Weird Dreams

This is one of my favorite computer games. From the moment it boots, it provides one bizarre visual after another: the splash screen of a godly eye in the desert, the main two creators' names under a title underlined with an ECG reading, the harrowing first-person perspective of an imminent brain surgery (though you'd only know that if you read the novella), faceless doctors included, and so on. Part of what makes these visuals so magical is that they were made in 1989 and use VGA to its fullest. Accompanying the visuals is a sparse-yet-appropriate soundtrack. This soundtrack consists of four total songs, two of which are original. My favorite of all of them is the title theme, since it works well both to represent the game and as an original piece of music. The gameplay also complements the presentation: solutions to puzzles are often cryptic and nonsensical, which is to be expected from a game set in a dream. The controls are perhaps this game's biggest negative: they are stiff and cumbersome, which is mainly a result of the animation in this game being very slow. The animation for turning around is the biggest offender: threats can easily get in range in the time it takes to turn around, walk over to "safety," and turn back. Combat is quite hit-or-miss, but can be very fun when you've got the hitboxes and combos figured out. Allegedly, one of the authors of this game stated that the floaty controls were intentional to reinforce the game's dream-like nature, but I can't say for sure. Overall, I think this game, in its original form, is well worth playing, but I'd advise all those willing to try it to get in a patient mood, since it can be very unfair. What I mean by "in its original form" in that last sentence is that the Steam version of this game is not necessarily its original form. The version released on Steam is the MS-DOS version, which released alongside several versions for other era-appropriate systems. I believe all the versions were released simultaneously (besides the C64 backport), but there is a very obvious original: the Amiga version. Weird Dreams on the Amiga (or Atari ST, the two versions are admittedly very similar) is, I believe, much better than the other versions, for one main reason: the soundscape. There are some minor visual touches as well, like a screen that actually scrolls, but the soundscape is the deciding factor for me. When you run Weird Dreams on the Amiga, you're treated to a variety of MIDI tracks with excellent audio quality, alongside a plethora of high quality, distinct sound effects, all by David Whittaker. This soundscape had to be [b]crushed[/b] to work on MS-DOS, as seemingly the only readily-available sound options on it in 1989 were either Adlib or your PC's built-in speaker. That said, the person responsible for this conversion, who is either not mentioned in the manual or is IBM programmer John Jones-Steele, managed to make the DOS tracks incredible and seemingly even made an almost totally new title track that still rocks, which is quite an accomplishment. Another point you have to consider about this release of Weird Dreams is its additional content, which consists of the novella by Rupert Goodwins (Points for that, all things considered!) and the control guide for the Atari ST version of the game, which, of course, does not feature controls accurate to the game you play when you click "New Game" in the launcher. This is quite the missed opportunity, as the DOS version's inserts are actually pretty helpful and the "psychiatric evaluation" system (justified by the manual being called the "Player's Therapy Guide") for hints is very amusing, not to mention story-relevant. My guess is that this game's original publishers (Rainbird in the UK and Microplay in the US) died and the ownership of this game changed hands between multiple people, ultimately scattering the different releases and their physical inserts into oblivion. In the end, I think the current Steam release of Weird Dreams is best seen as a novelty worth the admission price of $7, but I encourage you to experience the game on the Amiga first before playing the MS-DOS version. That way you'll be able to hear the cool music and sounds before the DOS Adlib version gives you Tinnitus. P.S. I know that the Amiga version was the original one because all of the game data files start with "PP20" when viewed in a hex editor, indicating that they were compressed with PowerPacker 2.0, an Amiga-focused compression software. Also, you can view the "WEIRD.ART" splash screen if you de-compress it and open it with the appropriate Amiga image software

⣿⣿⢿⠛⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⠟⠅⠀⠀⢸⡿⠉⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⠿⣿⣿⣿ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢨⠃⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠈⢿⠀⠀⠈⠛ ⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠛⠛⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢷⣄⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠛⠿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⡇⠀⠀⠀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠆⠁⢻⣿⣏⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⠀⠀⠀⠠ ⠀⠀⠀⣤⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣄⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣤⣤⣴⣶ ⡄⠀⠀⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⡟⢻⣿⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⡍⠀⢰ ⡷⣤⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⢀⠀⢀⣠⣴⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡧⣤⡸ ⡿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠋⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠀⢰⡄⠀⠀⣉⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣉⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣽⣷ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣃⡀⢀⠀⣐⣿⣽⣿⣧⢸⣿⣗⣶⠄⡿⡧⢀⡼⠛⣿⠙⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣽⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣽ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣛⡟⣳⣽⣿⠁⣺⣷⣿⣿⣭⣿⣵⠌⢰⣃⣾⠋⣴⠂⠃⠀⠋⠙⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣥⣸⣿⣶⣿ ⢿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ABSOLUTE CINEMA⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣭⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣈⣭⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⣺⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣼⡇⠈⢀⣀⠴⠂⠉⠀⠆⠈⠀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠿⠽ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡉⠉⠋⠛⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⣿⠗⠌⠩⠀⠀⠀⣤⢤⢠⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⢠⣧⣄⣿⣿⣿⣿⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠀⠉⠉⠋⠰⠂⢾⣢⡨⠄⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⠀

Absolute peak gaming experience

NOSTALGIA IS A HELL OF A DRUG. I love the concept and visual style of Weird Dreams but this game remains just as frustrating and difficult as I remember. This is the PC version but to me this will always be a relic from the Amiga era. If you like pain and suffering embrace it like its 1989.

This is one of my favorite games from the 80's, It's a fun puzzle game with some bizarre situations. I originally played this on the Amiga. This version if the PC version, the game play is close enough to Amiga version with the exception of the sound... I really wish they would give me option of using the Amiga version. The sound is a huge part of this game.

BUY IT

Peak gaming

ooohh this is a goood one

legit nodders

I just need to leave this somewhere, so that some poor soul doesn't wander into here and think they've discovered some forgotten gem. DO NOT LET THE POSITIVE REVIEWS DRIVEN BY SOME INSANE NOSTALGIA SWAY YOU! Stay far away from this. This is easily one of, if not the worst game I've ever played from any era of gaming. Some things should stay gone. This is one of them. I played this game for 2 hours because I had an obligation to. If you know what this is before you buy it, then fine, go crazy, otherwise, just go play anything else. I know from the screenshots, it may look like there's some fun to be had, I assure you there isn't. Controlling it in the modern era of gaming is an absolute nightmare, the rules for what it wants you to do are inscrutable, the sound design and music are an absolute abomination, (Unless you're really into low humming noises) and... it's just really bad. Don't do this to yourself. You have so much more to live for. Believe me I tried to give the game a shot. I looked up a guide, I tried to figure out the optimal way to play it, I tried to just... Find any fun here, but it's a relic from an era of gaming that very few will remember, and it's a relic that should have stayed buried. Have you considered calling your ex girlfriend from high school lately? Because that might be a more pleasurable experience than playing this. Seriously. DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF! SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE CARES ABOUT YOU! DON'T PLAY THIS GAME!