iPad Dream Chronicles Price Drop, 2.99

Repost of my impressions

I remember playing Myst when I was younger and how I was completely taken in by the beautiful graphics and the different, almost casual, relaxed approach to gaming. Up to that point, I was bombarded with shooter type games and platformers. While I know many are awaiting the arrival of Myst, I’m happy to say that Dream Chronicles, a puzzle adventure game, not only fills the void in the iTunes store, it is a solid title in its own right with decent storyline content. As you would expect, Dream Chronicles follows a linear storyline consisting of a series of static pages and is not heavily animated. Having said that, the environments are vibrantly presented and well done, even when you zoom in. The first thing people will ask about is the length of game time. Games such Dream Chronicles and Myst should be experienced and enjoyed, not rushed through in three or four hours.

You play a woman named Faye, who wakes up one day to find that Lilith, the Fairy Queen of Dreams has cast a sleeping spell over the kingdom. In addition, your husband Fidget is missing, and your child Lyra is under a deep sleep spell. Dream Chronicles has 18 chapters with a total of 32 puzzles. As a player, you use 4 of the 5 iPotch "senses"—Drag, Zoom, Pan, and Tap (with tilt being the exception). Within each of chapter and puzzle, you use a variety of these senses to view, move and implement items. In each case, your first task is to collect things that you will need to solve the puzzle. The music is very mellow, almost too mellow and adds significantly to the feel of the game. I suggest you play with the soundtrack on…really. A basic slide show tutorial is included and reviews the iPotch senses I mentioned above. Tapping around randomly to find things can be difficult so after a certain period of time, a twinkling light will appear in the area you should be looking, which comes in handy. None of the puzzles are extremely difficult, but you will have to think. In addition, your progress is saved as you complete levels.

Here are the chapters:
Chapter 1 - Bedroom
Chapter 2 - Hallway
Chapter 3 - Lyra’s Room
Chapter 4 - Bridge
Chapter 5 - Tree House
Chapter 6 – Backyard
Chapter 7 – Library
Chapter 8 - Secret Room
Chapter 9 - Parlor
Chapter 10 - Garden
Chapter 11 - Green House
Chapter 12 - Statue
Chapter 13 - Puppet Theatre
Chapter 14 - In Town
Chapter 15 - Forest
Chapter 16 - In Front of the Mansion
Chapter 17 - The Mansion
Chapter 18 - Final Puzzle Room

The objective is twofold: solve the various puzzles (looking for items and finding solutions) and collect crystals to complete the Dream Jewels. The Dream Jewels serve no purpose other than for bonus points at the end of the game, but it’s still fun to look for them. Most of the time, you will rely on the zoom function to locate these jewels because they are not always in obvious places. Something to keep in mind is that everything you collect within a puzzle (other than the crystals), will be used in that specific puzzle so you won’t need to worry about holding onto items to use several chapters later.

As you enter each scene, Fidget offers some narrative (no audible voiceover) to set the tone. During gameplay, you have the inventory bar at the bottom of the screen which is where items you pick up are collected as well as the pause button which gives you the option of going back to the main menu. At the bottom right hand corner is the diary of Faye’s husband Fidget, which you acquire in the first puzzle. This diary is essential as it provides details on Fidget’s family history and the Fairy world and can be accessed at anytime. The diary is categorized by Map and Chapters. The Map shows your progress through the levels and by tapping on any of them, you access the in-depth story behind each puzzle that you’ve completed or are in progress. The Chapters section is an overview of the Dream Jewels and keeps track of the jewels you collect and where they fit within each Dream Jewel.

As I mentioned, one of the strengths of Dream Chronicles is the content. For example, by tapping on an item such as a lamp or a plant, a short description will appear describing the item and any family history. As with Myst, Dream Chronicles is about figuring out a mystery by looking at everyday items and piecing them together. In one puzzle, you may be fixing the wheels on a broken wagon and in another, you’ll be digging holes in a backyard. Obviously, these all lead to something else and are integral to progressing to the next environment.

Dream Chronicles is not for everyone because this is a puzzler at its core, and as I mentioned, intended to be enjoyed over a period of time. For me, it’s a solid and rewarding game that I think it will be a worthwhile experience for many of you.

 

Lol i noticed these impressions were posted to iTunes too. Nice job, Albie.

 

Yes! Been wating for this, just picked it up.

 

I just picked it up , for 2.99 why not..

 

On sale again for $2.99

 

is there another thread for this game, if not could someone post some screenshots or video links please?

 

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=10267

 

thanks