Big games from well-known developers are great but there are other games that may sometimes be obscured by the looming shadows these games cast. Titles from indie developers or smaller yet fun games may pass the radar of most gamers, which is why we're putting the spotlight on these two titles this month: Dreams Universe from Media Molecule who's also responsible for the "LittleBigPlanet" series and Patapon 2 Remastered, a title originally made for the PlayStation Portable, which is now available for the PS4.
DREAMS UNIVERSE
PS4
It's hard to describe what Dreams Universe is because it can be different things for different people depending on how you play it. The quick version of it is that it's a tool to create games, videos, artwork and animations. If you're thinking that this is some boring thing that's riddled with complicated codes and programs, you're dead wrong. The developers have made it seamless, easy and fun. You choose an imp at the very start who'll basically act as a companion and your cursor and from there, you learn the basics of using the tools at your disposal to start creating. However, Dreams Universe is not strictly about creating. As someone who sucked at art, I was more eager to scroll through the seemingly endless amount of content made by other gamers. This is another feature of Dreams: you can upload your creation for everyone else to enjoy and at the same you can also play other gamers' creations. Just a week or so after its release, a number of different gamers shared their "remakes" of famous titles like Final Fantasy VII, Sonic Adventure and the terrifying P.T. Of course, there are also original creations like "The Waiting Room", a mysterious, sometimes creepy short game/story, which puts you in a, well, waiting room where you roam numerous halls as you wait for judgement to be passed on your life to determine whether you go to heaven or hell.
The ability Dreams Universe gives players is being able to run wild and free with their imagination and make it become a reality -- nothing short of groundbreaking. Basically, everyone who owns the game has the ability to make their own game. If you're like me and prefer to just browse, it doesn't mean the appeal of Dreams Universe blips out. If anything, it'll have you going for hours on end playing every game and viewing all the creations made by players and before you know it, you've spent a good amount of your day getting lost in Dreams.
RATING: 4 AND A HALF STARS
PATAPON 2 REMASTERED
PS4
If you're a fan of the franchise and you spent many hours getting lost in the rhythm and beat of the game on your PSP then you already know what it has in store for you. For the uninitiated like I was when I tried the game out, the premise is pretty simple. You are the god of a group of people known as the Patapon whom you control by beating on different dreams with different beats. Each different pattern makes the Patapons do certain things like walk, attack or defend. You lead the Patapons through different levels and fight different kinds of enemies all the while enjoying the catchy drum beats and chants.
Seeing as it's a remastered version of a PSP game, not much can be said or expected from the game's animation. In fact, the game takes up only over 1GB of memory on your PS4. That being said, I couldn't help but be quite addicted to it. The gameplay is simple and the rhythm, beats and chants are such an earworm I found myself chanting "Pata pata pata pon" even after I was done playing the game. Because it's so simple and so addictive, I lost track of time and was surprised I'd been playing for hours already. If you're a returning god ready to lead your Patapon to victory but this time on a console instead of a hand-held then it'll just be like the good old days. But if you're new, fret not. You're in for a fun, catchy time.
RATING: 4 STARS
