Dreams VR is a PS4 game that was released in 2020. The game allows you to build and create VR games and simulations without any prior knowledge of how VR works. It is a game builder where you can you customize your game and allow you to choose any genre and topic of a game and create a VR simulation of the user's desire.
Game Website: https://www.playstation.com/en-za/explore/this-month-on-playstation/dreams-beginners-guide/
Upon entering the game, the first things an user would see is the main menu containing the following two categories:
DreamSurfing
DreamShaping
In this section, users are able to explore all the different content other users in Dreams have uploaded. This is where the different VR games that others have created get downloaded and played. To help users that want to start building in Dreams, Media Molecule created something call Art's Dream to help give users an idea on what things can be created and what they want can create.
Art's dream is a game that is storyline based but also containing these mini games, which is the main character's dreams that goes along with the story. In the main story, the game style is in a 3D low-poly style. As you can see in the screen shots below, the game varies from color, shapes, shades, animation and functionalities.
Here in this one, the game is textured in a way where all the color scales of the textures are gray. In this mini game, the characters have a running animation that was added to the specific characters. The platforms also swing back and forth so there is a wide range of motion on the animations in Dreams. There are also effects like mist around the area so there are special effects in Dreams as well.
The game also can be vibrant and 2D also works as well. There are colorful and neon music notes. The notes spin around while being moved. The background also interacts with he bird boss on the right.
The users can take a look at all of these examples, and they are able to create a game of their choice. These are just some of the examples of the texture and styles that they can take inspiration from and these are not the only styles.
This is the section where users can create their own games. In this section, you start off in a blank project and you can add in shapes and characters, kind of how you would do it in Unity. The menu option you use is called a Assembly Mode.
The follow sections are as listed:
Search, Tools, Modes, Animate, Gadgets, Guides, Show/Hide, Rewind, Start time
The Assembly mode is extremely intuitive. There are different tools range from motions to hiding assets and stretching or changing the size of assets. The modes allow the user to enter specific modes to change the colors, effects, and sounds. The Animate button allows animations on assets and gadgets gives lighting and timers. Overall, Dreams have an extremely intuitive interactive builder.
Many games can be played on Dreams but one of the coolest features is that the VR games can be played or made. Dreams is extremely easy for users to learn and use and it allows people with no experience in applications like Unity and still able to make these games. Dreams also has many support website to help it's users with the creations of these games.
Users will not get bored of this game because there are always different things to play, since users are constantly updating new games to the DreamSurfing. The platform allows users to use different types of styles of VR and allows users to be creative, letting them make games however they like. which is special to this game only. It is like having many games in one game.
Below are the VR games that you can currently play as of August 2020. In the video, we can see the range and the variety of games that can be played and created.
In the video, many games are explored and it shows a variety of games:
Inner Depth:
A game that shows allows you to explore the human body in VR. This uses VR to show the inner workings of the body and can show the users specific parts of the body at a micro level. This game can be interesting for people to explore in and uses the VR to make it feel like you are within a body exploring the pats up close and learn about your own body.
A Ride At Altopolis:
A game that allows the user to explore in a cyberpunk looking city in a futuristic world. This uses VR to give a user an experience of living in a different reality, a world some other user decided to create. The texture is really well made in this game and the usage of VR really makes the game believable to users, as if they were in a different world.
Tales of The Sky:
A RPG game that has cartoony graphics and is open world. You play a character and view them in a aerial view and explore the world. The VR usage here allows the user to look around in an open world and explore all the different scenery and items.
Silver Slumber:
A RPG game where you can control a character via VR where the user has a aerial view on a 2D character. Similar to the previous one, but this is in a contained area, almost like dungeons where user go from stage to stage. Gives the user a VR feel of watching a gladiator match.
Popular game titles like Beat Saber, Sonic, and, Resident Evil was also recreated in Dreams with VR.
This list shows how deep and different the kinds of games that can be created. There are games in different views, different genres, and each giving a user a dramatically different experience. In certain cases, some of the people who played the games thinks that the ones created on Dream is better than the original games. Although this is one game, there are many different experiences that Dreams can give users. Wide range of views and games makes this game extremely interesting and intriguing for users to try.
This game is targeted towards everyone who is interesting in making and playing games. There are not only VR games in Dreams but VR games are probably the most interesting ones to play. In Dreams, the games can be so realistic, it can be compared to when you are sitting in a movie, watching a thriller action movie. There are extremely cinematic animations in Dreams, which makes it seem like you are in a movie and you are just there to explore your surroundings as events just happen around you like cars exploding and monsters running.
Anyone can have fun playing this game and anyone who wants to create their own world is also welcome to do so. The best part is that people not only can create their own world, they can share it with other people as well.
Pros:
User friendly
Many tutorials
Stylistic and texture variety
Able to share creations
Able to play variety of creations
Able to have variety of experiences
VR/AR supported
High quality texture to allow good looking gameplay
Cons:
Game cost $ 39.99 and not everyone (kids) can afford this game
Relies on a community in order for this game to be interesting
Needs constant updates to make game feel new and worth playing
Users do not the get the rights of their own creations, as they're using Dreams to create it
Dreams is extremely user friendly so anyone can just get into the game and start making games. There are many tutorials to help users if they are confused with something. There many styles and textures users can play with, which makes every game any touches unique. The experiences of every game is different and this game does a good job at that. Users then can share their creations with other people and have other users give them feedback and things that they can improve on to make the game better. Since AR and VR is supported, users are not limited to just making 2D games but also can make 3D games.
Since the game does cost about $40, it is not that expensive but it is not accessible for everyone especially kids. The game also relies on an active community to work. As long as the community is active, there are new games and interesting things coming out but if the community is dead, then the game would be stagnant. To prevent this stagnation, Dreams creator would need constantly add new texture and new features to make the game more enjoyable and refreshing. And lastly, users don't get the rights to their games, which is a minus.
https://www.playstation.com/en-za/explore/this-month-on-playstation/dreams-beginners-guide/
https://kotaku.com/arts-dream-is-a-stunning-showcase-of-whats-possible-in-1841630476
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxI1uzZEXeQ
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/media-molecule-seeking-dreams-vr-testers/
https://docs.indreams.me/en/help/getting-started/edit-mode-guide/assembly/search