Dreamview Weekly Roundup #40

Any self-respecting laboratory-editorial hybrid needs a spring clean now and again. After forty (!) roundups, the cupboards are getting more than a little cluttered. We’ve been spending the last week picking up all kinds of peculiar artifacts off the floor. A rogue penny, a couple of upside-down horseshoes, an enormous pile of four-leaf clovers. Honestly, we can’t even remember what we used those for.

There was that time Jacob wrote a few Roundups here but sadly, he quickly devolved into rambling bizarre nonsense. Something about the number seven. Either way, we haven’t seen him for a long while now. How long has it been exactly? Thirteen roundups? Oh, we're sure there’s nothing superstitious to read into there. After all, we’d know if it was Jacob talking this entire time, waiting to dish out five more recommendations from the Dreamiverse. Wouldn’t we?

ASCENT REMASTERED#

by payoffwizard

We’d never turn down the chance to experience a classic creation again with fresh eyes. Imagine our delight upon first seeing payoffwizard’s majestical Ascent Remastered, both a dazzling revamp of last year’s captivating adventure and foundation for potential future chapters. Anyone yet to experience Ascent’s breathtaking Team Ico-inspired world is in for a treat. Adopting techniques and principles they’ve developed since the original release, payoffwizard has overhauled the art direction and lighting, adding in additional details that create an even stronger sense of scale and awe. Furthermore, there are entirely new setpieces including an effectively atmospheric escape sequence in its opening, resulting in a world reveal that’s even more gratifying than before.

Caféwave#

by venwave

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. This impossibly gorgeous looping piece from venwave really was made in Dreams - purely from cleverly placed paintstrokes. Don’t believe us? We wouldn’t blame you but if you really doubt our claims, enable Free Cam in the creation itself and ponder each individual fleck to your heart’s content, an exercise almost as satisfying as watching the final loop itself. Set inside a cosy aquatic café, the soft sounds of rising bubbles make for relaxing ambience as your eyes inevitably flit across the jam-packed tapestry. There’s plenty of touching creator tributes to uncover throughout its affectionate details, crafted with the love and care that go hand-in-hand with a venwave creation.

Sounds From The Underground#

by Hypertronik

Choral chants and thunderous bass accompanying an enormous imp’s ascent is certainly an audacious way to open an album, but for Hypertronik’s Sounds From The Underground, this overture is almost quaint compared to its contents. Running close to a gargantuan four hours, the electronic musician’s fifty-track compilation is a sound design smorgasbord, jumping from sci-fi infusions in tracks like Dreamer Seed, to Sorrow Souls’ drum and bass melancholy. Combined with smooth presentational flair, this is as complete as interstellar rave albums get. There are even six bonus tracks for dedicated fans, ranging from new edits to original beats.

Penjara#

by Rainholder

Awakening into a starry expanse, we see only a mysterious book floating directly ahead of us. We grab it and suddenly find ourselves teleported into a strange fantastical realm, absent of characters but crammed with riddles and machinery. For anyone who’s played one of Cyan Worlds’ puzzle classics, they’ll feel right at home with Rainholder’s Penjara, a ridiculously expansive take on the first-person adventure. Boasting multiple realms with distinct aesthetics and an assortment of endings to find, Penjara is a hefty undertaking - and that’s without mentioning how impressively cryptic its challenges can be. For those happy to break out a notepad and dig into its many mysteries, there’s few creations in the Dreamiverse that scratch this itch so perfectly.

Oops#

by foxikarti9

We’re not quite sure what foxikart9 is apologising for in the title of their debut piece, aside from giving us another talented creator to add to our endless list. There’s a lot to love here, from a playful background ditty to the horrifying anthropomorphism of its spotlighted sea creatures (we think a certain Wargarble might be a fan). The central conceit is ultimately what won us over – an already eye-catching scene pans out to reveal a hilariously unfortunate food chain in motion. A diorama of death might not sound that charming, but we’d implore anyone who hasn’t seen this to reconsider. Is that us heartily recommending yet another dream to you all? Oops, we did it again.

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!