Review: Dreii (PS4).
There are many types of logic games, but for me the most interesting have always been the ones that were based on realistic, well-written physics. Did I find what I was looking for in Dreia (PS4)?
Dreii (PS4) is a simple, small production that even got rid of such elements as the main menu or background music. The graphics are also very minimalist – the background is gray and empty, and the pieces of the puzzle are simple geometric shapes. Our character is a bit more complicated, but still consists of several polygons. The creators focused only on the game itself, and the rest was treated neglectfully.
Although there is no tutorial in itself, the first dozen or so levels involve introducing each of the mechanics with a simple puzzle, and the next stages are variations of already known problems to be solved. Our task is to build a tower of a certain height and hold it there for a few seconds. We have several elements at our disposal, depending on the stage, but they are limited to circles, triangles and rectangles. In order not to be too easy, various elements such as wind or magnetism may interfere with building.
As soon as we leave the tutorial, the real fun begins, because no other puzzle is trivial and makes you think for a moment. Guessing the correct placement of the blocks is one thing, but there is still the implementation of the plan into reality, which can be very complicated.
Unfortunately, the controls do not help, and although limited to one button and analog, they do not work well. I’m not sure if it was the fault of the slight lag or too low accuracy, but when playing on PlayStation 4 I felt that the movement was very clunky. Surprisingly, this problem does not exist on the Vita, because the touch screen is ideal for precisely selecting points.
The creators promoted their game with an online mode, which was to be the main advantage of Dreia (PS4). The multiplayer is as great as we were promised, but not all of it worked out. The first problem is the lack of any menu and explanation of how to connect to another player. The second is the fact that there are several stages that cannot be completed alone, and we don’t always find someone to play with, which can make us stuck. Multiplayer is very simple – we enter a stage and if someone is currently going through it, we are automatically transferred to that person’s game. The creators have provided us with a simple chat, thanks to which we can communicate through predefined phrases. Playing with strangers is very fun, I especially enjoyed trying to communicate and planning construction with simple phrases.
Usually, when describing such small indie productions as Dreii (PS4), no mention is made of fluidity, because it is obvious that they should run at 30 or 60 fixed frames per second. Unfortunately, a few times instead of the game, I saw a slide show and so far I am not able to understand the reason for what happened. Only restarting the game helped. It took place on a large console, the Vita coped with no problem.
Dreii (PS4) is a great Vita game, but it loses a lot when played on a big TV. If you like physical puzzles and you can play online, I can recommend this production to you. Otherwise, I advise you to pause.
