Balthazar's Dream

Dogs are some of the most popular pets out there, given the fact that once upon a time they were also used to guard animal herds. Nowadays they are mostly kept for company, but there are other dog jobs out there as well, such as sniffing for illegal substances, or being helpful guides for the blind. Thus, powerful bonds can form between a man and his dog, especially if they are together for many years.

Balthazar's Dream is a 2D platformer in which you play the role of a dog trying to overcome a couple of obstacles in order to help his human friend. The whole thing is actually part of the dog’s dream, so it’s only natural that the environments are quite weird and trippy most of the time. As for the gameplay mechanics, most of your time is spent trying to jump from one object to the other.

The story is related to the fact that the dog’s owner, a kid by the name of Dustin, has an accident one day and ends up in a deep coma. Balthazar stays by its owner while he is laying in bed, and it ends up dreaming about weird lands and various obstacles it must overcome along the way. Naturally, Dustin’s ghost is the one giving the missions, so the two friends stay together even in the dream.

Jumping is your main activity, because it takes quite the strong back legs to survive in the dream world. There are all sorts of moving platforms and obstacles to watch out for as well, all of which require a bit of concentration in order to be overcome. Thankfully, the controls are responsive and accurate, which makes your job easier, although it’s still important to get familiar with the general mechanics before you can understand how to approach each trap.

As for the graphics, the retro style goes very well with the colorful environments you get to explore, especially since the pixel artwork is quite detailed. The same can be said about the sprites, which although are somewhat basic in some regards, they are good enough to make the experience feel fluid. Lastly, the music is not bad either, although the tracks are not very memorable.

When it’s all said and done, Balthazar's Dream does not revolutionize the platformer genre, but it’s very well designed and quite engaging. Thus, it should be able to keep you playing until the end, especially if you enjoy a challenge.