Spyro and Banjo-Kazooie get the successor they deserve in this N64-style platformer with 100% perfect Steam reviews
Oct. 20, 2023Cavern Of Dreams channels the greats
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Cavern of Dreams looks like it graduated from 3D Platformer Perfection Academy in 1998, alongside Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro the Dragon. But despite the effortlessly nostalgic polygonal worlds, Cavern of Dreams actually came out just yesterday on October 19th and received the same acclaim that you’d expect from the N64/PS1-era greats.
Just like the early Spyro collect-a-thons, Cavern of Dreams casts you as a young dragon called Flynn who jets off to different themed worlds in search of his “unhatched siblings stolen away by a mysterious villain.” As expected, the four open-ended worlds contain various puzzles, platforming obstacles, and collectibles, but each level also ties back to the main hub, which delightfully has its own secrets.
My favorite thing about the game, based on the trailers, is the pure vibes. The low-poly jagged environments that are simultaneously creepy and warming. The bouncing music that tickles a very specific crease in my noggin. The awe that comes from charting a world that doesn’t quite conform to real-world logic.
My enthusiasm is happily backed up with near-flawlessSteam user reviews. “It nails the otherworldly, dreamlike vibe those games had better than any of its contemporaries,” WaveParadigm says. “An instant classic,” reads a review from Classic_Carnage, “I’m excited to see what speedrunners end up doing with this game.”
A Spyro-esque protagonist mixed with a Banjo-style oddball world was always going to be a winning recipe in my eyes, so I’m glad it’s being warmly received. Cavern Of Dreams should tide me over while I wait forMicrosoftto revive the beloved mascots -now that it somehow owns both Spyro and Banjoand islooking to revive some dormant series.
Cavern of Dreams is usually available onSteamfor £10/$13, but there’s currently an introductory discount that slashes that down by 10% for the next week. It’s also available as part of the‘Retro 3D Platformer Bundle’that packages several great throwback gems.
Check out the otherbest platforming games not called Mario.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.
“It seems we’ve missed the mark”: As their Steam review score drops to 14%, Dauntless devs wade into feedback after a disastrous update that gutted progress
“It’s impossible to not be cocky when you have a game like this”: It Takes Two’s Josef Fares is back and drumming up another Game Awards reveal
Get hundreds of hours of RPG goodness for $30 with this bundle of 8 games that includes the first two Baldur’s Gate games, which are absolutely worth playing
