The Dream Machine is the very definition of a passion project. This six part point-and-click adventure started its life in 2012 as a surreal story that took influence from the likes of Inception and Vanilla Sky, but with an interesting visual twist: it was entirely handmade and animated (à la early stop motion films). However, it then found itself in a protracted five year development cycle due to the sheer amount of work required to create and animate environments, objects, and characters for each chapter.
To Cockroack Inc.’s credit though, they never let the game sink into the dreaded “development hell” hole, and the final chapter released earlier this year, wrapping up the narrative and making The Dream Machine a complete title that ends up feeling more like Silent Hill and The Shining by its conclusion.
But was it all worth it? Sort of. Like many passion projects, the game was created out of a desire to do something different. For The Dream Machine, that “something different” was the aforementioned entirely handcrafted and animated visual style. It’s not overstating things saying that this game is absolutely stunning, even in its darkest, most twisted moments. The ridiculous level of craftsmanship throughout is truly impressive. Environments that range from the mundane to the bizarre are highly detailed, characters are animated incredibly fluidly, and overall Cockroach Inc. have avoided that “cheap” look that a lot of stop motion media suffers from. The Dream Machine really benefits from its visual style, which adds a human element to contrast the utterly bonkers places the story ends up going and the game’s shift in tone from surreal-but measured to downright uneasy.
この記事は GameOn Magazine の Issue 96 - October 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は GameOn Magazine の Issue 96 - October 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends
The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends is a cooking simulator based on the Redwall book series.
Men of War II
There was a time when games based on World War II were all the rage, with releases ranging from first-person shooters to stealth based espionage.
SAND LAND
As someone who doesn't watch a lot of anime or read a ton of manga, I was very surprised to find out that Akira Toriyama had done more than just Dragon Ball.
Survival: Fountain of Youth
Survival: Fountain of Youth is a uh, well, you can tell from the title. It’s a survival game developed by Odinsoft Inc. and published by Twin Sails Interactive and CE-Asia.
Little Kitty, Big City
I have anxiously been awaiting the release of Little Kitty, Big City since I first saw the announcement years ago, on the 13th of November 2021.
One Last Breath
Crikey, looks a lot like INSIDE, this, doesn’t it? I mean, a lot.
Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution
As the resident Neptunia fan, I always look forward to the next game from Idea Factory.
Cabernet
I can’t entirely recall how I ended up coming across Cabernet, just that I knew one day that I wanted to give it a look.
Roots of Yggdrasil
Roots of Yggdrasil centres around the survivors of Ragnarök— the end and rebirth of the nine worlds, according to Norse mythology, brought on by an epic battle of the gods.
Sledders
If you have ever had the opportunity to ride a snowmobile, I have a game that allows you to recreate that experience and won’t require you to freeze your buttocks off.