still, if you’re a bit pants at making games, at least aim for something different, and whilst this strange platform-adventure from Cryo never looks like escaping the legacy of dodgy PlayStation software from the much-maligned developer, it could never be accused of being generic, and is a thousand miles from the production-line licensed titles that share its lowly score.
Whilst there’s plenty that can be said and written about Dreams, the cause of the game’s failings are, in reality, really straightforward to identify; it’s very badly programmed. As such, severe problems can be recognised within the first few minutes of play. Early levels comprise of fairly large, open-plan 3D environments that see you traversing a sequence of platforms that branch in a number of directions. There’s plenty of platforming, but it’s hamstrung by extremely wooden, clunky controls, perilous jumps and lamentable collision detection, which sometimes sees enemies snagging on your character and knocking your character clean off a ledge, resulting in instant death. Sometimes you’ll respawn in mid-air, and instantly die again. This becomes a bit of a problem, as you only have three lives, and in the early stages, there’ll be lots of replaying levels.
Taking control of Duncan, the player has the means to switch between him, a woman, and a massive blue Hulk-alike every time an alarm-clock rings. For what it’s worth, it’s a neat idea and relatively well implemented, especially as they all have different combat characteristics and varying degrees of mobility. The lady is less preferable in a fight than the blue monstery-thing, but she can fly, whilst he can’t. Duncan assumes the role of inbetween-er with his glide ability.
Duncan's met with some weird creatures, and weirder glitches
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Astonishingly, this passed for an FMV back in 1998
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The first few levels can seem as tough as old boots. The second remains the most compelling, as you span a large playing area searching for bird icons, freeing these creatures from cages in the sky, and when you’ve found them all, you must defeat a giant flying snake. No, I haven’t been drinking. The problem is, though the ropey controls and terrible graphics will prove something of a bug-bear, you’ll miss such abstract ambitions as the game progresses.
It’s odd, because as Dreams starts to find some semblance of stability, it loses that wacky creative streak, even as its play styles start to branch out. The 3D levels start to take on a much more linear, ordered feel, but become considerably easier and less interesting as a result. Still, I don’t think the first two or three levels would have prepared many for some nifty bosses, battled from a 2.5D perspective (they’re in the centre and you essentially circle them) and the odd almost-passable 2D level. Whilst these offer a little more assuredness in control than their 3D siblings, there’s a heavy theme of repetition to the level layouts, which seem to throw a couple of platform/enemy combinations your way and then repeat them ad naseum so as to make the levels seem bigger.
Should you muster the necessary perseverance needed to clear the opening couple of the levels, much of the rest of the adventure should pass by without incident. There’s a measure of challenge every now and then, though more often than not, there’s an unflatteringly simple way of traversing levels painlessly. The open levels can be finished in quick-time as you fly around looking for an arch icon and then locate the exit. The 2D levels feature endless queues of enemies, but most can be bypassed simply by leaping over and past them before they know you’re there, and most bosses in the latter stages, including the last one, can be beaten through spamming the fire button. There’s around twenty or so levels which offer a commendably mixed, if not especially captivating journey, whilst the ending is inevitably farcical. Like every FMV in the game, it’s voiced to sound like a pantomime version of Scooby-Doo by a group of people who clearly haven’t the foggiest ideas as to what’s meant to be going on. As a by-product, the sound is largely dismal too, with only the odd burst of focused music to add some impetus.
It’s odd, because as Dreams starts to find some semblance of stability, it loses that wacky creative streak, even as its play styles start to branch out. The 3D levels start to take on a much more linear, ordered feel, but become considerably easier and less interesting as a result. Still, I don’t think the first two or three levels would have prepared many for some nifty bosses, battled from a 2.5D perspective (they’re in the centre and you essentially circle them) and the odd almost-passable 2D level. Whilst these offer a little more assuredness in control than their 3D siblings, there’s a heavy theme of repetition to the level layouts, which seem to throw a couple of platform/enemy combinations your way and then repeat them ad naseum so as to make the levels seem bigger.
Should you muster the necessary perseverance needed to clear the opening couple of the levels, much of the rest of the adventure should pass by without incident. There’s a measure of challenge every now and then, though more often than not, there’s an unflatteringly simple way of traversing levels painlessly. The open levels can be finished in quick-time as you fly around looking for an arch icon and then locate the exit. The 2D levels feature endless queues of enemies, but most can be bypassed simply by leaping over and past them before they know you’re there, and most bosses in the latter stages, including the last one, can be beaten through spamming the fire button. There’s around twenty or so levels which offer a commendably mixed, if not especially captivating journey, whilst the ending is inevitably farcical. Like every FMV in the game, it’s voiced to sound like a pantomime version of Scooby-Doo by a group of people who clearly haven’t the foggiest ideas as to what’s meant to be going on. As a by-product, the sound is largely dismal too, with only the odd burst of focused music to add some impetus.
There's really no need for ledges when you can fly
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Tiger-top and white sneakers ftw!
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It’s fair to say, there are few games in existence that are uglier than Dreams. Looks alone would likely have been enough to turn away most players. All three character models look atrocious, and you’ll have seen nothing quite as bad as the one-tone skies that make up most of the levels; they genuinely give the impression of unfilled design space. They are an insult to the PlayStation’s graphical capabilities, and the fallibilities continue. Texturing is bad, animation is lumbering, there’s absolutely mountains of pop-up and the FMVs are a joke. Save for a bit of thematic variety from level-to-level, it’s almost irredeemable.
Despite its atrocious visuals, lacklustre design and naff controls, Dreams manages to save a modicum of dignity through its industrious attempts to vary the playing experience and a neat, valid three-character rotation. Nevertheless, a poor game is a poor game and, with the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon already on the market at the time of its release, there’s really no need to lose any sleep over Dreams.
Despite its atrocious visuals, lacklustre design and naff controls, Dreams manages to save a modicum of dignity through its industrious attempts to vary the playing experience and a neat, valid three-character rotation. Nevertheless, a poor game is a poor game and, with the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon already on the market at the time of its release, there’s really no need to lose any sleep over Dreams.
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VERDICT
Visual: 2/10
Audio: 3/10 Gameplay: 3/10 Longevity: 4/10 OVERALL: 3/10 |