Game Reviews

Dragons Dream

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iOS
| Dragons Dream
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Dragons Dream
|
iOS
| Dragons Dream

Gamers of a certain age - not to mention music lovers - will prick up their ears whenever the name Roger Dean is uttered.

Dean is an illustrator of immense talent who can trace his career all the way back to the days of prog-rock band Yes, whose album covers were adorned with his handiwork.

Later finding a new fanbase through his association with the now-defunct Psygnosis, Dean is beloved of an entire generation of gamers who still cherish their big-box Amiga copies of Shadow of the Beast purely because of his lush artwork.

It's with a combination of joy and apprehension that we see Dean's art getting a new lease of life on iOS. It's still beautiful, but it deserves better than being slapped over yet another endless highscore game.

Drag-on

Dragons Dream (yes, that missing apostrophe irks us, too) comprises two modes, the first of which tasks you with flying your dragon into as many orbs as possible within a two-minute time limit. The nature of this Arcade mode means that it quickly becomes dull, as there are only so many orbs you can realistically collect within the space of 120 seconds.

The second element of the game - known as Free Fly - is more interesting, as it follows the more conventional endless template.

The objective is to cover as much distance as possible without hitting any part of the environment, with the added temptation of collecting wisps that boost your score but present a significant amount of danger as they're usually placed off the beaten path.

These two modes are playable across two different locations, but the gameplay ultimately remains the same. A series of achievements helps to keep things interesting, and successful progress will unlock a gallery of Dean's signature work.

If you truly want to appreciate his art then you can opt for the Visualizer mode, which is little more than an animated wallpaper. Even so, Dragons Dream is quite a lightweight prospect.

Flame on

It's a shame that Dragons Dream doesn't offer more for its comparatively high price tag (£2.99 at the time of writing) because the presentation really is top-notch.

The amazingly high standard of Dean's illustration work needs no further explanation, and the ambient soundtrack fits the action perfectly (although we will admit that we did shed a tear when we discovered that no Yes tracks were included).

Dragons Dream is worth a look if you have especially fond memories of Roger Dean's output and really have a soft spot for the endless genre, but the core gameplay doesn't quite do justice to the awesome visuals.

Dragons Dream

Using Roger Dean's art is a masterstroke, but Dragons Dream looks better than it plays and offers little that hasn't been seen elsewhere in the genre
Score
Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.