Preview: She Dreams Elsewhere
Sleeping in. Good pooch friend. Friends and parties.
We’ve all been there.
Terrible nightmares that end up feeling too real. Anxiety tearing through you and causing self-doubt. Feeling that you don’t belong in the same air as others.
Yeah, we’ve all been there too.
She Dreams Elsewhere is an RPG in the vein of the Mother series, or more aptly, the French indie video game Off. This already beloved indie darling boasts fantastic writing and intricate characters, with a black and white-meets-psychedelic color dreamscapes style which promotes a haunting sense of foreboding.
The demo opens with Thalia, the protagonist, dreaming as she’s sleeping in late. As dreams that go on too long tend to do, it becomes a nightmare. It’s a nightmare that feels too real. One in which feels as if it’s able to reach out into reality and pull you in. Luckily, Thalia wakes up escaping the nightmare to a friend inviting her to a party. Weighing the options of a cozy night in and going out to socialize, she ultimately decides to go to the party.
On top of the black and white-meets-psychedelic aesthetic, graphically the game is a mix between Game Boy sprites as you wander the world with beautiful black and white character art artwork as turn based battle images. I say battle images because these fights take place in classic dungeon crawler style; your team at the bottom with a picture and stat bars, with enemies in the center stage above.
The Earthbound and Off inspiration is abundant and woven throughout She Dreams Elsewhere’s DNA, so much so the only way you couldn’t pick up on it is if you hadn’t played or seen those games. But with it unique design and aesthetic, the game firmly stands on its own without feeling like an homage to these classic RPGs. It consistently keeps you interested and entertained, but also settles you into a mood of keeping you on your toes at all times. Difficulty also serves as being a key player here in keeping the tone of the game consistent. The journey holds stark contrasts of easy fodder to tough brick walls in your progress, reflecting Thalia’s anxiety. Difficulty spikes that can surely spell defeat, but are never unfair.
Even though the demo only ran about 50 minutes long, covering the prologue of the game, it gave a fantastic sense of being and fruition. It lays the groundwork for these characters and where the story might go, allowing the player to grow in this world in less than a span of an hour. Without running the risk of detracting from your own personal first impressions, I want to keep this piece lite on specifics. But what I will say, as with most content within the horror genre, the game is very personal and plays off your own fears. Similar to recommending a horror film without wanting to spoil any tone or shock, this is a perfect case of not wanting to cover your own painting with my design.
With that, I’ll end this impression with a clear note; go play She Dreams Elsewhere when it releases. If you’re a fan of horror and the deeply rooted personal stories behind grounded characters, or just a darn good RPG, it’s worth your attention.
She Dreams Elsewhere is being developed by Studio Zevere, which is primarily developed by Davionne, with character design and key art by Yanina Nesterova, and score composed by Mimi Page. Confirmed platforms so far are Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC with no release date at the time of this writing.
Preview written by Matthew Wright