Dreams - What We Know So Far

PlayStation 4 users will soon get to push their imaginations to the limit in Dreams, a game creation system from Media Molecule, the team behind popular platformers LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway. Continuing the theme of "Play, Create, Share," Dreams allows players to design their own games, art, and environments with almost limitless possibilities. While game development may seem daunting, Media Molecule has put together a user-friendly interface, allowing anyone to unleash their creative power.

Beyond creating your own worlds, Dreams will let you play an ever-growing list of games designed by others. In addition to releasing your inner artist, the developers hope Dreams will spawn a thriving community complete with different perspectives and styles. From the trailers and release date to gameplay and early impressions, here's everything you need to know about Media Molecule's surreal vision for the future of gaming.

Looking for the perfect Valentine's Day present? You're in luck. Dreams launches on Feb. 14, 2020. What could be more romantic than creating a world with your significant other? Even if you don't sell your beau on the idea of a virtual space as an acceptable date night, at least you'll have a good excuse to splurge on Dreams as a gift to yourself. 

Dreams entered PlayStation Early Access in April 2019, giving early adopters a hands-on look at the game's robust tool set, including interactive tutorials, arcade games, and templates. While this version did not include the story mode, players did have access to everything the community made during the Dreams Creator Beta, which ran at the start of last year. All Early Access and Beta creations will carry over to the full game on Feb. 14, which Early Access users will receive without having to pay an additional charge.

Dreams boasts a wide selection of trailers for your to peruse. You will find Early Access trailers, gameplay trailers, and extensive demos on YouTube and the official Dreams website; Beta and Early Access creators have also posted dozens of videos detailing their designs. If you're a visual person, you'll have plenty of references to help you decide whether to purchase Dreams when Feb. 14 rolls around. 

In the interim, you may want to watch a few of the available demos so you can start creating right away on launch day. The release date trailer, which Sony unveiled during its December State of Play, offers a comprehensive look at the power of the Dreams design system through a number of user-generated games. From simple race tracks to sprawling fantasy worlds, if you can dream it, you can create it.

Dreams will launch on the Playstation 4, with PSVR support expected to follow at an unspecified date. Because of Dreams' in-depth mechanics and extensive options, the choice to limit the game to a single system at release makes sense. The toolbox alone would take ages to make accessible on other platforms, to say nothing of the Dualshock-specific mechanics Media Molecule has built into the music production tool.

The developers have hinted at a PC launch, though it would take a while. Media Molecule co-founder Kareem Ettouney hopes to create something that will last 20 years. He wants to build on the base game and even make a Pro version for PC users. To accomplish this, the company will need to reach a wide audience with the PlayStation 4 launch. Here's to hoping Dreams finds immense success so Media Molecule can keep expanding and improving the game.

Thought still in Early Access, Dreams has received a number of rave reviews. You'd expect to see some mixed feelings about a game that requires so much player interaction; however, gamers seem to love it. Even If game creation isn't your thing, Dreams still gives you access to hundreds of projects created by other people. Jordan Devore of Destructoid praised the title's ability to make him see everyday objects in a creative light. "If you take the time to go through the lessons, you'll be amazed at what you're capable of creating," he wrote.

Like Devore, many others uncovered hidden artistic abilities through the development tools. "You still need to devote several sessions to learning the ropes from Media Molecule's video tutorials, but I can't overstate how smartly designed everything is, and it makes the creation process feel less like work and more like experimental play," wrote Jeff Marchiafava of Game Informer. Though Dreams pushes you out of the nest a bit too early in its tutorials and the extensive controls and possibilities can be a overwhelming, most players have expressed positive opinions about the game.

Media Molecule has always been clear about its mission as a studio. It wants to expand the imaginations of its fans and help bring their visions to life. While LittleBigPlanet did a great job establishing this concept, Dreams brings the idea to fruition. Dreams provides you with the tools you need to create your own worlds. The options extend beyond games, allowing you to design art, movies, environments, and just about anything you can think up.

Dreams exists to give players a way to become developers without the intimidation of professional developer kits. Learning to create games is like learning a new language. The vast amount of tools, jargon, money, and software needed to develop a video game puts most people off of the profession. With Dreams, Media Molecule hopes to strip away the intimidation and deliver a user-friendly way to learn to love game development. Thus far, the studio seems to have hit its mark.

As part of its dedication to simplifying the game design process, Media Molecule has demystified music production. Even trained musicians struggle to compose new songs but with the music creation tools in Dreams, you can compose your own game soundtracks with limited musical knowledge.

For standard music composition, you need to understand chords, music theory, and scale structure. In Dreams, you just need to know what sounds good and how to push a button. While a sense of rhythm will help the process, almost anyone will be able to create unique music. The developers at Media Molecule have essentially turned the Dualshock controller into a musical instrument. If you've never played an instrument before, you're in luck. If you have a basic understanding of how to use the Dualshock controller, you can create a song. The developers have made music composition its own type of game, transforming any gamer into a composer.

Whether their dedication takes the form of life-sized replicas of every weapon from Breath of the Wild, or baking the cake that may or may not be a lie from Portal, gamers love paying homage to their favorite games through different mediums. Dreams will allow fans to push their enthusiasm to the limit, even recreating some of their favorite games in vivid detail.

One Dreams beta tester reconstructed the never-ending hallway from P.T., while another made their own high-def version of Metal Gear Solid. Of course, this abundance of fan creations comes with the potential for legal issues. Media Molecule has encouraged fans to be creative with their software, acknowledging remaking something you know and love as the best way to stretch your creative legs for the first time. This won't stop them from removing your work should the owners of the original IP file a complaint. While this may seem like a bummer, you can't really blame Media Molecule. For Dreams to thrive in the years to come, the company will need to stay in business and avoid lawsuits.

While Dreams places a number of powerful tools at your disposal, its open-ended nature can seem intimidating. If you haven't always dreamed of being a game developer but are intrigued by the possibilities Dreams offers, there are still some good options for you.

Though Dreams will center on game development and art creation, Media Molecule has also stated they will release a story mode for their new title. This will come as a relief to gamers who want to take part in the creative process but aren't enthusiastic about the indeterminate nature of the game. The story mode will contain three intertwining narratives that let you explore different genres and form ideas for your own creations. At the same time, you'll master the tools you need to make games. Think of it as a fun way to trick your brain into learning a new skill.

A game like Dreams seems like it's made for virtual reality. The fact that you control much of your gameplay by moving the Dualshock controller around like a PSVR controller is a testament to this fact. While Dreams will come to PSVR eventually, fans of the medium won't get to experience it at launch.

It makes sense to place a creation tool in a VR setting. The ability to create a world around you grows more enticing when you can see the components fall into place in your physical surroundings. While Media Molecule wants to foster a fully immersive experience, Dreams' complex controls and mechanics will take some time to adapt for virtual reality. Though the company hasn't offered a specific launch date, gamers will be happy to know that they will eventually get the VR game development kit they so desire.

One of the most exciting aspects about Dreams is the opportunity it gives regular people to be creative and explore game development. Though many gamers and artists appreciate the medium of visual storytelling, they may not have the tools to create their own games. With Dreams, people with no developement experience can transform their ideas into reality.

Beyond giving would-be developers a chance to try their hand at creating games, Dreams allows them to share their work with a large community. This community is full of people who love games and expect fan-made titles to have a few kinks. There's no risk of failure when you don't have a large sum of money riding on the success of your launch. Instead, you are free to create without the red tape of meeting deadlines or earning back your investment.

Faced with full creative freedom, Dreams users are bound to create an eclectic range of works. Presumably in a bid to show off Dreams' capabilities, the project's senior principal designer rendered a photo-realistic breakfast. Though an impressive feat, it's still an odd thing to see come out of the development tool.

It's only a matter of time before someone makes something even weirder using Dreams. After all, this is the industry that produced titles like My Name is Mayo, Untitled Goose Game, and I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin' Good Dating Simulator. If there's a market for a game that asks you to click on a mayonnaise jar repeatedly or romance Kentucky Fried Chicken's iconic mascot, there's a market for almost anything. With Dreams, you'll have the tools to fill that need, no matter how bizarre it may seem.

Media Molecule made a smart call when they allowed players to take part in an Early Access period. With each newly unveiled creation, the demand for the project has intensified. If you're excited about Dreams' imminent release but worry it won't be done in time, never fear: Dreams has already gone gold. The Media Molecule team joyfully announced via tweet that their new title was ready to ship ahead of the general release, sharing a picture of the finished game surrounded by its happy creators.

In addition to being ready for its Feb. 14 launch date, Dreams seems to be making the rounds on review sites as a unanimously agreed upon hit. Some have even named it the "most important new game in a decade." The option for gamers to make publicly accessible content has opened up the creative minds of people everywhere, a potential reviewers have recognized and showered with praise. "What Uber did for ride sharing, and what Instagram did for the selfie, Dreams is doing for creating and consuming the ever-blurry boundaries of experimental media," concluded Fast Company's Mark Wilson.