The Smurfs: Dreams Review (Marsu)
Smurfs Dreams marks Ocellus' second game, and wow did they deliver!
These are my final thoughts after almost 100%-ing the game:
- The visuals are incredible! It's a graphically beautiful game and what further helps is its amazing art direction.
- The performance is fantastic! Don't be scared off by the spec requirements, this game runs like a... dream- I'll see myself out.
- The gameplay is snappy and there's a lot of variety to its platforming and challenges. And platforming challenges! Lots of different gameplay styles and enemies that interact with the environment only make this game that much better.
- The difficulty is just right. It's not a frustrating game to play, but it's not a snooze fest either. You have to pay attention and there are some pretty tight platforming sections where you're rewarded for skillful play.
- HOLY CRAP THERE ARE BOSSES NOW!
- The soundtrack is great! I know it's in the game's title, but it does feel dreamy, it's a great, relaxing listen. The variety of instruments and the amazing compositions make this such a vibey adventure.
- On top of the OST, there's the sound design. It's so satisfying to hear the little pings and bloops and rings and it's all balanced just right. It's a satisfying game to look at and listen to.
There's TWO downsides:
- The game lacks support for 16:10 and 18:9 aspect ratios. You'll get black borders because this game can only do 16:9 rendering. It doesn't break your resolution, it's just always going to be this 16:9 rectangle. Hope they fix it in the future.
- The Thief Costume. It's paid DLC and yet it shows up with the rest of unlockable costumes as if you can unlock it without forking over some cash. Adding extra paid content that isn't a full-blown expansion is a slippery slope, and I'm firmly against it. Besides, this is a mostly single player, maybe sometimes co-op game. There's no point in getting the paid costume to flex on anyone either. It's just... there, being annoying for completionists.
All in all, this is a solid 9/10 game. Regular players, fans of platformers, new players, parents, and especially kids are going to love it! As for me, I'll definitely finish it and make something with it. Now I'm only more excited for what Ocellus does in the future! So far it's 2 for 2 with amazing games.