Real Talk By: KJ

Swery65 brings us another unique mystery game in D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die. This is primarily a point and click adventure. Think of Walking Dead, or Heavy Rain. Fans of those games, should give Dark Dreams some attention. Characters look as if they had been ripped from a graphic novel. The graphics aren’t mind-blowing, but the art direction makes up for it, fitting well with this zany story. Former Detective David Young is going on a deep time-traveling mental-trip. His wife was murdered, but the culprit has yet to be revealed. In Her last words, the only clue given was to “Look for D”.

D4 is one of the few games that uses the motion controls of the kinect properly. Many movements you’ll need to do just flow. Using the controller or Kinect, settings can be adjusted on the fly. This makes it very convenient for a lengthy gaming session. Players wont need a lot of space to use the sensor gameplay either. A nice touch, is the feature to simply close your hand to confirm an action.

Players will help Young search for clues. Put the pieces back together, as he is suffering from Retrograde Amnesia. Many in the story know who he is, but he can’t remember. A way he jogs his memory is by collecting mementos. Pens, magazines, any other objects. While the game has a set destination, getting the most out of it is up to the players. Items are hidden in the levels that can give health upgrades, points, or even cosmetic advantages. Exploration is certainly encouraged. Opening doors, moving stuff and interacting in general uses stamina. Most games of this style let the player look around in an area with no restriction. This method forces people to use caution before taking their next step. Recharge stamina by purchasing or finding food.

Clothing is another bonus. Set up goofy combinations for the main characters, and find even more as you play. DLC is coming as well. Just another reason to go back after completion. Miss-match attire adds to this already loony story.

The voice acting is pretty good, but the characters are some of the weirdest you’ll see. People, you have a woman living in your apartment, who thinks she is a cat. Some conversations with suspects will be informative, putting your brain to task. D4’s NPC’s overall are entertaining, but others can get annoying, as they fail to add much to the main story arch.

For example a lady on this plane (where you’ll spend much of your time) is insane. She has some unique info on the passengers around you, but gamers will have to complete her silly demands. I had to quickly check the airplane windows to make sure they weren’t damaged, and that the bathrooms were okay as well. Are the developers are just trolling us? That could have been the goal. Some may not appreciate this approach to gameplay, others will laugh out loud. It really depends on the person’s sense of humor. Still, most mini-games are fun. One of the most-insane fight scenes ever in the genre, can be found in D4. This choreographed fight is tough because you’re trying not to chuckle the entire time, while paying attention to landing the commands displayed. Another challenge will have players moving their hand around the screen, catching clovers as they come down from the top. this felt like an old arcade game, but enhanced with the kinect controls. This game scores higher because of the unpredictability factor.  What is coming next? We can only assume that more D4 adventures are on the way considering this ending.

Players who analyze the scenes, will find some cool goodies. It is possible to fly through D4, but detectives can really get some hours in. It’s over the top, affordable ($14.99), and unique. You may not follow everything that’s going on, but gamers will be pulled into the world nonetheless. Either way you look, it’s going to leave an impression. Weirdest game of the year.

D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die Gets

4 Out of 5

 

What’s Legit?

+Uses Kinect Well

+Gameplay variety

+Filled with memorable characters

What’s Perpetrating?

-A Few characters are painful to deal with

-Some tasks kill the pace

@PlayLegit #D4