Reviewed by Melissa Yamamoto
Katgames and Playfirst released Dream Chronicles on June 12, 2007 and it continues drawing casual gamers attention. Between fantasy and reality, beautiful artwork, challenging puzzles and classical music, the game is a good option for players who enjoy adventure theme.
In Dream Chronicles you play as Faye, a simple mortal who one day awakes from a strange dream and finds out her beloved husband Fidget is missing. Responsible for the kidnapping is Lilith, the Fairy Queen of Dreams, who cast a sleeping spell over the Village of Wish, including their daughter Lyra. The main goal of this game is to save Fidget and find out why her family has got involved in this mysterious fairy tale.
Before Fidget was gone, he left Faye a book containing a few explanations of what might have happened and the diary will give her directions and hints so she won’t wander around.
As soon as you start playing Dream Chronicles, there will be hidden objects you’ll need to interact with to accomplish a mission, and this is what the game is made of: hidden objects and puzzles. Although Faye can’t move around, the gameplay is easy: you’ll collect objects with just a simple click and drag the items from your inventory to put them in action.
You can only keep 10 items in your inventory, which can be a little annoying because some puzzles are only available in zoomed view, and most of them require many objects, forcing you to use a few (or all of them), return to the main place to collect the items left behind and finally solve it.
You will also collect colored gems, stones belonging to pieces of jewelry from several different fairies. There are 115 in total and the more you collect, the more points you get on your final score. When you solve a puzzle, the game will take you to a different level and it won’t let you return to the place you were before, so a good tip is to collect all the gems before moving forward. Since the game has no time limit, feel free to look around, explore the areas with your mouse, and take your time when trying to solve a puzzle. You’ll need it.
The graphics help make this game even better. Some sceneries look like paintings, which makes the object-finding more difficult. The items include keys, toys, tools, ropes, fruits, plants, tiles… But don’t worry if you have any problems finding them; quick flashes of light indicate what you must collect and what you must do next. The music is also a plus, making the ambient match Faye’s quest; it’s relaxing but with a touch of suspense, leaving no space to feel bored when playing.
The intriguing story is not just about Faye trying to save her family, but also to discover the truth behind the latest events. Things that were hidden, almost forgotten that are now connecting the past and present, helping the character understand and accept that what happened years ago is changing her simple and mortal life forever.
With its great atmosphere and mysterious tale, Dream Chronicles will stick you in front of the computer. And while it has 32 levels divided in 18 chapters, the numbers don’t hide the bad (but harmless) things about this game: it is too short and the inventory should be able to carry more items – especially if you’re not a patient person.
And for those who found the shortness an issue, a sequel is available.