The narrative of Dreamfall Chapters-Book One is set after the previous two releases in the series and remains a very complex and detail oriented storyline that will take newcomers to the franchise a while to understand. The campaign often jumps between multiple settings including what is referred to as our reality and a dream world full of magic. Stark depicts a futuristic version of Earth where technology rules and chaos seems to loom around every corner despite the world's citizens seeming to be oblivious to their current reality. Arcadia is the separate world that is full of magic and wonders not seen in the other reality. The worlds are connected through dreams, and part of the game's storyline focuses on the two locations and the similarities they share.
Zoe Castillo is the star of Dreamfall Chapters-Book One, though players will control multiple characters throughout the game. Zoe begins the game trapped in a coma and dealing with the fallout of the events of the last game in the series. Players will learn about Zoe's powers in the dream world through a carefully crafted tutorial that also helps to introduce a couple of key characters and narrative themes. In the dream world, Zoe is a powerful entity capable of saving others from their nightmares and helping them awaken in the real world, but Zoe has a tough time accepting herself for who she truly is in reality. The deep tones and emotional situations are present throughout the entire campaign featured in the new release, and the excellent writing will have players carefully contemplating their every action during the game.
Dreamfall Chapters-Book One plays on ideas seen throughout the Dreamfall series and in other popular titles such as Telltale franchises or The Broken Age. Players will be faced with several options throughout the campaign, such as to kill a suffering man or let him be, and each decision has important consequences later in the game. The title states that characters will "remember" certain actions, and players can help direct the next step for the narrative by making different choices in gameplay. The title also incorporates online statistics for some choices so that players can compare their decisions with other players throughout the campaign.
Gameplay in Dreamfall Chapters-Book One also revolves around simple puzzles similar to what would be seen in the point-and-click genre. Players will need to search for key items in the environment to use on enemies or otherwise use to progress through certain areas. Players will sometimes have access to special powers or items to use in conjunction with items found in the game environments as well. Dreamfall Chapters-Book One is played from the third-person camera perspective in a 3D world built on Unity Engine, despite the game's predecessors using different mechanics, but the new game is truly immersive thanks to the new improvements the game has made during development.
Though the writing for Dreamfall Chapters-Book One is its strongest attribute, the storyline is not perfect. The game tends to jump around from certain scenes to others that have seemingly nothing in common with the previous scene at first. The jumps can be abrupt and jarring for players' experiences with the game. When the action switches to Zoe's real life, some of the day-to-day life experiences for the character can get boring for a short time as well, since going to work or buying lunch inside a video game is most definitely not the most exciting thing gamers have performed in their gaming careers, however, in the end the hidden treasures around the game can definitely offer up some unique experiences.
Dreamfall Chapters-Book One is a decent looking game that doesn't feature the best character models and designs, but the game often creates very atmospheric locations to explore that will keep players enthralled with the story being weaved by Tørnquist and company. The new title does feature a strong soundtrack that helps evoke the strong emotions the game sets forth to draw out of players with every line of dialogue or interaction with an item in the game's environments. The game is easy to control and play even for fans that aren't the most dedicated gamers, and one thing Dreamfall Chapters-Book One does better than any others in the genre is to present choices with brief descriptions with character narration to help players make the exact choices they want for each playthrough of the game.
Dreamfall Chapters-Book One is a great release that is setting the stage for an epic conclusion with Dreamfall Chapters-Book Two. Only time will tell how great the ending will be for one of the better storylines video games has ever told, but fans will no doubt be excited to see how this franchise will end. The narrative can be a bit confusing for newcomers to the series, and there are some pacing issues at times that will see the story jump from mundane moments to absolutely exciting and amazing events with no warning, but the story is an overall highly enjoyable experience that gamers and fans of great storytelling can appreciate. Dreamfall Chapters-Book One is out now on PlayStation 4 and Steam.
Dreamfall Chapters is now available for PlayStation 4, PC, Mac and Linux and can be purchased for $29.99. For more information on the game, check out the official Dreamfall Chapters website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Use Supernatural Powers to Escape Dreams and Nightmares
- Game Chapters Divided Across Two Books
- Steam Trading Card Support
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Red Thread Games
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC (reviewed), Mac & Linux
Release Date: October 21, 2014
