Dreamview Weekly Roundup #80

In honour of hallowed cultural holiday Black Friday, The Impsider is proud to present the ULTIMATE DEAL OF DEALS: the Dreamview Weekly Roundup, featuring five of the latest and greatest creations in Dreams this week, at an astonishing 100 PER CENT OFF. That’s right - all of these words, recommendations and clickable links are absolutely FREE this week.

What do you mean, the Roundup is usually free? Oh, sweet reader. There’s always a cost, though perhaps not necessarily monetary, and we intend to collect on the other - checks notes - oh, seventy-nine payments you owe us. Anyway, enjoy your freebie. The other “bills” will be in the post soon.

Liminal#

by Rammstein53452, mattizzle1, DrinkWater200, Tapio_X, GrimPinata136 and Typhus667

Estimated playtime: 4 hrs

The dream is finally reality. At least, we think so. Following the release of a top-tier demo and an interview feature at this year’s DreamsCom(se abre en una nueva pestaña), the full version of the liminal horror FPS arrives in Dreams - and proves itself worthy of all the anticipation. It’s a nerve-shredding blend of genres - Silent Hill by way of Resident Evil, with a dash of The Backrooms thrown in for good measure. The heartbreaking story of fallen family man Pater is expertly paced, punctuated by Resident Evil-esque chases, combat challenges and some truly stomach-turning monsters that’ll have you counting - and sweating - bullets. Most memorable of all is the setting, an uncanny tangle of office corridors and strange skies that creates constant, gnawing uncertainty and disorientation; it’s testament to smart level design and lighting that we always feel the right kind of lost throughout this multi-hour surreal thrill-ride.

Project Pigeon#

by PieceOfCraft, Pixel_Gorilla, Magma-Monsta and Elca_Gaming

Estimated playtime: 10 mins

Something we pride ourselves on here at The Impsider is providing valuable context for the Dreamiverse’s many curiosities. Perhaps a game is the passion project of a Las Vegas performance artist, or a music track is a tribute to a special friendship(se abre en una nueva pestaña). Project Pigeon, though? Regarding Project Pigeon, we have few answers for you. What we can tell you is that the development team is made up of four of Dreams’ most capable creators - and that together they’ve produced what might just be history’s only instance of actually good ‘edutainment’. Play as a pigeon. Crane your feathery little neck about to peck at moving targets, beady little eyes rolling with seed-greedy glee every time you hit your quota. Learn pigeon facts, and eventually understand the devastation that you’re unwittingly taking part in, a masterful tonal arc that takes you from laughter to shock in seconds. But WHY? Why all this pigeon pageantry? Whatever’s so appealing about pigeons to these creators, we couldn’t tell you. If we had a penny for every in-joke that’s become a bird-based videogame, we’d have two pennies - which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

Check in#

by franzeboy

Estimated playtime: N/A

Are we still doing “pondering my orb” jokes here on the internet? Probably a dead meme, eh. Alright - we’re "contemplating this sphere". This, and many others; franzeboy’s been posting plenty of these compact works of art over on their Twitter(se abre en una nueva pestaña) for months now, and has recently decided to make a clutch of them publicly available in the Dreamiverse itself. It’s remarkable how much mileage franzeboy gets out of the simple idea of a round 3D shape with human features, presenting pierced pufferfish aliens and sulky robo-kittens in professional-level detail. With so many characterful little gobstopper goblins on offer, it’s difficult to pick favourites - but for this Roundup, we’ve gone with “Check in”, which manages to present a recognisably funny expression of shock, despite this creature’s eyes being on the inside of its head staring directly at its own brain.

ZED EXODUS II#

by TRIX9, shandyboy1975, MasherButtons, oLiamS47o, RAKeogh, talc33 and Joeycutts83

Estimated playtime: Replayable

If you thought the first game was over-the-top, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Joe Danger-a-like ZED EXODUS II builds on the legacy of the Dreamiverse’s favourite stuntman by offering 50 more stick-flicking, bike-flipping challenges for you to master. Everything in this sequel has been tuned to a higher gear, from the introductory art to the playable overworld (featuring a driveable buggy, multiple themed zones and a compulsive pinball minigame), through to the electric performance of Zed’s shoutcaster and hypeman, LA-based VO pro John Worsham. This is easily hours of high-scoring fun; with the help of a talented team of collaborators, TRIX9 continues to provide some of the most well-rounded and complete playable experiences in Dreams.

TricoBiddy Bus Company#

by Tricobalt and blackcat_tracks

Estimated playtime: Replayable

Ever had a hankering to drive an even more chaotic version of the Magic School Bus through an inexplicable amount of jam? Firstly: weird. Secondly: as always, there’s a Dreams game for that. Skidding your hunk of hovering junk around levels and through rings as fast as possible is joyous freewheeling stuff, even before you start to appreciate the careful design in these jumbled-looking open-world spacevoids. In your bid for the fastest time (and sweet sub-60-second achievements), it becomes a kind of puzzle game, as you slowly figure out new and more optimal routes that incorporate cut corners and well-timed powerups. Updated regularly with new music, rewards, season quests and unlocks - including extra buses featuring unique abilities such as ‘noclip’ - this is a new favourite of ours, packed with personality and preserves.

Check out the playable edition of this week's Dreamview Weekly Roundup right here in Dreams!

Which creations caught your eye in the Dreamiverse this week, and why? Tell us about your personal picks over on the official Dreams forums!(se abre en una nueva pestaña)