Review Date: June 25, 2010
Developer: KatGames
Publisher: PlayFirst
Platform: PC/Mac
Genre: Hidden Object/Adventure
Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air kicks off a brand new trilogy for the long running series, only this time around we have a new heroine: Lyra, the frequently kidnapped daughter of Faye, is now the focus of the game, which bears a lot in common with its predecessors. This, of course, means you can expect plenty of puzzles, hidden objects, and magic, all wrapped up in a truly gorgeous presentation.
It Starts With A Dream
Like every other game in the series, The Book of Air begins with a dream. Lyra imagines that her family and friends have disappeared and when she awakens, she's all alone in the fairy town of Wish. As it turns out, Lyra was somehow transported to another dimension. Naturally, the rest of the game involves helping her ind her way back home. Thankfully her grandfather has left a series of notes seemingly everywhere, which help guide Lyra on her quest.
Seeing as how Lyra is the only recurring character to make an appearance, The Book of Air feels strangely unconnected to the rest of the series. The story is also much less interesting, and this is due largely to the lack of any real threat. Sure, Lyra is all alone in an alternate dimension, but there's no actual enemy as there was in the previous games. Running around collecting magical keys isn't quite as interesting as chasing an evil fairy queen. The game also ends rather abruptly, leaving you with plenty of questions as to what Lyra will have to deal with next.
The story may be going in a new direction, but when it comes to gameplay, The Book of Air will be intimately familiar to fans of the series. In the game you'll be moving from one beautiful still scene to the next, searching for items and solving puzzles.
Beautifully Inconsistent
This time around the game features two different difficulty levels: casual and challenge. Playing in casual mode makes the puzzles a little bit easier and also gives you the option to skip them after a certain amount of time has passed. Both modes also introduce a much appreciated hint system to the series, letting you easily find any items you might be struggling with.
In terms of mini-games and puzzles, The Book of Air is a little inconsistent. Some of the puzzles are inventive and challenging, while others are games you've all seen far too many times before, such as a word search or a jigsaw puzzle. And there's one particular mini-game that appears much to frequently, as you'll have to do it every single time to want to take a ride on your airship. Considering the short length of the game, this repetition is very annoying.
The dream pieces also make a reappearance, and this time around collecting them will give you access to magical abilities, letting you light dark rooms or translate bizarre symbols.
Where the game manages to actually surpass its predecessors is with its presentation. The Book of Air is simply beautiful to look at, with an incredible attention to detail. The various locations you'll explore are all unique and interesting, and Lyra's nifty new airship is wonderfully designed. There's even voice acting for the first time in the series, though the sparse cast means there are only actually three speaking roles.
The Bottom Line
Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air marks an interesting new direction for the series but, unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to the quality of its predecessors. The story is slightly dull and the puzzles are inconsistently enjoyable. It's not all bad though, as the new game is a mostly solid experience with some welcome new additions, most notably the incredibly interesting and well-designed world you're given to explore. Let's just hope Lyra's adventures get more interesting from here.