Dreams Review (PlayStation)

I have something of a love-hate relationship with Dreams; I adore the Bubblebath Engine and the mere fact that it serves as a creative waterfall for fledgling developers, but I also can’t shake the fact that it would have so much more to offer if Media Molecule were to spend more time finessing the formula rather than neglecting it like a middle child at a family reunion. The thing is, Dreams has the infrastructure to conquer, but not so much the support of its founders to withstand the test of time. Initially, it would have had the world eating out of the palm of its hand. Media Molecule, however, lost sight of that shortly after introducing it to the public, which ultimately resulted in a seemingly half-baked creation tool with all of the assets, but only a fraction of support.

Dial it back to its inception, and you would have seen an entirely different world. Before Media Molecule made the brash decision to pull support on the platform and focus on another project, Dreams wasn’t just an ambitious idea; it was a concrete tool kit—the Swiss Army knife of world-weaving sandboxes. And to some extent, it still is, only with a dull point and a lack of extra gadgets. Dreams, although without the universal bubble and affection of its parent, remains a perfectly good example of how to make scribbles and daydreams a full-blown digital reality capable of inducing REM.

If you’re unfamiliar with Dreams, then one can only really describe it as a “hub” for both casual gamers and creators alike. Think Roblox or Fortnite, as well as how each platform not only offers you the chance to play with worlds, but to also weave them for others to enjoy. Similar to the two aforementioned platforms, Dreams also allows for you to experiment with different in-house assets, themes, and genres. In other words, yes, you can make a platforming game starring Kermit the Frog, among countless other oddball creations. But, to tell you the truth, it would take a long, long time to highlight each of the thousand-plus experiences in the catalog. Frankly, you would be better leaving a lot of it to your imagination, too, as there are, in fact, a great deal of bad examples.

The good news about Dreams is that you don’t need to be dripping in intellectual prowess to be able to make the most of the platform and its treasure trove of community-driven works of “art.” In fact, the only thing that you truly need, at least as a player, is a willingness to roll with tide and mine through the dirt and coal to rustle up the rubies, so to speak. If you can operate a search bar, then you won’t have a problem with finding a temporary spot to call home—a cubby that can make you chuckle, weep, or even scream. For a creator, however, things can be a little more complicated.

The Bubblebath Engine—the in-house tool that allows for designers to transport their own creations from the chalkboard to the digital canvas—is a simple to learn yet awfully difficult to master suite that grants a sizable passage through a variety of assets and objects, designs and themes, as well as a community-driven nexus of blueprints. Granted, it isn’t the easiest tool to stow beneath your belt, as it does require a lot of practice and forward planning, particularly with the implementation of three-dimensional assets and worlds that feel both organic and fluid. But then, it’s a lot like your usual game engine; it begins with a huge learning curve and a plethora of tutorials, but then gradually becomes a lot easier with each passing turn. The difference here, of course, is that you don’t have a coding language, but rather a visual storyboard that you can mold and tweak without needing to delve into the numerical jargon and complicated syntax. It’s still a pain in the backside, but not quite as daunting as your traditional coding framework.

However you choose to slice it, Dreams more or less has a huge amount of content to shovel through, with thousands of creations to watch, play, or simply admire, as well as an in-depth creation tool that can keep you busy for weeks, months, perhaps even years. There isn’t anything particularly good (unless of course you count the in-house titles that the Dreams team curate) — but then, Dreams isn’t a catalog for perfect software; it’s a sandbox for jolly creatives who just want to experiment and share their ideas on a stage that doesn’t shun bad concepts. In other words, the chances of you finding a brilliant game are slim. That said, if you’re all for the idea of having a laugh at the expense of other people’s hard work, then you might just find what you’re looking for in Dreams’ sizable portfolio.

Verdict

Dreams might be on the verge of being enlightened with a rude awakening and the sudden abandonment of its creators, but that doesn’t mean that it should dissociate itself from its beauty sleep and cut the REM short. Evidently, Dreams still has a lot of life left to give, and not to mention the social backing of an entire community that would happily give a left leg just to rebuild  “another world” for a ravenous, catalog-deprived collective. It might not ever amount to its greatest potential as a somewhat dated platform, but that isn’t to say that it can’t continue making a big splash in a shallow wave pool, if you catch my drift.

To cut a long story short, if you are looking to join the Dreams community and channel your ideas into whimsical works of art, then you might struggle to find a foothold, mostly because Media Molecule doesn’t have the same love for it as it did back in 2020. That being said, if you enjoy the idea of slipping into the back catalog of Dreams’ beefy sandbox and experiencing a wide variety of unique scenarios, then sure, I’d say that it’s still worth forking out a bit of cash for. Just, eh, don’t expect anything to be perfect.