I'm not a huge fan of the movement in this game. It's bearable in the sense that it works well with the game world but I didn't find it fun or satisfying to control throughout my initial playthrough. That's my only major complaint. The art direction & overall presentation is absolutely stunning. There's a lot of areas that tastefully pay homage to games from the N64 / PS1 era (Banjo, Glover & Klonoa etc) while also managing to retain its own identity. The whimsical music does a fantastic job at building the atmosphere along with the detailed environments & there's so many standout areas & secrets throughout the game where you can tell they were made with love. This game hit all the right notes for me & it left me feeling happy.
Fun puzzle-platformer with a very attractive visual style and complimentary music. The mechanics of the game are its weakest aspect, I felt like I was fighting the camera too often even for this genre and the movement has two modes, neither of which feel great: stop-start careful platforming with your horn jump or awkward to control momentum-based platforming with your roll.
Cavern of Dreams' ending section is also just flat-out terrible and I can't understand how it was designed that way. Weirdly a game I can recommend getting 100% in, but don't bother trying to see the credits.
Cavern of Dreams' ending section is also just flat-out terrible and I can't understand how it was designed that way. Weirdly a game I can recommend getting 100% in, but don't bother trying to see the credits.
WHOA Fynn sounds JUST like Croc!
An adorable N64/PS1 homage platformer, with unique level themes and a dream-accurate presentation the whole way through. So accurate, that it also veers into nightmare territory... which often brought it creeping into an aura of horror! The music really leans into this too. It fluctuates when you enter new areas, like you're changing the RPM on a record player. It's truly unsettling and fun every time.
The gameplay was satisfying for me, even if a bit clunky and at odds with itself at times. My only real issue was dealing with depth perception for some obstacles, especially in the ending, where frequent death felt unfair. Most of the game is forgiving and pretty breezy, so it didn't feel like the game was prepared to deliver on the ending it attempted.
All in all though, this was a pleasant and concise experience! In the midst of all the massive undertakings this year (Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield...) it was a welcome and refreshing addition to my list of 2023 games.
An adorable N64/PS1 homage platformer, with unique level themes and a dream-accurate presentation the whole way through. So accurate, that it also veers into nightmare territory... which often brought it creeping into an aura of horror! The music really leans into this too. It fluctuates when you enter new areas, like you're changing the RPM on a record player. It's truly unsettling and fun every time.
The gameplay was satisfying for me, even if a bit clunky and at odds with itself at times. My only real issue was dealing with depth perception for some obstacles, especially in the ending, where frequent death felt unfair. Most of the game is forgiving and pretty breezy, so it didn't feel like the game was prepared to deliver on the ending it attempted.
All in all though, this was a pleasant and concise experience! In the midst of all the massive undertakings this year (Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield...) it was a welcome and refreshing addition to my list of 2023 games.
Tried a little bit of this to see if I wanted to keep going and I'm not sure. Everything about the presentation is excellent, from being able to capture nuances of mascot platformers from the N64 & PS1 while still having a very distinct style to a really warm, cozy atmosphere I admire a lot. When it comes to the gameplay though...it just feels off? Like the levels were designed to have a lot tighter movement controls but the movement you do have makes it seem like the levels should be way bigger & more speed/float-focused what with the roll and kind of butter slippery movement. I don't want to rate it since I didn't get through a ton of it, but I think something like Corn Kids 64 might have captured this feel a lot better for a recent release. Not against revisiting this though, it has potential.
It really hurts me to say that I didn't really enjoy the game that much, at least in terms of movement. I felt that the character feeling so heavy and being so slow just felt so... awkward. While the rolling is great, it also has physics to it which felt odd if I'm being honest. Granted, my experience was somewhat of a weird one because I found out of a glitch movement tech in which Flynn is able to superjump (I used this a lot because again, the base movement and all was just so slow that it just didn't feel all that good).
I think the atmosphere in this game is fantastic, the worlds are all beautiful and the characters are lovely. I do think some puzzles were a bit too annoying for my own taste (theres a particular one in the third world that just wasn't fun). I just wish there was a bit more to this game I guess, but I guess it's a personal thing where I just didn't like the movement in the worlds too much since it just felt weird, and in some cases felt inconsistent.
I know for me, no matter what I tried with the water jump boost movement that's introduce in the third world, I could never get down for one egg. I had to use the glitch tech I found out about earlier to get that egg (I spent 30 minutes trying to do it the intended way, I genuinely don't know why it just didn't work for me. Maybe something about it wasn't clear with the brief explanation but oh well, I could just be stupid).
Overall, it feels like the game wants tight movement in some parts but it feels hard to do that with your character. It sucks to feel this way because I wanted to love this and I did collect everything, but it just wasn't that fun for me. Though if anyone has fun with them then good for them, I wish I had the same experience!
I think the atmosphere in this game is fantastic, the worlds are all beautiful and the characters are lovely. I do think some puzzles were a bit too annoying for my own taste (theres a particular one in the third world that just wasn't fun). I just wish there was a bit more to this game I guess, but I guess it's a personal thing where I just didn't like the movement in the worlds too much since it just felt weird, and in some cases felt inconsistent.
I know for me, no matter what I tried with the water jump boost movement that's introduce in the third world, I could never get down for one egg. I had to use the glitch tech I found out about earlier to get that egg (I spent 30 minutes trying to do it the intended way, I genuinely don't know why it just didn't work for me. Maybe something about it wasn't clear with the brief explanation but oh well, I could just be stupid).
Overall, it feels like the game wants tight movement in some parts but it feels hard to do that with your character. It sucks to feel this way because I wanted to love this and I did collect everything, but it just wasn't that fun for me. Though if anyone has fun with them then good for them, I wish I had the same experience!
I've seen a handful of games that are love letters to N64/PS1 platformers, and of them all I think Cavern of Dreams comes the closest to hitting the mark. It absolutely nails the look, especially with the blur filter on. The textures are big and chunky in exactly the way you'd want them to be. My biggest gripe with the game is that the controls feel a little clunky and often I'd bump up against parts of the game that felt like the asked for more precision than the game would give me. I was reading through the game designer's old tweets and I came across one that mentioned there was deliberately no combat in the game, and while I do think this is a really inspired choice, it means that there are basically only two ways to gather eggs: solve a puzzle or jump/bounce somewhere. Which isn't really bad per se, but it does get a little repetitive, especially when jumping and bouncing doesn't feel super fun.
My final knock against the game is more of a nitpick, and it's that I wish the music was better. The game's called Cavern of Dreams: it's clearly going for an otherworldly, dreamlike vibe. But in doing so the music fades into the background and I often forgot there was even music to begin with. When I think of classic late 90s/early 00s platformers, like Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie or Klonoa, I think of great soundtracks. I know that saying a small studio should make Mario 64-tier music isn't a fair ask at all, but it's saying something when I've put eight hours into a game, go pull up one of the songs on Youtube, and only have the vaguest sense of hearing it in game.
That being said, I still think this is a worthwhile game to play. It's not overly long, it's not a Rare-style collectathon, and even though Cavern of Dreams is styled on older games, it leaves stuff like health, lives, and game overs in the past.
My final knock against the game is more of a nitpick, and it's that I wish the music was better. The game's called Cavern of Dreams: it's clearly going for an otherworldly, dreamlike vibe. But in doing so the music fades into the background and I often forgot there was even music to begin with. When I think of classic late 90s/early 00s platformers, like Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie or Klonoa, I think of great soundtracks. I know that saying a small studio should make Mario 64-tier music isn't a fair ask at all, but it's saying something when I've put eight hours into a game, go pull up one of the songs on Youtube, and only have the vaguest sense of hearing it in game.
That being said, I still think this is a worthwhile game to play. It's not overly long, it's not a Rare-style collectathon, and even though Cavern of Dreams is styled on older games, it leaves stuff like health, lives, and game overs in the past.
this is definitely a game that gets by more on vibes than anything but it sure does got vibes. would like for it to have lasted a bit longer if only so it could get more out of its moveset, but it's a nice game to zone out for an afternoon with
Rather delightful 3D platformer that would be at home on Nintendo 64.
It's rather short one though and the first world is done before you have gotten accustomed to the controls. After that it is rather nicely paced as you get new skill pretty much after each world so you get to explore the overworld and find new areas with this skill. I also enjoyed the themes of the worlds even though the first area is rather basic but the rest are much more interesting and unique.
It's rather short one though and the first world is done before you have gotten accustomed to the controls. After that it is rather nicely paced as you get new skill pretty much after each world so you get to explore the overworld and find new areas with this skill. I also enjoyed the themes of the worlds even though the first area is rather basic but the rest are much more interesting and unique.
This review contains spoilers
Lostleaf Lake is Cavern of Dreams’ first level. It’s a cozy autumn sunset tableau, complete with a treehouse, a lakeside pier, and a sun beaming with joy.
As I completed various tasks throughout the level, collecting my siblings’ unhatched eggs, I came across a peculiar area: a decrepit tomb, its walls furnished with portraits of fishbones. Towards the end of this small area, I found a secluded alcove which led outside. From this obscure angle, I could not only see the sun – I could see its body.
Dreams are difficult to define. Although sometimes bizarre and surreal, I find that most of my dreams feel… mundane? Ordinary? Like fake memories, or remixes of events that’ve happened, or fantastic visions of imagined futures and pasts colliding. There’s no rulebook. Just vague directions, common themes.
Cavern of Dreams feels like a game that could have existed, but half-remembered, after years of absence and hazy misconceptions. As if dreams have unknowingly wormed into the bedrock, the source code. As if these hallucinations were always tangible things.
Is it the best controlling N64-inspired platformer? No.
Is it the most convincing N64-inspired platformer? No.
Does it need to be either of these things? Absolutely not.
For a character platformer game of all things, it is wildly provocative – visually and thematically. Each level is inundated with nostalgia, melancholy, and mind-bending unreality. Each level is a picturesque playground.
More than any platformer I’ve played in a long while, it’s an oddly profound and moody experience. Certain areas are gravely atmospheric, either very quiet or dead silent.
The end of Lostleaf Lake, for instance, is a short but visually interesting platforming challenge where the forest twists sideways. It’s already a fun set piece, but then the music stops dead in its tracks. What’s left is the resounding echo, the chirping birds, the insects’ trill… and something else far, far below, in the darkness of the woods.
Not only does Cavern of Dreams succeed visually, it succeeds – exceeds, even – in tailoring a deeply immersive atmosphere. This might be one of the most arresting 3D platformers I’ve ever played. There was not a single level where I wasn’t glued to the screen, anxious and excited to uncover another room, or a new level. It’s once in a lifetime stuff.
I’d also like to express that, despite the above anecdote, Cavern of Dreams is not any kind of horror/meta experience. Not in a traditional sense anyways. I enjoy games and/or media which intend to deceive their audience, but I’ve also learned that it’s impossible to approach these experiences totally blind. You can’t play Doki Doki Literature Club or Eversion without being at least partially privy to “the twist,” for example. A more recent case of this happening might be MyHouse.wad. Once somebody says, “Don’t look up anything about this, just play it,” you’ve already been spoiled.
This isn’t that. There’s no big twist here. No rug pull. No waiting for the other shoe to drop. There’s a game, and there’s moments that I’d like not to spoil, and I will unfortunately be talking about most of them (in great detail, I fear). If you haven’t played Cavern of Dreams yet, please play Cavern of Dreams.
I’ll condense my thoughts on the gameplay here:
I would’ve liked a higher jump, but it’s floaty and it works imo. Gliding is essential. The game’s momentum is wonderful. It’s actually a very Sonic-like experience in how players can maintain their speed through skillful rolling/dive-bombing. Also makes backtracking much more fun.
The bubble projectile is underutilized. I would’ve enjoyed other similar abilities but with more utility.
Some of the late game puzzles are diabolical. I would’ve never figured out the starfish tile puzzle in Prismic Palace without a guide (these aren’t required to beat the game, but they are required for 100%).
The ground-pound can be a little finicky near walls, sometimes Fynn would do the ground-pound like I wanted him to, but sometimes he’d bounce off the wall instead. Pretty consistent problem but usually not egregious or super frustrating.
There’s no combat to speak of, but honestly I don’t feel like there needs to be. There are still “enemies” although I would argue they function more like stage hazards. The developer briefly speaks about his decision not to include enemies in a video. Personally, I feel this was the right choice.
Of course, there is a final boss, and you can deflect their projectiles using your tail whip, but it’s a very brief sequence and ultimately more of a skill check than a combat encounter.
In addition, the game is also noticeably short. It took me around five hours on a first playthrough, and another hour (give or take) to complete 100%. I’d also say this is a good length. None of the levels overstay their welcome and they feel appropriately spaced out. It really feels like “the end” once you’re past the point of no return.
Airborne Armada is obviously inspired by Clanker’s Cavern, although instead of the level being solely based around a large character, it’s based inside of them.
However, the Gallery of Nightmares is probably the most ambitious level on offer. Immediately striking, ominous, and filled with sub-levels that loop back around into previous levels, too. There’s even one puzzle where you need to take a key item from another world back into the Galley of Nightmares to solve, which I thought was really cool.
For a haunted house level, it’s also pretty spooky! There’s a whole black-and-white area which is already creepy on its own, but I swore I kept hearing scratching or huffing or something? Then, I went underneath the floorboards and found this bizarre black-and-blue creature which seemed to follow Fynn around and convulse erratically. The only other object down here is one of Mr. Kerrington’s eyes, which might hint at the level being connected – but I’m not sure.
It’s weird, right? I was genuinely scared when I saw this thing because it’s the first and only time you encounter a creature that looks like this. It doesn’t have an Encyclopedia entry, and as far as I can tell it’s not tied to any level progression so it’s just… there?
I think that’s why it freaked me out so bad. It doesn’t have a reason to be there, and yet it’s there. Like a house centipede in a kitchen cabinet. It probably won’t hurt you but WHY IS IT THERE??? GET IT OUT
The overarching narrative beyond Fynn rescuing his unhatched siblings revolves around Sage the Wizard and Luna the Bat. Sage wants to help Fynn rescue his siblings by giving him new abilities and such, and Luna just wants to cause chaos by hiding baby dragon eggs everywhere.
Players learn much later that Sage banished Luna to the Gallery of Nightmares a long time ago, sometime after her father died of a sickness. It’s not stated outright that her father “died” per se but I think that with enough context clues – including her Encyclopedia entry – that most players would come to this conclusion.
I believe that the “frozen room” in the Prismic Palace is meant to depict the moment Luna’s father was afflicted by his sickness. As the diary entry for the Boxed Nightmare states, “It granted eternal life to a foolish king, but he did not understand what that entailed”.
In this instance, the king achieves immortality but is frozen in place. Although not dead in a traditional sense of the word, the king is nonetheless confined to exist in a single moment forever.
Much like another N64-inspired platformer released this year, it’s never explicitly stated whose dreams we’re exploring – but I’d have to guess it’s either Luna or Sage.
Another interpretation of the eponymous cavern is that none of this is real, and Luna/Sage’s story operates as a pure metaphor for the actual dreamer. The character Sage might be a persona of the dreamer, and Luna could be their immature or chaotic “shadow”.
I couldn’t make heads or tails of most of the lore. There’s references to a war, and a period before the cavern of dreams was created – so what exactly is the cavern? Like a Demon’s Souls nexus between dream worlds or something? I’m not sure.
What interested me most was the thematic through line that is the fear of death.
In Lostleaf Lake it’s subtle, but obviously autumn represents a symbolic twilight. The world outside is drowned in red leaves. The lake is a graveyard, not to mention the actual tomb nearby.
Airborne Armada introduces us to Mr. Kerrington, a warship who refused to fight in the war and gets sick with buboes and boils. Could Kerrington be based on Luna’s dad? We never learn the specifics of her father’s disease, although it could be that the odd boils are only meant to evoke or suggest sickness instead of being a direct reference to the type of sickness her father was afflicted with. Similarly, our final objective in this world appears to be to heal Mr. Kerrington’s actual heart. Body horror aside, I believe this might be a type of wish fulfillment, maybe a subconscious desire of Luna to somehow be able to heal her father?
The Gallery of Nightmares has this hidden level where the game mechanics change suddenly. Fynn doesn’t have an oxygen meter. He can survive underwater indefinitely… until this level where you have an invisible timer, and text appears every now and again to remind you that you’re slowly running out of air and drowning. Genuinely anxiety-inducing stuff.
Finally, Prismic Palace has the room frozen in time, which I still believe to be Luna’s memory of her father falling ill.
Once you complete your main objective, and after you rescue all of Fynn’s siblings, you also unlock an unlimited flight ability which lets you absolutely break the game. It’s actually really fun to explore out of bounds, and there’s plenty of small secrets to find hidden in levels. Make sure to fly outside of all the airships in the Airborne Armada for some fun little challenge levels!
You can also find some signposts that are only accessible via unlimited flight. Some of these are innocuous, one contains a haiku, or a saying – but one feels oddly personal. I hope these words reach the people that need to hear them most.
Sifting through every minute detail of this world was a real treat. This game left me with a feeling that made me want to keep playing even long after it was over.
Well worth your time. A lovely little tribute to the platformers of yore. A beautiful and heart-rending dream. Unforgettable.
As I completed various tasks throughout the level, collecting my siblings’ unhatched eggs, I came across a peculiar area: a decrepit tomb, its walls furnished with portraits of fishbones. Towards the end of this small area, I found a secluded alcove which led outside. From this obscure angle, I could not only see the sun – I could see its body.
Dreams are difficult to define. Although sometimes bizarre and surreal, I find that most of my dreams feel… mundane? Ordinary? Like fake memories, or remixes of events that’ve happened, or fantastic visions of imagined futures and pasts colliding. There’s no rulebook. Just vague directions, common themes.
Cavern of Dreams feels like a game that could have existed, but half-remembered, after years of absence and hazy misconceptions. As if dreams have unknowingly wormed into the bedrock, the source code. As if these hallucinations were always tangible things.
Is it the best controlling N64-inspired platformer? No.
Is it the most convincing N64-inspired platformer? No.
Does it need to be either of these things? Absolutely not.
For a character platformer game of all things, it is wildly provocative – visually and thematically. Each level is inundated with nostalgia, melancholy, and mind-bending unreality. Each level is a picturesque playground.
More than any platformer I’ve played in a long while, it’s an oddly profound and moody experience. Certain areas are gravely atmospheric, either very quiet or dead silent.
The end of Lostleaf Lake, for instance, is a short but visually interesting platforming challenge where the forest twists sideways. It’s already a fun set piece, but then the music stops dead in its tracks. What’s left is the resounding echo, the chirping birds, the insects’ trill… and something else far, far below, in the darkness of the woods.
Not only does Cavern of Dreams succeed visually, it succeeds – exceeds, even – in tailoring a deeply immersive atmosphere. This might be one of the most arresting 3D platformers I’ve ever played. There was not a single level where I wasn’t glued to the screen, anxious and excited to uncover another room, or a new level. It’s once in a lifetime stuff.
I’d also like to express that, despite the above anecdote, Cavern of Dreams is not any kind of horror/meta experience. Not in a traditional sense anyways. I enjoy games and/or media which intend to deceive their audience, but I’ve also learned that it’s impossible to approach these experiences totally blind. You can’t play Doki Doki Literature Club or Eversion without being at least partially privy to “the twist,” for example. A more recent case of this happening might be MyHouse.wad. Once somebody says, “Don’t look up anything about this, just play it,” you’ve already been spoiled.
This isn’t that. There’s no big twist here. No rug pull. No waiting for the other shoe to drop. There’s a game, and there’s moments that I’d like not to spoil, and I will unfortunately be talking about most of them (in great detail, I fear). If you haven’t played Cavern of Dreams yet, please play Cavern of Dreams.
I’ll condense my thoughts on the gameplay here:
I would’ve liked a higher jump, but it’s floaty and it works imo. Gliding is essential. The game’s momentum is wonderful. It’s actually a very Sonic-like experience in how players can maintain their speed through skillful rolling/dive-bombing. Also makes backtracking much more fun.
The bubble projectile is underutilized. I would’ve enjoyed other similar abilities but with more utility.
Some of the late game puzzles are diabolical. I would’ve never figured out the starfish tile puzzle in Prismic Palace without a guide (these aren’t required to beat the game, but they are required for 100%).
The ground-pound can be a little finicky near walls, sometimes Fynn would do the ground-pound like I wanted him to, but sometimes he’d bounce off the wall instead. Pretty consistent problem but usually not egregious or super frustrating.
There’s no combat to speak of, but honestly I don’t feel like there needs to be. There are still “enemies” although I would argue they function more like stage hazards. The developer briefly speaks about his decision not to include enemies in a video. Personally, I feel this was the right choice.
Of course, there is a final boss, and you can deflect their projectiles using your tail whip, but it’s a very brief sequence and ultimately more of a skill check than a combat encounter.
In addition, the game is also noticeably short. It took me around five hours on a first playthrough, and another hour (give or take) to complete 100%. I’d also say this is a good length. None of the levels overstay their welcome and they feel appropriately spaced out. It really feels like “the end” once you’re past the point of no return.
Airborne Armada is obviously inspired by Clanker’s Cavern, although instead of the level being solely based around a large character, it’s based inside of them.
However, the Gallery of Nightmares is probably the most ambitious level on offer. Immediately striking, ominous, and filled with sub-levels that loop back around into previous levels, too. There’s even one puzzle where you need to take a key item from another world back into the Galley of Nightmares to solve, which I thought was really cool.
For a haunted house level, it’s also pretty spooky! There’s a whole black-and-white area which is already creepy on its own, but I swore I kept hearing scratching or huffing or something? Then, I went underneath the floorboards and found this bizarre black-and-blue creature which seemed to follow Fynn around and convulse erratically. The only other object down here is one of Mr. Kerrington’s eyes, which might hint at the level being connected – but I’m not sure.
It’s weird, right? I was genuinely scared when I saw this thing because it’s the first and only time you encounter a creature that looks like this. It doesn’t have an Encyclopedia entry, and as far as I can tell it’s not tied to any level progression so it’s just… there?
I think that’s why it freaked me out so bad. It doesn’t have a reason to be there, and yet it’s there. Like a house centipede in a kitchen cabinet. It probably won’t hurt you but WHY IS IT THERE??? GET IT OUT
The overarching narrative beyond Fynn rescuing his unhatched siblings revolves around Sage the Wizard and Luna the Bat. Sage wants to help Fynn rescue his siblings by giving him new abilities and such, and Luna just wants to cause chaos by hiding baby dragon eggs everywhere.
Players learn much later that Sage banished Luna to the Gallery of Nightmares a long time ago, sometime after her father died of a sickness. It’s not stated outright that her father “died” per se but I think that with enough context clues – including her Encyclopedia entry – that most players would come to this conclusion.
I believe that the “frozen room” in the Prismic Palace is meant to depict the moment Luna’s father was afflicted by his sickness. As the diary entry for the Boxed Nightmare states, “It granted eternal life to a foolish king, but he did not understand what that entailed”.
In this instance, the king achieves immortality but is frozen in place. Although not dead in a traditional sense of the word, the king is nonetheless confined to exist in a single moment forever.
Much like another N64-inspired platformer released this year, it’s never explicitly stated whose dreams we’re exploring – but I’d have to guess it’s either Luna or Sage.
Another interpretation of the eponymous cavern is that none of this is real, and Luna/Sage’s story operates as a pure metaphor for the actual dreamer. The character Sage might be a persona of the dreamer, and Luna could be their immature or chaotic “shadow”.
I couldn’t make heads or tails of most of the lore. There’s references to a war, and a period before the cavern of dreams was created – so what exactly is the cavern? Like a Demon’s Souls nexus between dream worlds or something? I’m not sure.
What interested me most was the thematic through line that is the fear of death.
In Lostleaf Lake it’s subtle, but obviously autumn represents a symbolic twilight. The world outside is drowned in red leaves. The lake is a graveyard, not to mention the actual tomb nearby.
Airborne Armada introduces us to Mr. Kerrington, a warship who refused to fight in the war and gets sick with buboes and boils. Could Kerrington be based on Luna’s dad? We never learn the specifics of her father’s disease, although it could be that the odd boils are only meant to evoke or suggest sickness instead of being a direct reference to the type of sickness her father was afflicted with. Similarly, our final objective in this world appears to be to heal Mr. Kerrington’s actual heart. Body horror aside, I believe this might be a type of wish fulfillment, maybe a subconscious desire of Luna to somehow be able to heal her father?
The Gallery of Nightmares has this hidden level where the game mechanics change suddenly. Fynn doesn’t have an oxygen meter. He can survive underwater indefinitely… until this level where you have an invisible timer, and text appears every now and again to remind you that you’re slowly running out of air and drowning. Genuinely anxiety-inducing stuff.
Finally, Prismic Palace has the room frozen in time, which I still believe to be Luna’s memory of her father falling ill.
Once you complete your main objective, and after you rescue all of Fynn’s siblings, you also unlock an unlimited flight ability which lets you absolutely break the game. It’s actually really fun to explore out of bounds, and there’s plenty of small secrets to find hidden in levels. Make sure to fly outside of all the airships in the Airborne Armada for some fun little challenge levels!
You can also find some signposts that are only accessible via unlimited flight. Some of these are innocuous, one contains a haiku, or a saying – but one feels oddly personal. I hope these words reach the people that need to hear them most.
Sifting through every minute detail of this world was a real treat. This game left me with a feeling that made me want to keep playing even long after it was over.
Well worth your time. A lovely little tribute to the platformers of yore. A beautiful and heart-rending dream. Unforgettable.
Cute protag, wonderful original designs with a familiar air that's so sweet. A good time from beginning to end, would play again!
Cavern of Dreams was a fun and cute retro style platformer with N64 style graphics. I think it follows in Banjo’s footsteps a lot with VERY similar textures and art style. The movement was pretty easy to get the hang of, but there seemed to be some more advanced mechanics that I stumbled upon but could never really replicate. Overall, short and cute indie title with a clear vision and great execution.
Thank you to Aged_Whale for this game!
Thank you to Aged_Whale for this game!
Flynn controls wonderfully with an interesting move set. Platforming is generally great, as are the puzzles, though a few uncomfortable difficulty spikes in the last levels put a bit of a downer on the end for me.
The aesthetics are absolutely on-point, it certainly feels like a long lost N64 title. It nails that 'weirdness' of Rare's early titles too, with exceedingly strange characters and levels in the back half.
Of all the Banjo-inspired platformers from recent years, this to me is one of the best efforts yet.
The aesthetics are absolutely on-point, it certainly feels like a long lost N64 title. It nails that 'weirdness' of Rare's early titles too, with exceedingly strange characters and levels in the back half.
Of all the Banjo-inspired platformers from recent years, this to me is one of the best efforts yet.
Very fun 3D platformer that took me back to my days playing spyro the dragon and banjo kazooie! Short and simple with some insanely fun movement! Give it a try you won't regret it!
one of my favourite aspects of the N64/PS1 era was just how hangout-able so many of its platformers were. i just want to inhabit a world like Peach's castle, the hubs of Spyro 2, and most of Banjo-Kazooie. that shit all had such delicious atmosphere, music, neat lil secrets, and great movesets to explore with. Cavern of Dreams fully embodies all of those great elements of its forefathers but fully cranks up the mysterious, slightly-spooky feelings playing games could give off up late at night on a CRT.
Cavern of Dream's tone and visuals are simply too good, its colour palette makes me want to cry. it's pulling from lots of N64-era games (particularly Rare's) but its main inspiration seems to be "the astral observatory in Majora's Mask", which might just be the single most beautiful location ever put in any game so i heavily fuck with the dev's vision. nearly every new location made me go "woah!!! pretty!!!" out-loud and take a couple screenshots. that made me like the game by default, but i was overjoyed to find out just how smooth of an experience 100%'ing Cavern of Dreams was. its areas are really compact, full of sharply-designed puzzles and challenges that never go too far in frustrating the player or boring them.
Cavern of Dreams isn't very long, getting 100% took me around 6 hours and very little of that time was spent aimless or upset. aside from maybe two stand-out sections that annoyed me (the final boss, the whirlpools in an end section that send you back a minute of walking) and a few qualms with the player's movement (it's really easy to bounce off a wall when trying to ground-pound) this was an absolute joy. i want to put this game in my mouth.
Cavern of Dream's tone and visuals are simply too good, its colour palette makes me want to cry. it's pulling from lots of N64-era games (particularly Rare's) but its main inspiration seems to be "the astral observatory in Majora's Mask", which might just be the single most beautiful location ever put in any game so i heavily fuck with the dev's vision. nearly every new location made me go "woah!!! pretty!!!" out-loud and take a couple screenshots. that made me like the game by default, but i was overjoyed to find out just how smooth of an experience 100%'ing Cavern of Dreams was. its areas are really compact, full of sharply-designed puzzles and challenges that never go too far in frustrating the player or boring them.
Cavern of Dreams isn't very long, getting 100% took me around 6 hours and very little of that time was spent aimless or upset. aside from maybe two stand-out sections that annoyed me (the final boss, the whirlpools in an end section that send you back a minute of walking) and a few qualms with the player's movement (it's really easy to bounce off a wall when trying to ground-pound) this was an absolute joy. i want to put this game in my mouth.
I love this game. Cavern of Dreams is part of a trifecta of 2023 low poly 3D platformers that are must-plays for genre fans (the other two being Corn Kidz 64 and Pseudoregalia). Each game has its own strengths. Cavern of Dreams particularly nails exploration and atmosphere while taking a bit to get going in the platforming department.
Cavern of Dreams takes a lot of inspiration from Banjo-Kazooie for gameplay (except there's no combat whatsoever) and at times even matches the quality. The colorful levels are loaded with interconnected puzzles, fun NPCs, and plenty of easter eggs and hints scattered throughout. Those familiar with methodically unraveling puzzles and searching every nook and cranny of a level in Banjo-Kazooie will immediately feel at home in Cavern of Dreams.
Cavern of Dreams really shines with a surreal atmosphere that is both whimsical and vaguely disturbing, reminiscent of other early 3D games. You will get to know the Cavern in your adventure, but a sense of wonder will persist throughout and linger thereafter. The different worlds are lightly inhabited, enough that they are not baron, but well short of teeming with life and energy. Wandering around the levels often reveals side areas with no puzzles to solve or items to collect, just hints of goofy/creepy histories that aren't important to your adventure, but exist all the same. This atmosphere, my favorite part of Cavern of Dreams, immensely accentuates the explorational platforming.
My only real gripe with Cavern of Dreams is I'm left wanting more. With 40 multicolored Eggs (this game's version of Jiggies or Power Stars) to collect, the game took me about five hours to beat and eight hours to 100%. Short runtimes have plenty of advantages, but Cavern of Dreams was paced so that it really hit its gameplay stride right at the end. Like Corn Kidz 64, if Cavern of Dreams were about twice as long, I wouldn't hesitate to place it right alongside the best of the early collectathons that inspired it. As is, it's still a wonderful game that I strongly recommend to fellow 3D platformer fans who love the genre's early days.
Cavern of Dreams takes a lot of inspiration from Banjo-Kazooie for gameplay (except there's no combat whatsoever) and at times even matches the quality. The colorful levels are loaded with interconnected puzzles, fun NPCs, and plenty of easter eggs and hints scattered throughout. Those familiar with methodically unraveling puzzles and searching every nook and cranny of a level in Banjo-Kazooie will immediately feel at home in Cavern of Dreams.
Cavern of Dreams really shines with a surreal atmosphere that is both whimsical and vaguely disturbing, reminiscent of other early 3D games. You will get to know the Cavern in your adventure, but a sense of wonder will persist throughout and linger thereafter. The different worlds are lightly inhabited, enough that they are not baron, but well short of teeming with life and energy. Wandering around the levels often reveals side areas with no puzzles to solve or items to collect, just hints of goofy/creepy histories that aren't important to your adventure, but exist all the same. This atmosphere, my favorite part of Cavern of Dreams, immensely accentuates the explorational platforming.
My only real gripe with Cavern of Dreams is I'm left wanting more. With 40 multicolored Eggs (this game's version of Jiggies or Power Stars) to collect, the game took me about five hours to beat and eight hours to 100%. Short runtimes have plenty of advantages, but Cavern of Dreams was paced so that it really hit its gameplay stride right at the end. Like Corn Kidz 64, if Cavern of Dreams were about twice as long, I wouldn't hesitate to place it right alongside the best of the early collectathons that inspired it. As is, it's still a wonderful game that I strongly recommend to fellow 3D platformer fans who love the genre's early days.
Really stellar presentation, nails its visual style, the music is a little subdued at times but it generally fits the game's pace. The character interactions are fun, exploring the levels is rewarding. The more "discrete" aspects of the player character's moveset (attacking, jumping, ground-pounding, gliding) all feel pretty good, but anything that starts to rely more on physics or momentum (rolling, swimming) feels too unpredictable. It's a blast until just before the end, where the game completely shifts gears from loose, exploratory platforming to a linear gauntlet; parts of the final area feel like those "Mario in First Person" videos
had a great time w/ this game! Exactly the style of retro 3D platformer i love. Wonderful & unique art design in the hub and each one of the worlds
Lovely game from start to finish with just a few shakier parts and bits of missed potential here or there. To make things relatively short, I think the strongest part of this game is absolutely the feeling of authenticity it has both as a retro revival and as a piece of art on its own terms. Its weaknesses are often just extensions of the good -- that is to say, sometimes the game simply needed to have more in it. There's also the weird issue that the game's internal settings never saved themselves between sessions, so I would always have to change the camera to inverted vertical as desired and adjust volume levels every time I started the game (edit: this has now been patched! Shame it was slightly late). The ending was slightly abrupt too. Bleh.
As I'm sure many have said there is a really thick atmosphere of dreams and childhood that are (at least for those within certain age groups) pretty powerful in execution. I don't really feel nostalgia as far as I can tell based on how others have described it, but playing this game I felt so much like I was little that it was almost addictive. I describe it as almost a weird in-the-womb type feeling, yet also a sort of detachment. Personally I found myself thinking about mortality and life cycles a lot just as a result of the feelings this game evoked in me, and I find that really interesting even if the devs weren't exactly going for that.
For the first segment of the game there was just something so deeply youthful about the whole experience, like a breath of not-so-fresh but pleasant air. The blur filter and the somewhat muffled music added much to the feelings the game was generating, hitting the beats of childhood senses far more than most nostalgia-focused media tends to from what I've seen. The actual musical compositions probably could have used some more nostalgic-sounding N64 cellos, but what the game does give is nice to listen to.
Later into the game as things got more spooky and nightmarish rather than simply remaining as sweet dreams I still found them relatable in a sense. I was reminded of those creeping edges of darkness even in childhood when innocence is romanticized, and it made me shiver a little bit. I think the half-meta half-in-universe use of nightmares was clever and worked to the game's benefit. It didn't feel like a typical cheap modern indie "what if lighthearted thing was actually DARK" trick so much as a sincere show of... in a few pretentious words, the mixed nature of young life through the microcosm of another's dream. The bits of background lore and encyclopedia entries made it all the more salient of a narrative maneuver and it captivated me more than I expected.
However, I think there could have been a little bit more buildup and slow burning to get to that point of atmospheric shifting. The game's just a wee bit too short for its own good, only having four worlds with a hub world and some subworlds included too. There likely could have been one more world after the first just to emphasize the serenity of dreams before diving into the stormy scary dream of the second world or the cold and sad dream of the third. We only have a brief moment of softness to cling to, and that itself has a bit of darkness that's not able to be ignored. In terms of pacing it just feels a little off to dive into the darker sides of things so soon. Still, with what was in the game I found it remarkable just how well it balanced claustrophobic fifth-gen game maps and more open platforming. It once again gave off a feeling of the limited size of a dream, though I think things were juuuuuuust a little small for my liking even taking that into account.
On that note, though, the collectibles were generally well placed and provided plenty of challenge to acquire them all in plenty of hidden spots even within the small levels. However, some abilities like the bubble shot went woefully underused, and once again having a whole extra world to play around in would have given more room to take advantage of such a power. At the very least, though, the momentum-based platforming challenges were mostly well done and used at just the right measure, so in terms of general micro design the game was neither too compact nor too bloated. Of course, it also just felt good to play, not quite fitting like a glove yet not ever feeling remotely clunky. The movement worked well enough and felt like a blend of new and old in a way that's hard to describe.
To avoid spoilers I won't discuss the characters or endgame stuff in much detail. I found the small main cast all compelling, with the side characters being memorable and welcome too. The roles the main non-player characters had in the story were well shown as well as well developed in background elements. The secrets the player could find with the ability the game granted at 100% egg completion only added to such elements, and I found them all to be treats as well as generally appreciated bits of design. Being able to actually use an end-of-game completion reward to do unique things other than encountering the final boss is great and I wish more games had that design philosophy. Even as minor as the stuff ultimately was, it made things feel extra worthwhile as I was quite invested in this game.
I feel like I should say more about the game but this review's plenty long enough. Everything about this game felt great in a number of ways, and my biggest gripes were mostly that I wanted more. There was something truly magical about how this game capitalized on the eerie dread and discomfort N64-type games would create unintentionally. It brought to light that realization as an adult just how small childhood truly is. When playing this game I really felt like a little dragon kid on a mission and I felt immersed and sucked into this in a way games don't often do for me. The game builds itself upon both perceived and emulated limitations in a masterful way that leaves me hoping to follow the developers' further exploits. This was wonderful and I've to see (and maybe even create!) more in this general vein, though I hope it doesn't become oversaturated.
Playing this game was like a dream come true and I absolutely see myself coming back to experience it once again someday.
As I'm sure many have said there is a really thick atmosphere of dreams and childhood that are (at least for those within certain age groups) pretty powerful in execution. I don't really feel nostalgia as far as I can tell based on how others have described it, but playing this game I felt so much like I was little that it was almost addictive. I describe it as almost a weird in-the-womb type feeling, yet also a sort of detachment. Personally I found myself thinking about mortality and life cycles a lot just as a result of the feelings this game evoked in me, and I find that really interesting even if the devs weren't exactly going for that.
For the first segment of the game there was just something so deeply youthful about the whole experience, like a breath of not-so-fresh but pleasant air. The blur filter and the somewhat muffled music added much to the feelings the game was generating, hitting the beats of childhood senses far more than most nostalgia-focused media tends to from what I've seen. The actual musical compositions probably could have used some more nostalgic-sounding N64 cellos, but what the game does give is nice to listen to.
Later into the game as things got more spooky and nightmarish rather than simply remaining as sweet dreams I still found them relatable in a sense. I was reminded of those creeping edges of darkness even in childhood when innocence is romanticized, and it made me shiver a little bit. I think the half-meta half-in-universe use of nightmares was clever and worked to the game's benefit. It didn't feel like a typical cheap modern indie "what if lighthearted thing was actually DARK" trick so much as a sincere show of... in a few pretentious words, the mixed nature of young life through the microcosm of another's dream. The bits of background lore and encyclopedia entries made it all the more salient of a narrative maneuver and it captivated me more than I expected.
However, I think there could have been a little bit more buildup and slow burning to get to that point of atmospheric shifting. The game's just a wee bit too short for its own good, only having four worlds with a hub world and some subworlds included too. There likely could have been one more world after the first just to emphasize the serenity of dreams before diving into the stormy scary dream of the second world or the cold and sad dream of the third. We only have a brief moment of softness to cling to, and that itself has a bit of darkness that's not able to be ignored. In terms of pacing it just feels a little off to dive into the darker sides of things so soon. Still, with what was in the game I found it remarkable just how well it balanced claustrophobic fifth-gen game maps and more open platforming. It once again gave off a feeling of the limited size of a dream, though I think things were juuuuuuust a little small for my liking even taking that into account.
On that note, though, the collectibles were generally well placed and provided plenty of challenge to acquire them all in plenty of hidden spots even within the small levels. However, some abilities like the bubble shot went woefully underused, and once again having a whole extra world to play around in would have given more room to take advantage of such a power. At the very least, though, the momentum-based platforming challenges were mostly well done and used at just the right measure, so in terms of general micro design the game was neither too compact nor too bloated. Of course, it also just felt good to play, not quite fitting like a glove yet not ever feeling remotely clunky. The movement worked well enough and felt like a blend of new and old in a way that's hard to describe.
To avoid spoilers I won't discuss the characters or endgame stuff in much detail. I found the small main cast all compelling, with the side characters being memorable and welcome too. The roles the main non-player characters had in the story were well shown as well as well developed in background elements. The secrets the player could find with the ability the game granted at 100% egg completion only added to such elements, and I found them all to be treats as well as generally appreciated bits of design. Being able to actually use an end-of-game completion reward to do unique things other than encountering the final boss is great and I wish more games had that design philosophy. Even as minor as the stuff ultimately was, it made things feel extra worthwhile as I was quite invested in this game.
I feel like I should say more about the game but this review's plenty long enough. Everything about this game felt great in a number of ways, and my biggest gripes were mostly that I wanted more. There was something truly magical about how this game capitalized on the eerie dread and discomfort N64-type games would create unintentionally. It brought to light that realization as an adult just how small childhood truly is. When playing this game I really felt like a little dragon kid on a mission and I felt immersed and sucked into this in a way games don't often do for me. The game builds itself upon both perceived and emulated limitations in a masterful way that leaves me hoping to follow the developers' further exploits. This was wonderful and I've to see (and maybe even create!) more in this general vein, though I hope it doesn't become oversaturated.
Playing this game was like a dream come true and I absolutely see myself coming back to experience it once again someday.
I gave this a try but found it's vibes just a little too eerie for my comfort. While certainly not overt or tasteless, it just reminded me of childhood anxiety issues too much.
It was not for me, but I would still at least suggest trying it.
It was not for me, but I would still at least suggest trying it.
Ripetitivo ma corto, quindi pensato bene, purtroppo però rimane spigoloso come i giochi platform di più decadi fa da cui non semplicemente si ispira ma scopiazza proprio. I vari spazi di gioco invece sono belli, molto colorati e con design carini. Alla fine però non rimane niente di veramente memorabile
A nice adventure about eggs.
Love this artist and have been following this project for a while now and I think the final game is... cute!
It has a great look and sound to it, the creator really understood the aesthetic that they were going for and they nailed it. Every world was unique and creative, paying homage to classic stage design archetypes while still offering fresh twists and neat storylines. The game's overall plot was very simple but I think that was a positive because it suited the childish nature of it all.
My favorite level was the first forest level, which felt the most charming and well-put together, but my favorite character was definitely the giant ship, which I thought that was such a clever idea. The presentation of the frozen palace was impressive too but sadly the world itself was my least favorite to play, and I don't want to spoil the final area but there were some baffling design choices in it that made it incredibly difficult to navigate at times.
In this vein, the collect-a-thon aspects were hit or miss- I like the idea that every world could be completed without needing the upgrades, but sometimes this meant that the solutions wound up being a bit overly complicated. Like they're the kind of solutions that a game dev who's thinking about the game holistically would jump to, but a player just playing it wouldn't. In particular I think of one puzzle that involved carrying an item unique to the second world to the fourth world rather than just like... putting an instance of that item in the fourth world to begin with.
That said, the puzzles that relied more on observing the world around me and probing it for secrets were fun! I wasn't interested in getting 100% but it was always a blast to uncover some new nook or cranny, and the hint system was helpful.
A lot of the other reviews mention the movement being off and sadly I have to agree- it's far clunkier than it thinks it is, which is a problem because the only way to build up speed is with momentum that you're rarely going to find since you have to keep awkwardly stopping. The biggest issue for me was the weird height of the default jump, which was rarely enough to get over even the shortest ledges in the game so I spent a LOT of time fumbling around trying to get one of the other jumps options to work. It's not a dealbreaker but it felt like the ratio of skill floor to skill ceiling was weird.
I will specifically mention the final boss though, which sadly kinda sucked. Like I got the idea of what they were going for but actually playing it felt awful- an excellent example of the "your punishment for failing is now you have to play this again" phenomenon that plagues gaming.
I feel like I spent a lot of time ragging on this game but honestly I did like it, it's just easier to point out the flaws than the positives. Even though there were some hiccups with the presentation I think it did exactly what it set out to do, which was be the cute little N64 throwback platformer of your dreams.
It has a great look and sound to it, the creator really understood the aesthetic that they were going for and they nailed it. Every world was unique and creative, paying homage to classic stage design archetypes while still offering fresh twists and neat storylines. The game's overall plot was very simple but I think that was a positive because it suited the childish nature of it all.
My favorite level was the first forest level, which felt the most charming and well-put together, but my favorite character was definitely the giant ship, which I thought that was such a clever idea. The presentation of the frozen palace was impressive too but sadly the world itself was my least favorite to play, and I don't want to spoil the final area but there were some baffling design choices in it that made it incredibly difficult to navigate at times.
In this vein, the collect-a-thon aspects were hit or miss- I like the idea that every world could be completed without needing the upgrades, but sometimes this meant that the solutions wound up being a bit overly complicated. Like they're the kind of solutions that a game dev who's thinking about the game holistically would jump to, but a player just playing it wouldn't. In particular I think of one puzzle that involved carrying an item unique to the second world to the fourth world rather than just like... putting an instance of that item in the fourth world to begin with.
That said, the puzzles that relied more on observing the world around me and probing it for secrets were fun! I wasn't interested in getting 100% but it was always a blast to uncover some new nook or cranny, and the hint system was helpful.
A lot of the other reviews mention the movement being off and sadly I have to agree- it's far clunkier than it thinks it is, which is a problem because the only way to build up speed is with momentum that you're rarely going to find since you have to keep awkwardly stopping. The biggest issue for me was the weird height of the default jump, which was rarely enough to get over even the shortest ledges in the game so I spent a LOT of time fumbling around trying to get one of the other jumps options to work. It's not a dealbreaker but it felt like the ratio of skill floor to skill ceiling was weird.
I will specifically mention the final boss though, which sadly kinda sucked. Like I got the idea of what they were going for but actually playing it felt awful- an excellent example of the "your punishment for failing is now you have to play this again" phenomenon that plagues gaming.
I feel like I spent a lot of time ragging on this game but honestly I did like it, it's just easier to point out the flaws than the positives. Even though there were some hiccups with the presentation I think it did exactly what it set out to do, which was be the cute little N64 throwback platformer of your dreams.
the controls are really comfortable for me and it plays super well with a gamepad. the environments feel accurate to the time period of games it's emulating and i think that the resolution of the graphics and models feels completely appropriate for it too. and let's not forget the color and character design!!
i call it a 'spyrolike', but in my opinion, it's more like this was plucked from an alternate timeline where this is what we got instead of spyro. it's that authentic.
also can we talk about how the game can get scary at points? i did get spooked a few times. the game has a great way of invoking vibes and making you feel on edge at the right times.
platforming is a little rough sometimes but it's like, the same sort of issues i have with spyro et al. so it's not really a problem that's exclusive to this game, and moreso that it's part of the genre as a whole.
overall you gotta play this thing
i call it a 'spyrolike', but in my opinion, it's more like this was plucked from an alternate timeline where this is what we got instead of spyro. it's that authentic.
also can we talk about how the game can get scary at points? i did get spooked a few times. the game has a great way of invoking vibes and making you feel on edge at the right times.
platforming is a little rough sometimes but it's like, the same sort of issues i have with spyro et al. so it's not really a problem that's exclusive to this game, and moreso that it's part of the genre as a whole.
overall you gotta play this thing
Another hidden gem that people didn't talk about enough. This game is such a love letter to PS1/N64 platformers and it oozes love. It's charming, it's colourful, it's silly and it controls wonderfully. All the charm of retro with the ease of modern games. It has some confusing elements here and there, but overall very worth playing.
Existe una subcultura, dentro de los Creepypastas, de hacer juegos ocultos y prohibidos que suelen tener una maldición o una historia basada en asesinatos o similares. Estos títulos, dando como ejemplo Crow 64 o Petscop, realmente no existen, sino que solo son videos bien montados para que el autor haga el paripé.
Cavern of Dreams, sin embargo, consigue replicar ese mismo aura pero hacer un juego completo y disfrutable, aunque un poco obtuso en algunas de sus fases. El trabajo que se ha hecho sobre la atmosfera ha sido impecable y genuinamente se siente al mismo tiempo onírico como evocador de la época de N64, aunque con un puntito tenebroso. También es de añadir que este aura enervante es solo para mantener el contexto de sueño y pesadillas y afortunadamente no cae en el tropo de ser un juego de apariencia infantil pero forzadamente edgy (el combate final acaba de forma adorable, sin ir más lejos)
En resumen, un plataformero reminiscente de la época de Rare bastante lindo y con un trabajo de atmosfera impecable. Además es un dragón chiquito buscando a sus hermanitos dragón no me digáis que no es lindo
Cavern of Dreams, sin embargo, consigue replicar ese mismo aura pero hacer un juego completo y disfrutable, aunque un poco obtuso en algunas de sus fases. El trabajo que se ha hecho sobre la atmosfera ha sido impecable y genuinamente se siente al mismo tiempo onírico como evocador de la época de N64, aunque con un puntito tenebroso. También es de añadir que este aura enervante es solo para mantener el contexto de sueño y pesadillas y afortunadamente no cae en el tropo de ser un juego de apariencia infantil pero forzadamente edgy (el combate final acaba de forma adorable, sin ir más lejos)
En resumen, un plataformero reminiscente de la época de Rare bastante lindo y con un trabajo de atmosfera impecable. Además es un dragón chiquito buscando a sus hermanitos dragón no me digáis que no es lindo
this game was so cute it made me cry i love this game
I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more attention, as this is easily the best of these PSX-throwback platformers that I've played...
The description doesn't lie when it describes Cavern of Dreams as mysterious and surreal. At surface level it feels like somebody took a Siactro game like Super Kiwi 64 and stretched it into a full-length game; it's colourful and charming, with a lovable main character, buttery smooth controls and tight 3D platforming. But the more you play Cavern of Dreams, the more... wrong everything feels. There'll be an offputting sound effect here, some weird sinister visual effect there... I especially appreciated the ominous glissando whenever you moved between two areas with the same background music at different pitches. Cavern of Dreams is not a horror game, but I really couldn't shake the feeling that this was not a world I was supposed to be in. This is the closest thing I've played to something like Petscop or any other of those creepypasta fake games that did the rounds on Youtube a few years back, and some of the visuals towards the end of the game even reminded me of Yume Nikki. The world ends up absolutely dripping in this bizarre atmosphere that is equal parts a magical dream and a cryptic nightmare, and I'm absolutely here for it.
The gameplay here is pretty simple, but Flynn's moveset is pretty unique; considering this is a platformer through and through, your base jump is absolutely pathetic, and most of the challenge ends up revolving around how to deal with that fact. The other abilities and power-ups you collect along the way all slot together perfectly and end up making Flynn feel remarkably well-rounded despite that crappy jump. I'm particularly fond of the Jester Shoes powerup (after stepping off any ledge, you don't lose or gain any height until reaching a new platform or jumping). It's such a simple concept and yet I don't think it's one I've seen before somehow, and it makes for some interesting more puzzle-focused platforming that can make use of entire areas.
I don't really have too many negative points to discuss for this one to be honest, it's just pretty solid in all regards. I do think Flynn could do with a bit of a speed increase; on the flat you can roll around at the speed of sound, but you're stuck with Flynn's basic walk speed as soon as you hit any positive incline and he does feel very sluggish then. There are also a few challenges I found frustrating towards the end when you had to carry objects through multiple areas; taking damage or dying would destroy the object you were carrying, but the game would always checkpoint at the last door you entered, meaning you can have to do some pretty tedious backtracking to go get the item again if you lose it late in the challenge.
Those minor nitpicks aside, Cavern of Dreams is a remarkably good time, probably about the best that one of these Banjo-Kazooie-like things could hope to be. I enjoyed it greatly, and just wish more people knew about it so they could enjoy it as well.
The description doesn't lie when it describes Cavern of Dreams as mysterious and surreal. At surface level it feels like somebody took a Siactro game like Super Kiwi 64 and stretched it into a full-length game; it's colourful and charming, with a lovable main character, buttery smooth controls and tight 3D platforming. But the more you play Cavern of Dreams, the more... wrong everything feels. There'll be an offputting sound effect here, some weird sinister visual effect there... I especially appreciated the ominous glissando whenever you moved between two areas with the same background music at different pitches. Cavern of Dreams is not a horror game, but I really couldn't shake the feeling that this was not a world I was supposed to be in. This is the closest thing I've played to something like Petscop or any other of those creepypasta fake games that did the rounds on Youtube a few years back, and some of the visuals towards the end of the game even reminded me of Yume Nikki. The world ends up absolutely dripping in this bizarre atmosphere that is equal parts a magical dream and a cryptic nightmare, and I'm absolutely here for it.
The gameplay here is pretty simple, but Flynn's moveset is pretty unique; considering this is a platformer through and through, your base jump is absolutely pathetic, and most of the challenge ends up revolving around how to deal with that fact. The other abilities and power-ups you collect along the way all slot together perfectly and end up making Flynn feel remarkably well-rounded despite that crappy jump. I'm particularly fond of the Jester Shoes powerup (after stepping off any ledge, you don't lose or gain any height until reaching a new platform or jumping). It's such a simple concept and yet I don't think it's one I've seen before somehow, and it makes for some interesting more puzzle-focused platforming that can make use of entire areas.
I don't really have too many negative points to discuss for this one to be honest, it's just pretty solid in all regards. I do think Flynn could do with a bit of a speed increase; on the flat you can roll around at the speed of sound, but you're stuck with Flynn's basic walk speed as soon as you hit any positive incline and he does feel very sluggish then. There are also a few challenges I found frustrating towards the end when you had to carry objects through multiple areas; taking damage or dying would destroy the object you were carrying, but the game would always checkpoint at the last door you entered, meaning you can have to do some pretty tedious backtracking to go get the item again if you lose it late in the challenge.
Those minor nitpicks aside, Cavern of Dreams is a remarkably good time, probably about the best that one of these Banjo-Kazooie-like things could hope to be. I enjoyed it greatly, and just wish more people knew about it so they could enjoy it as well.
Lacking polish in some areas but overall, very fun to play and a really well-done throwback art style. The puzzle and mechanic design are excellent for the most part, and I think it's worth stating that's not just because the devs are blindly copying Banjo-Kazooie & DK64 note for note - they've clearly got game design chops. I also really dig the somewhat eerie, dreamlike vibe - it feels fresh but also pairs really nicely with the N64 aesthetic.
Really cute and appealing! Funny how 2023 had a great trio of dream-themed N64 throwback games. Corn Kidz 64 focused on making one really big, detailed level and Pseudoregalia focused on its movement tech, leaving the game world to be a little sparse and spread out. Cavern of Dreams fits nicely between those two games, having a wide variety of smaller interconnected levels to explore. When I screen-shared this game with friends, they would often compliment the game's authentic feel and I think the variety in the locations you visit contributes to that the most.
Something I really enjoyed about Cavern is how it understands the appeal of exploring the furthest corners of the map in early 3D games. You can climb all over the scenery in this game and there's often cute easter eggs tucked away in the "out of bounds" zones. The momentum-based movement helps fuel the desire to explore since running around and gliding is just inherently fun.
I also really, really appreciated the design for Sage in this game. I remember reading a review of this game that said "The N64 did things to people's brains, man" and that character design really exemplifies that idea for me. A bunch of floating star and moon shapes, a witch's hat, and floating gloved hands with constantly wiggling fingers. That's peak early 3D character design.
Game is good. I recommend playing it alongside Corn Kidz and Pseudoregalia, they make for a nice thematically-linked bundle.
Something I really enjoyed about Cavern is how it understands the appeal of exploring the furthest corners of the map in early 3D games. You can climb all over the scenery in this game and there's often cute easter eggs tucked away in the "out of bounds" zones. The momentum-based movement helps fuel the desire to explore since running around and gliding is just inherently fun.
I also really, really appreciated the design for Sage in this game. I remember reading a review of this game that said "The N64 did things to people's brains, man" and that character design really exemplifies that idea for me. A bunch of floating star and moon shapes, a witch's hat, and floating gloved hands with constantly wiggling fingers. That's peak early 3D character design.
Game is good. I recommend playing it alongside Corn Kidz and Pseudoregalia, they make for a nice thematically-linked bundle.
Banjo-Kazooie if it was good