MV - Dream Escape - A short, free Horror Game

● ARCHIVED · READ-ONLY
Started by KaitoDaaku 2 posts View original ↗
  1. KaitoDaaku
    #1 Source
    Yesterday I released Dream Escape... Well... Happy Halloween again or something! This was my gift for Halloween.
    Let's have a look shall we?

    lucyredesign.png
    Dream Escape is a short Horror experience made with RPG Maker MV. The story is simple: You try to sleep, but you suffer from nightmares and need to overcome your greatest fears.

    Characters

    The Dreamer
    lucyredesign.png
    The Dreamer is the main character. She is trying to sleep and is suffering from strong nightmares. Maybe you will find the truth of her backstory inside of the dreams.

    The Undead

    theundead.png

    The Undead is an entity which lives between dreams and reality. Nobody really knows it's origin.


    Helpus Kittus
    helpuskittusredesign.png
    Helpus Kittus is a mask wearing, grinning cat which can be really helpful. He is your guidance through this nightmare.


    Download Links:
    Gamejolt
    itch.io

    *Please note: This game is not suitable for children. It contains themes like abuse, alcohol, selfharm and suicide. The characters are in no association with the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game is aviable in english and german.*

    Thank you so much! This game was just a gift to everyone who supported me and still want to support me. And for people who played my previous game Dark Resistance: You will be surprised. Definitely. But no, it is not neccessairy to play Dark Resistance for understanding Dream Escape.

    Give it a go! It's free and I hope you will enjoy it. ^^
  2. Canned_Dinosaur
    #2 Source
    Wanted to give this a go for the RPG Maker Web Feedback Festival.

    First off: the itch.io download (English version) has a save file.

    The premise of overcoming your fears through your dreams is a tried and true formula and I guess it works. The resolution does tie the knots together and I guess the protag will now be able to continue on with her life regardless of what happens in the future. The buildup to this resolution is decent enough, although a little linear with not much depth. There's two (I think?) "game over" screens which are both nicely done and certainly beats being whisked to a static screen upon dying.

    The execution is a little problematic, however. There are three challenges to overcome in this game. The first is a chase, something that I am absolutely not a fan of in RPG Maker games. This is because by default RPG Maker has stiff controls and incremental movement speed changes that are very, very unfit for any kind of action. The second is a quiz with three questions, each question has only a single answer and dare I say the "correct" answer is pretentious. There's zero hints so unless you happen to share the mindset of the dev, chances are you'll see the GAME OVER screen a couple of times here. The third is also likewise a choice with one being the correct answer and the other being GAME OVER.

    1738225125815.png

    The maps are a little too empty, and the lighting is much too dark for my taste. The custom sprites are nicely done, which makes it all the more a shame that everything is so dark. Tile collisions, however, are quite problematic, with some tiles being passable whilst others block you in a counter-intuitive fashion. Menu sounds are also default and overall the sound is very loud, a recurring theme amongst RPG Maker games. I'd humbly advise to 1. change the UI sounds and 2. set the default volume to something like 40% for future releases, even for jam games such as these.

    The verdict: decent enough scenario using decent enough characters, marred by game mechanic choices that could have used more love.