The Last Dream: Developer's Edition

Fun game. Puzzles are mostly manageable. Interesting mix of graphic styles. Photo realistic mixed with drawn images. No AI stuff however.

UI is a bit glitched. It will remove items you are holding and randomly place them back into inventory as you are moving them across screen. Pop up windows will close at random as well. This is very common and can get quite irritating. Basically the inventory UI is bugged. Be aware of this and the experience wont be so bad.

It's quite cute and reminiscent of some older point and click adventure games. If you like this type of game (hidden objects, mini games, adventure, a hint of story..) you will enjoy this experience.

Nice game. Not a top tier game of it's genre, but rather charming. And yeah, wouldn't call it a HOG, because there is no hidden object scenes. It's more like a point and click adventure game with puzzles. Puzzles are rather easy but still interesting enough. Some of them I didn't encounter before in other such games.

Story is good. Initially it seems rather chaotic and looks more like a daymare, but in the end you will get a twist that will explain everything. Visuals are nice as well. With beautiful artwork and animated special effects. The game also has a bonus chapter. Overall - time well spent.

👍

Decent storyline, enjoyable toplay

H.O.G... That actually has real people doing the cinematics! This is the first time I saw a H.O.G. with such a thing.

It also has a cat. And a love story. And a cat. And a dog in a Bonus game. And a cat to help you. And has everything that you'd expect from this type of a game.

Sometimes I can't figure out where the item should go or be used... It's not always instinctual... But I persevered and saw the ending... Then the Bonus ending...

The game taught me what the word "HOPE" meant.

Also the cat made cat-snow-angels... That's a bonus in itself. ^-^

Thank you!!! :3 =P :)

This is a little gem of a game. It is a Hidden Object Adventure game focusing on a young married couple's devotion.
I have Windows 11 & it ran smoothly.
The game has good logic both in the story and puzzles, mini-games & HOPs.
The HOPs consist of finding all the parts to machinery, tools & such that you need to interact with in the picture.
The artwork is a combination of real actors in real scenery and excellently drawn artwork, background & items.
It includes a BONUS GAME.

I enjoyed playing it & never got frustrated or bored.

Look, you've played HOGs, I've played HOGs -- we all know the hidden-object drill by now. So just assume that "The Last Dream" scratches that HOG itch just fine, and instead of an actual review I'm just gonna note the random things that stood out here:

-Somehow the guy playing the husband in the live-action scenes still managed to be a bad actor without saying a word. Respect.

-It just wouldn't be a HOG without cheese, so the bad acting is actually a plus here. Ditto the heart-on-sleeve soft rock ballad during the end credits.

-There's a cat that helps you! It's the oldest gimmick in the HOG playbook, and it still wins me over every time.

-When you urgently need to rescue someone from a burning car, clearly the most efficient plan is to assemble a medieval-style torch, hop into another dimension, melt some snow, go ice fishing until you catch a pin (??), hop back to the other dimension, pick the trunk lock, locate some puzzle pieces underneath the spare tire, solve a slider puzzle that makes no real sense but lets you win anyway, open the secret panel, and retrieve a crowbar that can be used to force the car open. Nevermind the room full of random crowbar-like junk next door that was available the whole time.

-The above is probably not the exact way the car thing played out, I don't remember the details because these situations all kind of blend together over a lifetime of HOG-playing, but you know exactly what I mean -- and we both can't get enough of it.

Never change, HOGs. Never change.

I'll be honest and say this is one of the best point and click games I've ever played. It has a story that draws you in and keeps you engaged. The puzzles are relatively easy, but I had a great time. Love this developer!

I've played through this game once before, several years ago, and can't remember what I thought of it then. On this playthrough, however, it broke. For the first session it played normally, but when I reloaded the save the next day, it loaded the starting scene with all the actions completed, then crashed when I tried to move through to the next scene.

I tried restarting the program, but the problem persists. The bug means the game is unplayable, so unfortunately, based on this experience, I can't recommend it.

After finishing Stormhill Mystery, I was drawn to try Specialbit's previous game, The Last Dream. Both games play very similar, being point-and-click adventure games with puzzle and hidden object elements. But in TLD the hidden object scenes are a lot more prominent, and there are sections where you find fragmented hidden objects and combine them. It also has some pretty difficult puzzles (harder than the ones in SM) and follows a linear story. Due to the dreamlike theme and setting, some parts of this game looks surreal, and the artwork is no doubt beautiful.

In this game you play as Ben, a husband who tries to find his wife, Elizabeth, by following clues and visions of her from his dreams. Between levels the story is told through live-action cutscenes, where apparently both actors (Maxim and Julia Ryadchik) are apparently married and are developers in this game. Is that why this game has the "Developer's Edition" on its title? The collectible photos in this game are also real photos, presumably from the Ryadchiks' personal album. It's quite a sweet story, when you think about it. There's also an additional game after finishing the main story, but this time you play as Elizabeth, retelling Ben about a dream she had.

Personally I really like the combination of live-action, animations, and drawings used to create the storytelling in this game. While it might seem jarring, at the same time I find it charming. My only complain about this game is that some puzzles are too hard, and some are just identical to the ones in Stormhill Mystery. Other than that, The Last Dream is a great, short, calming casual game with a sweet story. If you like point-and-clicks or hidden object games you should definitely try this game.

In the last dream, you are trying to get out of your dreams. You are trapped due to a traumatic experience and you are worried about losing your wife. Other than that the rest of the storyline is unnecessary. However, most Artifex Mundi games have very weak and forgetful storylines. The problem with this game is a lack of character. The FMV for the cut scenes weaken the fun of the game. Instead it takes itself way too seriously, and then turns back into a "dream" world in order to allow for the typical realistic yet cartoony graphics that it usually offers in this genre.

The hidden scenes are dull and both the hidden scenes and the puzzles are much more difficult than most other games of this type too. But again, they all lack the fun factor. I've enjoyed many Artifex Mundi games, and maybe it's because this one is old, but there's much better offerings for this genre that you should give a try, you can skip this one unless you've gotten it in a bundle or already have it in your library.

A nice casual point n click game. Enough variation, ok story. I enjoyed and finished it, so recommended. Puzzles were quite easy, but not too easy. They suit the casuality of the game. Not disturbing at all.

And for achievement completionists among us...it is not hard to unlock em all. Most through normal play through.

This is a fine hidden-object game. Well, it has the variant of HOG scene known as a FROG scene, which is a fragmented-hidden-object scene. That is to say, you have to find 15 items, usually split so it's 3 groups of 5 items each, or 5 groups of 3 items each. The trick is that you can at first find only 13 items. Once you combine one of the groups, this completed item is needed to help you get the 14th item. You are then able to combine another group, helping you to get the final item. Sometimes an item ( let's say the 12th on the list) is hidden and you have to move a screen or curtain or open a drawer.

In addition to the hidden-object games, there are multiple mini-games to play. None required a walk-through or hint, and none were time-consuming. I finished the entire game including the bonus chapter in about 5 hours.

The plot is, for a HOG, rather well done. It is NOT science-fiction, fantasy, gothic, horror, magic-realism or whatever. In fact, it violates the prime directive of science fiction stories, which says you should never end your story with this. Then again, the title of the game "The Dream," sort of gives it away. Hmm.. so I guess technically there is no plot. A married couple have a pair of dreams about each other, and then go to the park and discuss jewelry. I guess it makes as much sense as "Inception." Or the movie of "The Wizard of Oz," which I've always maintained is just 30 minutes in the last day of Toto, punctuated by a dream.

This is one of the few HOGs that I've scene that has FMV, full-motion-video. The couple is played by a real-life couple on the design team, which is odd as they have no chemistry and the woman only ever looks annoyed the entire time.

Anyway, for those who like this sort of game by Specialbits Studio, I also enjoyed "The Inbetween Land" and "Sonya." Two thumbs up!

I would've given a neutral review if I could. The game itself is okay-ish: simple puzzles and decent graphics. There's one thing though that made me cringe like hell: video acting (which you are basically forced to watch if you want Film buff achievement). It is beyond awful. Like, seriously, devs could have asked actor students to do it and it would have been by an order of magnitude better than theirs. It's just worse than b-movie acting. Other than that the game is fine.

I liked this one. Cool use of real world video to propel the story. A 70/100 effort.

The good

Live actor video
Some challenging puzzles
Well drawn and animated
An involving story
The HO scenes are good

The bad

Minimal replay value
Some pixel hunting involved
Music can get grating

It's a little different from your average HOG, and it captures the weirdness of the dream world quite well.

My only caveat is there's no map, and it can be slightly frustrating to figure out what to do next (some of the active zones are a bit small or hard to find). That said, the lack of a map does lend to the immersive, altered-state of consciousness feel.

The overarching story is interesting, although for most of the game you're just following along after the ghostly image of the protagonist's wife. I had just gotten a little tired of the "follow along" feeling when the game moved into a different phase, which was good.

Everything works smoothly, assembling and using objects is a little more fun than in other games (there are no "word list" HO scenes), and the game is nicely atmospheric. Worth the purchase.

This is one of those games I'd like to give a middle rating instead of a harsh thumbs down. It's not horrible, but it's not all that good either. The story is okay, but story telling is just a bit too cheesy for me, especially with the real life movie sequences. Some of the puzzle explanations were lacking, so that made them quite frustrating to complete. I don't mind that the hidden object scenes were of the fragmented kind, but I wish they wouldn't have only used those. Some "regular" hidden objects mixed between would have been nice.
Again, the game isn't exactly bad, but there are definitely better ones. Once you've finished all those and just have to play another HOG, I guess this might still be worth picking up.

Good little game to help pass the time. Nice puzzles and beautiful art work throughout. Not a taxing game, so recommended for an easy afternoon, great for people who like hidden object games with puzzles.

The last dream is a story about a married couple, what caught my attention first was the logo of the game, the heart and two faces, a genius idea.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=906122825

When the game first started I was so amazed how good and realistic the artwork is, only a couple of moments after I realized it was actually a movie (Live action) and not an art which I kind of disliked the more I advanced into the game.
At the beginning the story was slow and boring as the man following his deceased wife's spirit, visiting all the locations they've been in together before, collecting random photos of him and her. It all was so confusing and unreal until you reach the last chapter of the game, then all the puzzle pieces will fall together. For me, the last chapter was a redemption or I'd have rated this down and not recommend it to anyone.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=906418835

The bonus chapter was short, kind of strange if you think of it logically (But usually there is nothing logical about hidden objects game and the tools locations) It wasn't a bad addition to the main story. Also If you are after achievements, you'll have to clear the bonus chapter as well in order to achieve everything.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=906159837

What bugged me in this game that there is no map, no journal, you are on your own and have some specific tasks to do and finish somehow.

Pros:
+OK graphics.
+OK story.
+Good fragmented objects scenes. (There are no hidden objects scenes)
+OK music.
+Collectibles
+Steam achievements.

Cons:
-No map.
-No Journal.
-No replay value.

You wouldn't know when to use the helper who you have and this is a flaw in the game unless there was a logic behind it which I missed.

I can't rate this down because it is not a horrible game, it is playable, and I actually enjoyed the last part but, I only recommend it to people who love fragmented objects scenes, love achievements and challenges, and doesn't mind live action cutscenes. Personally, I think the voice acting was much better than the acting itself. But as I said, the ending of the game was really good.

[quote]𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑐𝘩𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑎'𝑠 𝐶𝘩𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒[/quote]

a simple point and click game that is relaxing. some of the puzzles can be difficult (for me at least) but the rest otherwise pretty simple to solve. the voice acting isnt great but at least we see real people in cit scenes that i havent seen in games for a while.
not worth at full price but certainly worth your time if you like somehting to chill out and solve puzzles.

Painful voice acting (with the voice actor reading a typo aloud - how do you even manage that?) and gameplay more focused on solving obtuse puzzles rather than the usual even mix between HO scenes and mini games. Not as enjoyable as I'd hoped. Get it cheap or watch an LP if you like HOGs.

The Last Dream is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played in recent memory. Here is why: (I will be reviewing this game one specific at a time.)
Graphics: The game looks amazing for 2015. Everything in the enviornment is detailed and easy to recognize.
Controls: The controls are very easy. You click on one of the arrows that appear to go in that direction, and the controls are very responsive during the puzzles, and while navigating the main menu.
Gameplay: You click on something to investigate it, and solve puzzles through various means. Easy.
Story: Your wife dies in a car accident, yet she keeps calling you. Your dream gives you a strange clue, and you realize it is your job to bring her back to you. I'm not going to spoil anything, let me just say that the ending is one of the most beauttiful endings I've ever seen in a game.
Overall: Buy this game. If you've never played a point and click game before, this is a good place to start. Don't expect the puzzles to be easy, though.

I am impressed by this game so far. It is more like an adventure game than a hog(the hog part is the fragmented object kind and not annoying at all)
The FMV makes it interactive and it's engrossing.
I have had to disable the high DPI and run it in compatibuilty mode for windows xp ...

Edited; finished...LOVED the game. Highly recommended
I also loved the music which was non intrusive and a little melancholy but VERY fitting for the story...

The dreamer can know no truth, not even about his dream, except by awaking out of it. - George Santayana

At first glimpse, nothing seems to actually stand out with this game. In its essence, The Last Dream is a fragmented object game - or a FRAG as called by the veterans of the hidden object genre. Pretty interface, expected gameplay, a selection of puzzles... But its beauty in execution and thematic nuances centering the notion of dream; and a hopeless pursuit of love, hiding a heartbreaking truth that separates itself from the rest of its genre formidably in means of display, makes The Last Dream a memorable experience.

As an interesting choice, we take the role of a male protagonist - which is quite uncommon in HOG genre to begin with. Ben has lost his dear wife, Elizabeth in a car accident some time ago. Since that dreadful day, he is getting haunted by the apparition of his wife in dreams. Elizabeth is calling for him, leading him to an obscure discovery through uncanny geography of their history. Desperate to reach his dear wife, to hold her hand once more, Ben takes on this strange journey, persistent to reach her with any means possible. A nameless, smiling cat accompanies him in this journey, leading him through bizarre environments and dangerous obstacles in each new dream. Can Ben reach his dear wife at the end?

With these kind of games, we are accustomed to encountering digitally rendered art work and animations for characters. Here though, the dream world and the real world are sharply separated from each other in means of display. Enacted characters and their interactions are presented in FMV cinematics in the real world, while dreamlike environments and gameplay sequences are arranged into digital art works. This way, the story presents a medium for you to emphasize with the character, making all nuances a bit more touching. I personally think the acting is quite decent, yet voice acting isn't that marvelous or emotional at all. There is a certain stiffness and a lack of theatrical enthusiasm in voices that wrecks the emotional quality. Dream environments are most certainly beautiful and fittingly uncanny with sorrowful, elegant and symbolic displays of memory streams.

For the gameplay, there is not much to talk about. You collect items, combine some, use them in the appropriate places and carry on with the story - with one difference of a dream companion. Selecting a cat as a dream travelling guide is a beautiful nuance borrowed from Egyptian mythology and well appropriate for the undertone of the whole story. You are given 10 FRAG scenes in which you'll eventually collect different items and 20 or so puzzles, which are not that hard to deal with anyhow. In 9 chapters - with each of them having a central theme with 3-4 places - you'll come to the end of your journey and the bonus adventure in 3 hours or so.

I suggest considering this beauty on a sale. If you like the HOG genre, it's one of the better ones out there which doesn't come from big name developers. Enjoy!

Please also check out Lady Storyteller's Curator page here - follow for regular updates on reviews for other games!