Dreamview Weekly Roundup #47

Look! Over there, on the horizon! Is that a lost traveller ambling their way towards our campfire? We don’t see many of those on the path anymore. Not after all of the monsters and intergalactic invasions following that one time we stepped on a crack in the pavement. Ah, it’s all coming back to us now. We used to have days with their own silly little names, swapping over every 24 hours and marked it down on a grid called a calendar. If our calculations are correct, today would have been known as a 'Friday'. How quaint.

These wanderers love nothing more than a tale to set them on their way - but we can do one better than that. You see, back on these ‘Fridays’, we had a little tradition where we recommended five creations to play in a video game called Dreams. Remember 'video games'? Oh, now that’s a story. Best grab a blanket and settle in.

A Castle Through The Ether#

by TelevisedEyes

An alluring title merely scratches the surface of the dreamlike atmosphere in this mildly interactive showcase. Foregrounding a twisted defoliated tree against a quintessentially Gothic castle, the composition is enhanced by aggressive visual noise, likening the piece to the title screen of a long-lost PS1 horror game. Whilst a black-and-white filter toggle certainly shifts the mood, it’s the mysterious ‘Through the Ether’ prompt that proves most enticing. A tap of the circle button transports us into an alternate rendition of the scene, trading the imposing castle for an enchanting borealis. Our only mistake was forgetting to check if the path through the ether was one-way...

INTAKE NO PAIN#

by renato726

Fighting games are all well and good until they demand memorising multi-button combos, let alone on a gamepad complex enough to double as a Wibble Wobble course. Wouldn’t it be just lovely if we could do it all in our head via a Matrix-esque simulation? Renato726’s debut creation brings this fantasy to life in their cyberpunk brawler, envisioning a world in which all it takes to virtually beat up your best friend is a slew of cables hooked up to your brain. One body-horror montage later, we’re ready to rumble. Sadly, in the real world, you'll have to do things the old-fashioned way with buttons - but both K-NOOP and GALAG-9 (inspired names that feel right at home in this gory arcade) control beautifully. Their kicks and jabs feel closer to street dancing than street fighting, limbs fluidly connecting and weaving amongst the lively metropolis background. If this is what the simulation has to hold, plug us in pronto.

Cosmic Tale: Official Music Album#

by Bohalaa, ChabluJ, AngeEcarlate, BeardedDragonix, Forever3kco, moonpawg, Prince_Tahra, RAKeogh, Retsamehtmai, SaucelessOne

Anyone with their head in the Dreamiverse lately has likely seen Bohalaa’s Cosmic Tale 3 - a love letter to JRPGs of old with enough narrative prowess to rival its influences in real-time combat - pop up on their feed. Besides the nostalgic joys of the main game, it’s this accompanying compilation album that really teleports us back. Tapping into that heady memory of unwrapping a long-awaited game and digging into all the extra goodies included, the Cosmic Tale album is positioned as a dazzling celebration of the series thus far, a pseudo-deluxe edition bonus made available to all. Packed with an absurdly varied lineup of artists, the highlights are too numerous to mention in a sensible amount of words. Here, we'll exercise a little restraint with a couple of choice picks: Desert Wanderer from moonpawg encapsulates the arid vistas of the series' setting with its striking percussion, whilst ineap09’s Cosmos Dream is a closing ballad out to personally victimise your tear ducts. You'll simply have to go and hear the rest for yourself.

I DIRECTOR#

by Gianni_no_Mitaka and FunK_97_ITA

Following hot on the heels of their tragicomic robot musical and alien reproduction simulator - Dreams, baby! - Gianni_no_Mitaka and FunK_97_ITA’s latest toy is a perfectly suited addition to their eclectic oeuvre. I DIRECTOR boasts the ultimate power fantasy of wresting control of a figure who typically possesses all the influence in the room: an orchestra conductor. As we conduct the conductor with a combination of controller motion and analogue stick gymnastics, the tempo and instrumentation of the invisible musicians ebb and flow with our every movement. Quite apart from the physical comedy of the character’s limbs wildly swinging about like they’re fending off a swarm of bees, the chaotic musical backing is comedy gold. We’re also certain this must be the first game with a toupee toggle. See if that composer can keep their hair on - and you your composure - after pressing L3.

Frosty Flake#

by Deimatic

Alright, stop salivating. Despite what the name might suggest, this isn’t the downloadable cereal you can taste through the screen that we've all been dreaming of. (Oh, just us? You people have no vision.) Still, stay with us - for Frosty Flake’s inedibility doesn’t stop this creation from being a truly delicious prospect. Submitted to the Let It Snow jam, this twin-stick shooter brings a whole new interpretation to 'taking the holiday decorations down'. Who needs an attic when you have annihilation by six-pronged laser? Your snowflake is as nimble as it is powerful, equipped with a generous dash with room for randomly doled-out upgrades. Careful, though: so much as breathe near a homing Christmas tree or a malevolent present, and you'll trigger a rapid meltdown. For an emergency advantage, deploy and activate timed icicle bombs for a devastating area-of-effect attack that’s sure to put you on next year's naughty list. Cold-blooded.

Want an easy way to view all of these creations in one convenient collection? Check out the playable edition of this week's Dreamview Weekly Roundup right here in Dreams!