The debut project from developer Frozen Line is Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow. In this 2.5D stylized puzzle platformer, seemingly inspired by the likes of Limbo and Little Nightmares, you play as a young boy named Griffin as he embarks on a surreal adventure through a dreamlike world with his teddy bear Birly. For a studio’s first game, Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow looks absolutely gorgeous with its atmospheric landscapes, but the rest of the package can’t quite come together to present a cohesive experience.
Let’s get the breath-taking visuals and great sound design out of the way first. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t immediately awestruck the moment I stepped into the world of Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow. The game features meticulously crafted environments, with each location showcasing remarkable attention to detail. The art style is unique and distinctive, blending realism with a touch of surrealism, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing and visually captivating experience. I appreciate how every chapter features a different theme, such as sunny windmills and haunted graveyards. On the other hand, the soundtrack deserves special praise thanks to the haunting melodies that underscore the emotional moments and ambient sounds that bring the world to life.
However, a lack of voice acting and general narrative direction serves to be one of the many faults. You’re thrown directly into a panic-inducing chase sequence from the get-go as you launch Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow for the first time, without any context or follow-up. It’s not very clear what the motivation of Griffin is, other than some generic descriptions about facing fears and going through some sort of healing process. I understand that some developers wish for the player to interpret the story based on their own imagination and understanding, but there’s got to at least be some material to work with in order to do that! While Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow attempts to explore themes of loss and self-discovery, the storytelling often feels disjointed and lacking in coherence. The plot progression is extremely convoluted, with crucial story elements left unexplained or poorly developed.
The gameplay boils down to your generic 2.5D side scrolling platformer where you must traverse across different locales and solve environmental puzzles. Action set pieces are sprinkled in to get an adrenaline boost and change up the pace. Basic tutorials are shown at the beginning, such as how to move objects and command companions to operate switches or open latches, whereas more advanced mechanics are left for you to figure out by yourself. Most puzzles are simple enough, but some others are a bit too demanding and vague given how finicky the controls can be. The weird depth perception is one of my main issues, because Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow tries to bridge the gap between 2D and 3D to the point where it’s not clear whether Griffin can survive a fall or make a jump. As you progress, your companion roster also expands to more than just your teddy bear, but the game does a poor job at explaining the mechanics surrounding said new companions.
Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow suffers from a range of technical issues that further detract from the overall experience. From the aforementioned perception concerns to actual lack of precision during gameplay, it definitely needed more time to bake in the oven. There were more than a handful of times where I died and had to restart at a checkpoint because of floaty controls and input delays. There were also times when the AI-controlled companions would bug out and fail to perform certain actions and force me to restart, because the game would have been soft locked otherwise. Checkpoints aren’t spaced too far apart, but treading through the same areas gets cumbersome and repetitive. These technical shortcomings on top of already inconsistent frame rates not only disrupt the immersion but also undermine the player’s confidence in the overall quality of Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow.
While Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow is not exceptionally long, running only two to three hours max depending on how competent you are, it compensates for its relatively short duration with its replay value. The game does feature multiple endings and you can revisit levels to pick up specific collectibles and lore pieces. The atmospheric world and visuals are probably the only reason to want to replay these levels because the frustrating gameplay mechanics, bad puzzle design, and insanely slow movement speed will probably deter you from ever wanting to go through Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow again.
From a distance, Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow looks to be a graphically stunning game that could reach the heights of its inspirations. Unfortunately, it can only dream to do so because the rest of the game can’t quite reach the high bar set by its visual and art direction. Regrettably, Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow falls into the category of unfulfilled potential due to its overall unpolish, leaving players disappointed and longing for a more refined and captivating experience.
Lewis played Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow on PC with his own bought copy.
