Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air could be the fourth installment in the Dream Chronicles adventure puzzle game series. After the initial three games, the stories and adventures of main character Faye have finally arrive at a close. Now the spotlight shines on Lyra, the daughter of Faye and Fidget the fairy. Lyra may be the Chosen Child of prophecy, and is destined to become the next Fairy Lord, and The Book of Air marks the start of her amazing journey.
The Book of Air begins on the eve of Lyra's 18th birthday. In what appears like a dream, Lyra sees several people approaching her, with her grandfather among them. Just as her grandfather is all about handy her something special, everything goes black and Lyra wakes up outside her old school. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like she's really at her school since there are energy bolts arcing throughout the sky and destroying things around her, and the entire place is deserted!
Trapped in what seems like an alternate dimension, Lyra must discover a way to escape and return home. Luckily, her grandfather has squeezed in touch with her, and can give her advice and help her overcome obstacles on her journey. Lyra's adventure is presented in the overall game being an adventure and puzzle game hybrid. The main interface shows Lyra's current location where you are able to communicate with various objects. You will need to solve intricate puzzles and find cleverly-hidden objects in order to progress in the game.
First thing you'll notice when playing The Book of Air is how absolutely gorgeous the art is. Beautifully hand-painted art and subtle CGI and animation Cronaca di Pescara combine to make a steampunk-fantasy atmosphere that is simply breathtaking. The Dream Chronicles series has always been famous for great artwork, but this latest game has definitely set a new standard. Add to that a good soundtrack and believable voice-acting, and you have one great bit of entertainment!
The puzzles in this game are fairly original and quite challenging. You can find some of the standard puzzles such as jigsaws and logic games, but they are followed closely by more unique and original games such as encryption, word puzzles and combination locks to name a few. Quite a few of the puzzles have already been integrated into the main adventure screen, providing a more seamless gaming experience. As opposed to being forced to click on a thing to launch a puzzle, these puzzles are solved by moving or getting together with objects on the key screen.
The Book of Air also adds an element of growth (or leveling, in RPG terms). You will find little jewel pieces scattered all over the various locations in the game, and you unlock certain abilities when you will find enough of them. Finding ten of those pieces will unlock the ability to decipher encrypted codes, another twenty pieces will unlock the capacity to reveal magically hidden objects, and so forth. These abilities also serve as obstacles preventing you from accessing more challenging areas, as you will require them to solve a few of the puzzles that you come across.
Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air is a good adventure puzzle game that may satisfy both newcomers and fans of the series alike. The production quality of the overall game is first class, as is seen in the almost-perfect art and soundtrack along with the intricate and detailed puzzles and story. This game is also made to be the first part in a brand new Dream Chronicles trilogy starring Lyra, so there's no better time for you to enter this magical dream world.
