Official Score
Overall - 60%
60%
Radiant One’s concept of dreams is an interesting one, but it is just not fleshed out enough. This is one title that is more of a snack than a full-fledged release, making it a hard sell for those looking for an immersive tale.
Dreams are a powerful thing, as can be seen in the release of Fntastic’s new story-driven adventure Radiant One. Does its world of lucid dreams hold some meaning, or is this title a nightmare?
Radiant One Review
Taking place in LA in March of 2018, Radiant One tells the story of Daniel. He has just mastered the art of lucid dreaming, giving him the power to do whatever he wants in the dream world. He starts by taking advantage of the power of flight, but things quickly become amiss when he wakes up from one of these dreams with some real-life injuries to his hand. It’s up to him to find the cause of these injuries, all while balancing his work life and paranoia in the real world.
It’s an interesting story that will keep you playing, but there’s only one problem – it’s only 30 minutes long. There’s just not a lot to read or interact with here. As a result, characters go as quickly as they are introduced, sections are thrown in without context, and the conclusion leaves a number of plot holes. If the game had even a little bit more runway, this would have been remedied, but as a result it feels more like an interesting proof of concept than a tale for the ages.
Presented in an isometric perspective, the entirety of Radiant One can be played with the mouse. Players will click on objects to interact with them, and can walk around by clicking to the area they want to go. There are also some quick-time events that require players to time presses just right, move the mouse in a certain direction, hold the mouse down, and more. It’s low barrier to entry makes it easy to enjoy the title, and even death holds little punishment. This is one game where the story trumps all, so the gameplay serves more as a means to an end than anything else.
There is also some inventory management to be found in this game. In order to progress, players will collect items and will have to use them in the proper areas. Each area is fairly small though, and it can be obvious to know that the basement key opens the basement, but it is still welcome nonetheless.
Radiant One’s concept of dreams is an interesting one, but it is just not fleshed out enough. This is one title that is more of a snack than a full-fledged release, making it a hard sell for those looking for an immersive tale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtuPcrSdWpo
