Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow

Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow is part of a very crowded genre, that of the action platformer driven by the relationship between two unlikely characters. There are some interesting narrative bears and the presentation is decent if not spectacular. Most of the featured mechanics are good, with some challenging puzzle designs. But nothing in the experience aims to push the limits and deliver something entirely new. I wanted Griffin to have more ways to engage with the world. Using Birly should have been easier. Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow isn’t polished or innovative enough to become a classic of its genre but will engage anyone interested in the premise of the core mechanics.

With its successful design and a reasonable dose of sentimentality this game could have been one of the "unforgettable" experiences, unfortunately it falls into '"just okay" category because of its outdated mechanics and some bugs.

The enjoyable moments become dampened by the inane control scheme and inconsistent pacing. It’s unfortunate that there was such a tug-of-war between immersion and complete disengagement. In a way, Daydream is a fitting name, as my moments of joy and peace kept getting interrupted as I popped back to reality, making this experience become a gradually-fading memory.

If you like the platformer Planet of Lana, you should also enjoy the story of a boy and his teddy bear... in theory. But, unfortunately, it is a little different in practice. Daydream can be a gaming nightmare.

Unfortunately, Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow is not a good tribute to some more classic games, like Limbo or Little Nightmares, and fails to deliver a memorable adventure, feeling way more frustrating than it should.

Really, Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow’s lack of originality is just a minor complaint compared to the fact that it doesn’t achieve what it sets out to do from a gameplay perspective. You can’t be a worthwhile puzzle-platformer when the platforming sections feature controls and physics and a field of depth that are this finicky.

Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow is an underwhelming puzzle platformer. The eye-catching, whimsical environments simply aren’t enough to salvage the poor storytelling and frustrating controls.