Lucid Cycle is an experimental walking simulator about experiencing a wide array of dreams. Each dream on offer is different from the last,Lucid Cycle is an experimental walking simulator about experiencing a wide array of dreams. Each dream on offer is different from the last, with each offering players something new to do. The dreams each player experiences are the same; the only difference is what the player gets from the dreams overall.
Following the main character, players start in a surreal world, a forest to be exact, that looks as if it were a lucid acid trip for someone that just got high. The trees are weird and colourful, with human-sized mushrooms here and there. If the player pays attention, they will even see a lady dancing in the background. You would think a weird-looking forest couldn’t get weirder, but when I saw the lady, I had to look and wonder what her significance was to the game. Initially, I assumed it was part of the world, and after a while, I moved on. Because look, if I am going to play a weird game, I expect weird things to happen in it, making something like this not seem out of the ordinary.
After finishing the first dream, I enter a new dream; this time, I need to enter three houses, each different inside. I need to shoot stuff in one of the houses, another I enter and watch the lady do her thing again, and the other I can’t really remember. After that, I am in a new dream, and this time, I need to do some platforming to get across floating trains and again, I see the lady. Who is she, and why do I keep seeing her. My first thought, which I still believe to be the truth, is that the main character’s girlfriend/wife may have died or left him. Still trying to figure it out, but all I know is she’s important to the story.
It isn’t till I have done the third dream that my character ends up at his apartment, waking up from his dream. A cat comes to his bedroom and meows, and whenever a cat does that, it is always best to follow it, which I did. Once I follow the cat, I enter the living room. Here is where I can talk; I assume the dream machine and discuss my dreams with it. Once talking to the machine, it gives three choices to choose from, which are connected to one of the three dreams entered. After choosing a choice, it gives an explanation as to what that dream could mean. Then it will tell you to go into this room to complete a painting that I assume is his therapy? There is also a game to play on his TV, but the less said about that game, the better.
Lucid Cycle sticks to this method the entire game, with some dreams being quick, some being a tad harder but all different and, in a sense expanding the character’s psyche. The adventure is by far Lucid Cycle’s main draw because it kept me on my toes as I never knew what to expect next, and I really wanted to know what was going on. I enjoyed most of the dreams, but some didn’t quite hit it off, at least for me; they didn’t, like one having to drive a car and a few others. Besides that, I enjoyed my time with Lucid Cycle.
Lucid Cycle is like a feveric dream that keeps changing within an hour adventure that may make you question your own psyche.
Lucid Cycle is available on PC, Xbox, Switch and PS4/5
A code for Lucid Cycle was provided by publisher Eastasiasoft for the purpose of this review.… Expand
