Cavern of Dreams Review (MoskiDraws)
A retro 3D platformer that trims the fat and emphasizes the aspects that made so many people fall in love with the genre back in the day. Without arbitrary scattered enemies, health bars or lives, the game focuses on a vibrant world ripe with puzzles to solve and varied locations to explore.
Since it's a platforming game, the platforming better be good, right? Cavern of Dreams delivers, thanks to an inspired selection for a protagonist. As a small amphibious-like dragon, and as new skills are unlocked, the player can roll, glide, swim and walk underwater. Aside from the varied mobility tools, what I like the most is that, if you want to, the game allows for a lot of speedy maneuvers. While it can take a hot second to get used to rolling and Tail-Spinning the ground, once you get the hang of it, getting from one point to another takes no more than a few seconds.
So far, the levels have felt less like "big enormous areas to explore and go wild" and more like "small and personal locations dense with things to find". Collectibles boil down to eggs (the main McGuffins to collect to unlock skills and advance with the game), mushrooms (a few dozens of them per level, used to feed some of the eggs) and secret cards (just a fun thing to collect). With the size of maps and it's cozy intentions, this helps the game feel more streamlined and straight to the point rather than padded with forceful exploration. Also, some gimmicks available on each level, like throwing fruit that grow into trees or boots that allow for hovering, allow for fun and innovative puzzles.
If I have a complaint about the game it'd be the same that has haunted this genre for generations: The camera. For the most part, it's fine, but on some specific tight areas, it can get problematic. Not a deal breaker, but still needs to get pointed out.
For anyone that misses the era of mascot-based retro-platformers, this one is a great homeage to the likes ot Spyro and Banjo-Kazooie. Expecting it to be on the short side, but so far, it's been a blast. Even as a low-stakes game with no losing condition, it finds ways to innovate on its puzzles, spice the game with thrills, and keep one curious about what else is there to each world.