Media Molecule has added a new third-person dungeon crawler to Dreams called Ancient Dangers: A Bat’s Tale and overhauled the game’s creation mode, DreamShaping.
As described in a new PlayStation Blog post, in Ancient Dangers, you play a heroic orc named Scoria. It also has a local co-op mode where the other player can play as Scoria’s twin, Gabbro (although it still requires an internet connection). The twins must venture through dungeons slaying monsters while searching for the herb that will cure their grandmother’s awful snoring. The dungeons are filled with foes to combat, puzzles to solve, and a showdown with a dragon.
Regarding the game’s DreamScaping mode, the studio realized that it can be an overwhelming experience for new players. In the new DreamScaping 2.0, there is a new template system and a reworked user interface. The new templates provide the tools to make a variety of different genres, such as 2D platformers, dungeon crawlers, shoot-em-ups, and more. There’s even a dedicated template for Ancient Dangers as well.
There are difficulty indicators for the templates too. Beginner templates emphasize the basics by letting you simply stamp in elements, while medium-difficulty templates introduce wiring elements together. Advanced-difficulty templates cover techniques like how to optimize your creations.
Your in-game DreamScaping page will also be tailored to your own skill level and time spent in the game. You can also find new sections to promote elements used in your creations as well as other Dreams creators to follow.
In GameSpot’s Dreams review, Richard Wakeling said, “Dreams is a refined constructor for building a wide variety of games, and a community-centric showcase where others can play them. It’s a stunning achievement that encourages limitless creative expression, a place where people can come together, collaborate, and explore each other’s imaginations. It’s a tool for the fools who dream, and one of the most innovative releases in years.”
