Dream Cycle is a title that moves between mysteries and magic and we want to reveal some details in our preview. Before getting to the heart of the discussion, however, a great premise must be made: the game is currently in Early Access, therefore, this will not be a real review, but more an introduction to the title, its potential and what its future development could be. Randolph Carter, Morgan Carte, Dreamlands… names that are familiar, why? Because the story we are about to address is based on the series of H.P. Lovecraft. Toby Ghent, creator of Lara Croft, is he ready to tell us his about this universe and we, are we ready to listen to him?
Developer:
Cathuria Games
Price:
19,99 €
Dream Cycle preview: an ever-changing world
Our Dream Cycle preview opens with a choice: first or third person. Once done, we can start living our adventure. We will play the role of Morgan Carter, a young apprentice with a tangled destiny. His Essence was stolen by his ancestor, Randolph Carter. Thus, a quiet day in the library turns into a changing mystery. Trapped in an alternate dimension, Morgan will have to try to survive, facing creatures, spells and illusions. All this to be able to regain possession of itself.
The game is particular from several points of view, starting with its definition. It is a roguelike, con sfumature sandbox e RPG. Levels are generated in a procedural and that means they will never be recreated the same way. Even if it is an Early Access, the title provides well 10000 levels. But how exactly does this gameplay work? The map is basically a square of 10 by 10 squares, each of which has 10 by 10 pixels; each pixel represents one of the randomly generated missions.
We start from a pixel and, at each subsequent step, we will have to click on an adjacent one, thus unlocking new ones. Each mission catapults us into a whole new world, in which to face enemies, or find orbs. Whenever we manage to complete a mission, we will have access to a pixel adjacent to the one faced and so on.
Play with your style
The most interesting part is that we will be able to complete the mission through the gameplay that best suits us. Dream Cycle, in fact, can be faced in a stealth way, but nothing prevents you from being freer and facing it by shooting at every enemy. By unlocking the various missions, we will also increase our level and this will give us the possibility to unlock some skills. Our character has only two weapon slots available and there doesn’t seem to be any inventory available, therefore, you have to carefully choose what you collect. The weapons are quite varied and range from swords and daggers to firearms. Some of the abilities are somewhat reminiscent of titles like Dishonored and make the game quite fast and adrenaline-pumping.
Stylistically, the developers decided to create a fantasy setting that recalls a grafica cellshade. It is a somewhat particular style that is not appreciated by everyone. In principle, I did not find myself bad and, on the contrary, on many occasions the choice was advantageous to be able to move at best in the setting. It must be said that, however, some areas are a bit confusing and, often, the background scenography mixes a bit with the main character, especially if played in the third person. At a technical level there were no particular problems to support the title, although we had to compromise with the level of graphics quality. However, it is too early to express itself in this sense.
Dream Cyrcle preview: what to expect
At the end of our preview of Dream Cycle, we can be more than satisfied with the test carried out. The game is already quite rich and complete, even if the price is very low. The potential of the game is very high, especially if, as the developers say, it will go against a constantly evolving world. Let’s give time to time, but if you like to try something that breaks the lines a bit, could be the title for you. Maybe, in the long run, it could get a little repetitive and monotonous, but you will surely enjoy it for a long time.
Developer:
Cathuria Games
Price:
19,99 €