Mini Review: Dreams of Another (PS5) – A Disjointed, Abstract Curio and Little More

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In Dreams of Another, you wield various weapons normally meant to cause damage, but here, they surprisingly restore harmony and balance to the environment.

This new and somewhat strange game, created by the developers of the PixelJunk series, really wants to share its thoughts on life, death, and what it means to be human. However, despite having plenty of ideas, it doesn’t quite come together as a very fun or captivating gaming experience.

You take on the role of the enigmatic Man in Pajamas, finding himself in a peculiar world constructed from minuscule points of color. Much of the environment is blurry and unclear, and the only way to bring it into focus is by shooting at everything around you.

You’ll also meet the Wandering Soldier, who travels with you throughout the game. He can’t use weapons directly, but you can help him by giving him items you find. These items will improve his basic skills and restock his supplies.

The concept of showcasing environments through gameplay isn’t groundbreaking, but the way it’s done here is definitely special. The game uses point cloud technology to create a visually striking and unusual style. Shooting weapons or tossing explosives into these abstract clouds and seeing the resulting effects can be really rewarding, though it can become a bit repetitive over time.

We had trouble getting invested in the game’s story and messages because they were presented in a confusing and fragmented manner. It felt like the pieces didn’t quite fit together, making it hard to follow the narrative and connect with what was happening.

The game will have you play for a short time – a minute or two – then a character (or object) will speak to you briefly. After that, the scene might completely change, or even send you back to the main menu. As a chapter progresses, it cycles through several different environments, slowly unfolding a story. However, the way the game is presented in short, disconnected segments makes it feel unnecessarily confusing.

Additionally, the voice acting is noticeably slow and generally delivered with little emotion; frankly, we found it rather dull.

Dreams of Another feels genuinely dreamlike, with scenes blending together and strange visuals and sounds creating that hazy feeling. But, much like a real dream, the game likely does have a deeper meaning, though you may not remember what it is for very long.

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2025-10-05 08:06