[EXPlay] Cavern Of Dreams (Nintendo Switch)

Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, whilst also taking the time to include some lengthy gameplay, to give you the reader, the chance to shape your own impressions and views whilst watching and reading. In this installment, we’re covering Cavern of Dreams by developer Bynine Studio.

Cavern Of Dreams: (The Explanation)

Cavern of Dreams is a 3D platformer developed by Bynine Studio and published by Super Rare Games. It takes inspiration from 90’s classics Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro the Dragon to create its own cutesy collectathon with an adorable protagonist of its own, a young dragon called Fynn. The game first released on Steam late 2023 and has now made its way over to other platforms, including the Nintendo Switch and we are here to put it through its paces to see if it truly captures the essence of 90’s 3D platformers.

 

The game follows Fynn, who finds himself in a strange world. After talking to a mysterious character called Sage, Fynn learns that the place he is in is the Cavern of Dreams. Sage then goes on to say that a mischevious bat has kidnapped Fynn’s unhatched brothers and sisters and hidden them throughout the world. It is up to Fynn to rescue his unhatched siblings by exploring the Cavern of Dreams and the adjacent lands.

 

As you would come to expect, the controls are very much like you would expect for a 3D platformer, you can run, jump, and gain power-ups to make traversal easier. Power-ups can be earned by finding enough dragon eggs throughout the world. They will grant you abilities like tail swiping, gliding, a downward smash, bubble blowing, and eventually the ability to fly.

 

Although some of the abilities may sound like they are for combat, there is actually no combat to be had in this game. Cavern of Dreams is a passive platformer and while there are enemies and obstacles, they are there purely to add some challenge to the game rather than pose as an actual threat. You can’t die in this game but you can get yeeted across the screen if you come in contact with an enemy or an obstacle. Falling into poison water, or lava will cause you to restart from where you entered a part of a level or the last solid piece of ground you were on.

 

The primary objective of Cavern of Dreams is collecting eggs and stopping the bat called Luna to make them see sense and put an end to their mischevious ways. There are five worlds to visit, each with its own particular theme, and have eggs hidden around inside them. You can collect the eggs in any order but not all or straightforward to find. One can be hidden in a tree trunk under the water, another may require you to solve a puzzle first.

 

Each world has about eight eggs to find but they are not the only collectible. There are also cards and mushrooms to find as well. The cards when collected provide information of the game’s many characters, usually on those that inhabit the world where the cards are found. As for the mushrooms, these are handy for feeding to some of your siblings in the area where Sage is found so you can open up fast travel points just outside the entrances to the Cavern of Dreams’ worlds.

 

Cavern of Dreams is not a difficult game by any means but it is very charming and fun. I love the retro style graphics, and look very reminiscent of the N64 days that I felt right at home playing it. There are times where I didn’t have a clue on where to go and had to resort to an online walkthrough to find out where to go next but It was only a few times just to find my bearings and maybe a couple more just to find any cards that I was missing in order to 100% the game.

 

I do find it difficult these days to be able to sit down and play a game to completion but luckily for Cavern of Dreams it is not a particularly long game to beat and you can be done within a few hours. It is a quaint title that I very much enjoyed and was ultimately left wanting more. Kudos to the development team for making such a fun an charming game and I hope to see a sequel or an expansion in the near future.

Cavern of Dreams: (The Gameplay)

Game Specifications:

Developer: Bynine Studios
Publisher: Super Rare Games
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Platformer, Action, Adventure, Puzzle
No. of Players: 1 player
Release Date: February 29, 2024 (EU & NA)
Price: $12.99
File Size: 241 MB
Nintendo.com Listing