Unlike most genres, the experimental foray of games is typically make it or break it. When it works, they can flesh out what games can set out to do, such as Proteus or Dear Esther. But other times, it can come off as really pretentious and over-blown, equaling a not only unsatisfying experience, but also a stale one.

The newest entry into this type of experimentation is Dreii, a former mobile game ported to handhelds and console. Made by the developers behind the ever so weirdly presented Plug and Play, Dreii focuses on physics based puzzles, with the highly ambitious selling point of “connecting players like never before.” So, does it achieve it’s goal? Somewhat, but if anything, it’s more complicated than the game itself.

Gameplay:

Although the objective in all of Dreii’s levels is the same, it never feels repetitive

Dreii is one of those rare games that starts off without any context, but doesn’t really need it. It knows it doesn’t need some sort of grand story to tell, but just good gameplay. While I appreciate the game’s direction, it doesn’t seal it on all fronts. Dreii starts off with a lengthy difficulty curve, that isn’t presented in a respectable way. Once you get to the meat of the package it does start to show the quality, but for me, I had become mostly burned out, especially after doing it in one sitting.

Design:

Dreii does have a local coop mode, which is a double edged sword

While Dreii does have nice puzzles, I feel it could flesh them out a lot more. Simply dragging blocks and shapes to stack on top of each other can get a bit tedious, and while the game can get more interesting when wind and explosives are introduced, it’s a too little to late situation here. This is a shame because what Dreii is trying to attempt is really commendable. It’s just the execution that’s a bit wonky.

Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:

Dreii also has a unique chat system, when other players are around

Although Dreii’s presentation is a tad off-putting, it fits with the game’s theme wisely. There’s no options menu (besides for language) and levels are orchestrated in a pattern similar to something like Fez. Also, the game isn’t overbearing in artistic value, allowing you to absorb more in the gameplay. (The acute sounds clash with this, but it’s more minute than some would believe.) I also appreciated the subtle on-screen additions added to the local co-op system, adding more character to a sometimes shallow game.

Conclusion:

Dreii may be a good fit for puzzle game diehards, but some will be turned off by it’s desire to stick with it’s own self-purity. But for the people on the opposite side of the spectrum, Dreii will likely sit well. While it has a couple of mistakes, none of it impacts the gameplay so much, that quality becomes an issue.

Dreii gets a 7/10 (Average)

We’d like to thank Etter Studio for giving us a code!

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