Nights into Dreams (PlayStation 3) Review

NiGHTS into Dreams follows a couple of young children, Claris and Elliot, who enter the world of Nightopia in their dreams, a place where humans' night-time visions play out. In this world, the evil Wizeman is using the power of dreams to gain power and take control of Nightopia. NiGHTS is attempting to stop Wizeman's plans and the children meet up with the jester-like Nightmaren to work together to bring peace back to the world.

It's a very light-hearted premise, but players will quickly find that story plays a background role in NiGHTS into Dreams. There is the option to choose between playing through either Claris' or Elliot's dreams (levels), of which there are four each, although the final stage is the same for both. At the start of each dream, Nightmaren steal four of the children's "Ideya" and seal them in Ideya Palaces placed around the stage. Getting the Ideyas back is the aim of each level, although players are given the opportunity to do this as either the selected child or as NiGHTS. Controlling the child from the start, players can move around the 3D stage and either wander around and jump, collecting Blue Orbs that unlock the palaces, or free NiGHTS who sits patiently waiting at the beginning of the level. It's a rather clunky and slow affair when controlling the children in any form, and it's obvious the game is designed to be played properly with NiGHTS.

Upon assuming control of the jester, NiGHTS takes to the air and can be moved freely across a 2D plane in the 3D world, able to glide, spin and flip around with considerable ease. Instantly, one can see just why SEGA released its first analogue stick controller in time with this game, as using one feels completely smooth and natural - just in the same way Super Mario 64 would not have been the same had it not used the Nintendo 64's control stick. NiGHTS can only move left and right along a fixed path, but once 20 Blue Orbs are caught in the field of play and then brought to one of the Ideya Palaces, a new path opens up and continuing through the level in a new zone is possible.

During play, a timer ticks down from 120 seconds, giving NiGHTS a set amount of time to grab the next Ideya, and resets once it is caught. After bagging one of the Ideyas, the player has the opportunity to rack up as many points as possible before moving on to the next path, and it is here where NiGHTS into Dreams' selling point is. Every Blue Orb that is picked up and every ring that is flown through gives the player a second to 'link' it to the next item pick-up or ring, and by linking multiple items and rings together, big points can be earned. Additionally, NiGHTS can perform acrobatics and special moves that also contribute to the total score. By racking up high scores before the time limit is up and then entering the next path, A grades can be achieved. Each of the four paths are graded and then a final average is awarded at the end. The real fun of NiGHTS into Dreams definitely comes from attempting to get A grades for each level.

However, it isn't over once the four Ideyas in a stage are bagged. It then moves on to the dream's boss, which determines whether the level is completed or must be replayed entirely. Each boss has its own unique solution to defeating it, and whilst some of the methods can generally be figured out easier than others, it's the ones that aren't so obvious that can lead to extremely frustrating moments, since once that timer reaches zero, all of the previous work in the stage before it was for nought. Any hits received by the enemy knock more seconds off the clock, so it is quite a nervous endeavour when meeting with a new boss and trying to figure out its patterns and weakness. More often than not, though, once it is figured out, they don't always become problems again in future replays of the stage. The quicker the boss is defeated, the more bonus points received, and this can decide the final outcome of the grade at the end.

Interestingly, there is more to NiGHTS into Dreams than first meets the eye. Most Sonic Team fans will know all about the Chao system in the two Sonic Adventure games, but it is not widely known that it evolved from the A-Life system in this title. In each level there are Nightopians dotted about, and by passing by them and defeating enemies, NiGHTS can affect their moods and feelings towards the hero. They can be mated together with other Nightopians, and even the enemy Nightmaren, to breed new creatures with different traits. The moods of the Nightopians changes the levels' music, but otherwise it is mainly an additional feature that doesn't have many other effects on the gameplay, although is definitely a very neat concept, and one that is clearly advanced further in Sonic Team's later Sonic Adventure titles.

As a bonus, the specially-themed Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams game is included in this package - a one-off level with a very festive theme, ideal for this time of the year! NiGHTS and other characters wear Christmassy clothing, Spring Valley is covered in snow, items and obstacles are replaced with Christmas trees, bells and all sorts of other Yuletide novelties, and even famous Christmas music is remixed with a NiGHTS touch. Sadly, the extra content featuring that certain blue blur, Sonic the Hedgehog into Dreams is not included in this version, which will no doubt come as a disappointment to many. The original SEGA Saturn game is available to play, however, although it has to be said that the HD take on the game looks very lovely indeed, with the widescreen providing more to see, and vibrant colours bringing each dream world to life. There is a lack of updates to the draw distance and texturing over the PS2 version that this remaster is based on, but the game looks pretty enough as it is that it shouldn't be regarded as much of a problem.