The only complaints we can really muster against Dreamscaper are nitpicks.

Not only do these equipable buffs make a meaningful difference to your strategies, but the cutscenes that play out between Cassidy and her friends often fill in more gaps on her mysterious past while offering up some heartwarming and entertaining views into each person’s personality.

Giving gifts that match their interests will boost a confidant’s relationship level, and this then takes on a gameplay form in a passive buff that you can equip before entering a dungeon. Cassidy can travel between various locales in Redhaven (like a park or a bar) and meet with a diverse cast of locals who help to make the town feel a little less intimidating. There’s also an element of relationship building to these waking portions of the game, and these can further help your chances in the dungeons. Things like meditating and sketching new drawings in Cassidy’s sketchbook will grant you welcome stat bumps and new items for the equipment pools, while also having nice narrative ties to how the power of self-love can improve one’s mental fortitude. When you inevitably bite the dust and wake up the next morning, there are a variety of currencies you’ve accrued from your run that can then be ‘spent’ in your waking life to improve your odds of overcoming the dream world. This forward progression isn’t merely limited to your dungeon runs, either. New equipment drops are almost always an upgrade over your old kit and the random nature of how they spawn means that you’re always incentivized to branch out and try new playstyles. Every room clear will reward you with something useful, whether that’s another health drop or an extra key or a new special attack or weapon to fool around with. We were especially thrilled by the ongoing sense of forward progression.

Things like pulling off a perfectly timed dodge or spacing out your attacks just enough to maximize damage feel consistently rewarding, and there’s quite a bit of weapon diversity to keep runs feeling fresh and interesting. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before-we were especially reminded of Hades many times-but there’s a nice rhythm to combat and the skill ceiling feels rather high. Combat is simple but strategic, as most rooms task you with cutting through a few enemies with a combination of basic attacks, special moves, blocks, and dodges.

Dreamscaper download the new for apple