The cult classic returns, re-imagined
By Paul Hunter
Dreams of Another lands on PS5 as Q-Games’ latest experiment in game design, led by Baiyon of PixelJunk Eden fame. It borrows the mechanics of a third-person shooter, then flips the script. Your shots don’t tear things down, they bring the world into focus. Rooms, streets, and odd little corners appear as you fire, inviting you to move forward and poke at mysteries rather than dodge bullets.
It calls back to the PlayStation 3 era when bold digital releases sparked debates about art and play. Dreams of Another reaches for that spirit again with surreal visuals that look like oil paint in motion and audio that drifts in like late-night radio. On PS5, you also get Pro enhancements, and there are PSVR2 features if you want to sit right inside the dream.
This is a narrative-driven adventure that asks you to explore and pay attention. The pace lets you breathe, scan a space, and listen to what the world has to say. It feels unique in a way longtime gamers, and especially fans of Q-Games prior releases, will appreciate. Is a shooter that builds rather than breaks worth your time on PS5, and maybe in VR too? Let’s find out!
Every dream fades out and loops back, just slightly different. Sometimes I’d wake up at the title screen and spot something new, like the dream had shifted while I blinked. The world talks to me, too. A door asks what it means to open. A vending machine complains about being kicked. They sound silly at first, but after a while I caught myself nodding along. The writing walks this thin line between nonsense and deep truths.
By the end, I wasn’t chasing an ending so much as collecting moments. Each one folds into the next until you start to see the bigger idea: you can’t create without changing something first. It’s a message that sneaks up quietly, right before you drift back into the next dream.
Progress keeps you poking into corners. Collectible odds and ends objects spill out of clusters, and The Wandering Soldier swaps them for meaningful upgrades. A stronger dash helps the dream loop. Grenades and the rocket launcher speed up the clean-up. Ammo refills mean your tools stay useful. It’s the kind of straightforward economy that turns curiosity into momentum.
Yes, you will revisit spaces and that’s ties into the larger narrative. Scenes reset, aims shift, and you clear again because a different route is needed. I settled into the routine fast. It’s like washing a car in PowerWash Simulator: the first pass reveals the object, the second pass is for the bits you missed. The loop becomes soothing.
My favourite moment had me outline a Ferris wheel until the whole structure stood there like it had always been. No fail state, no cheap deaths, just the quiet push to finish the shape. The gunplay doesn’t demand pinpoint precision, but it’s responsive enough to feel right. Once the cadence clicks, you stop thinking about what you’re doing and enjoy how each shot turns fog into places you can actually explore, while also revealing new stories to chase.
The gorgeous art direction favours painterly textures rather than sharp detail, fitting for the theme. Surfaces feel layered, like soft brushwork settling into place. You can track the change as if someone was sketching a dream in front of you while you guide their hand.
The soundtrack keeps supports that mood. Quiet layers of sound move with you, then thin out, giving the picture space to reveal. Even the menu track holds a calm pulse between scenes. Sound mainly exists to support what you are bringing into view and it works.
I first played the game on PS5 Pro and the enhancements give the image a crisp finish. I also tried it on PSVR2 and it's a whole new experience for those who want to get physically closer to the dreams.
The best part is how unified everything feels, no matter on PS5 Pro or PSVR2. The act of revealing is the main attraction. Art, animation, and audio align around that moment, so every new line and surface carries a small spark that blooms into bigger mysteries. It turns simple discovery into a steady, satisfying spectacle of its own.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Q-Games LTD
Publisher: Q-Games LTD
Genre: Action Adventure, Third-Person Shooter
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Dreams of Another lands on PS5 as Q-Games’ latest experiment in game design, led by Baiyon of PixelJunk Eden fame. It borrows the mechanics of a third-person shooter, then flips the script. Your shots don’t tear things down, they bring the world into focus. Rooms, streets, and odd little corners appear as you fire, inviting you to move forward and poke at mysteries rather than dodge bullets.
It calls back to the PlayStation 3 era when bold digital releases sparked debates about art and play. Dreams of Another reaches for that spirit again with surreal visuals that look like oil paint in motion and audio that drifts in like late-night radio. On PS5, you also get Pro enhancements, and there are PSVR2 features if you want to sit right inside the dream.
This is a narrative-driven adventure that asks you to explore and pay attention. The pace lets you breathe, scan a space, and listen to what the world has to say. It feels unique in a way longtime gamers, and especially fans of Q-Games prior releases, will appreciate. Is a shooter that builds rather than breaks worth your time on PS5, and maybe in VR too? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
Dreams of Another might be the strangest bedtime story I’ve ever played. It starts with a soldier who can’t shoot and somehow turns into me, walking through a dream in pyjamas, firing bullets that make reality appear. I wasn’t ready for how quickly the absurd started feeling normal. One minute I’m helping a clown rebuild his rusted amusement park, the next I’m in tunnels with a family of moles chasing a bell for reasons I still can’t explain—but I loved every second of it.Every dream fades out and loops back, just slightly different. Sometimes I’d wake up at the title screen and spot something new, like the dream had shifted while I blinked. The world talks to me, too. A door asks what it means to open. A vending machine complains about being kicked. They sound silly at first, but after a while I caught myself nodding along. The writing walks this thin line between nonsense and deep truths.
By the end, I wasn’t chasing an ending so much as collecting moments. Each one folds into the next until you start to see the bigger idea: you can’t create without changing something first. It’s a message that sneaks up quietly, right before you drift back into the next dream.
Gameplay and Mechanics
What hooked me even more than the story beats was the act of clearing. Areas start fuzzy and full of dream-like bubbles. You hold L2, squeeze R2, and 'shoot' the world into place. I’d sweep a path, then go back and tidy edges so I could talk to whatever popped out. The quick chats make the place feel alive: a tree debating direction, footprints that resurface lost memories, a machine with bruised pride. They’re short, and they make the reveals worth it.Progress keeps you poking into corners. Collectible odds and ends objects spill out of clusters, and The Wandering Soldier swaps them for meaningful upgrades. A stronger dash helps the dream loop. Grenades and the rocket launcher speed up the clean-up. Ammo refills mean your tools stay useful. It’s the kind of straightforward economy that turns curiosity into momentum.
Yes, you will revisit spaces and that’s ties into the larger narrative. Scenes reset, aims shift, and you clear again because a different route is needed. I settled into the routine fast. It’s like washing a car in PowerWash Simulator: the first pass reveals the object, the second pass is for the bits you missed. The loop becomes soothing.
My favourite moment had me outline a Ferris wheel until the whole structure stood there like it had always been. No fail state, no cheap deaths, just the quiet push to finish the shape. The gunplay doesn’t demand pinpoint precision, but it’s responsive enough to feel right. Once the cadence clicks, you stop thinking about what you’re doing and enjoy how each shot turns fog into places you can actually explore, while also revealing new stories to chase.
Presentation and Audio
Visually, Dreams of Another builds its look in real time. Each squeeze turns haze into form as tiny points gather into streets, stairways, and silhouettes. I love how the dreamscape edges firm up with a slow confidence that fits the dream mood.The gorgeous art direction favours painterly textures rather than sharp detail, fitting for the theme. Surfaces feel layered, like soft brushwork settling into place. You can track the change as if someone was sketching a dream in front of you while you guide their hand.
The soundtrack keeps supports that mood. Quiet layers of sound move with you, then thin out, giving the picture space to reveal. Even the menu track holds a calm pulse between scenes. Sound mainly exists to support what you are bringing into view and it works.
I first played the game on PS5 Pro and the enhancements give the image a crisp finish. I also tried it on PSVR2 and it's a whole new experience for those who want to get physically closer to the dreams.
The best part is how unified everything feels, no matter on PS5 Pro or PSVR2. The act of revealing is the main attraction. Art, animation, and audio align around that moment, so every new line and surface carries a small spark that blooms into bigger mysteries. It turns simple discovery into a steady, satisfying spectacle of its own.
The Verdict
Dreams of Another flips the trigger into a paintbrush and never lets the magic fade. Every shot brings streets, faces, and secrets into view, while dreams click together with satisfying clarity. The painterly look suits the reveal perfectly, and the calm soundtrack sets a late-night groove. Collecting odd items to trade for handy upgrades keeps momentum high. The PS5 Pro version looks beautiful, and PSVR2 support lets you lean in even closer. It’s confident, creative, and wildly inviting—the kind of experience you’ll talk about long before the credits roll.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Dreams of Another details
Platform: PS5, PCDeveloper: Q-Games LTD
Publisher: Q-Games LTD
Genre: Action Adventure, Third-Person Shooter
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.