Forget the sofa, notebook and awkward conversations about your childhood. In Dream Doctor, helping patients means getting inside their heads – literally.
This unusual action adventure has launched on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, putting a magical key in the hands of a psychologist and asking them to venture into the nightmares of their patients.
Available for £4.19, Dream Doctor takes each patient’s mind and turns it into a different world to explore. Naturally, these aren’t particularly pleasant places to visit. There are enemies to deal with, challenges to overcome and some rather imposing bosses standing between you and the answers you’re looking for. You know, gaming stuff…
At A Glance
- Game: Dream Doctor
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Price: £4.19
- Developer: Acangaiba Estúdio
- Publishers: Bad Minions, Little Giant
Therapy Has Never Been This Dangerous
In Dream Doctor your character has a magical key capable of opening the door to a patient’s dreams, allowing you to explore the strange worlds created by their subconscious.
Every nightmare brings its own set of problems. You’ll have to fight enemies, deal with challenges and eventually face powerful bosses as you attempt to help your patients confront whatever is troubling them.
There’s some choice in how you go about it, too. Nightmares don’t necessarily have to be tackled in a set order, giving you the opportunity to decide which challenges you want to take on and adapt your approach as you progress.
What You Find in the Nightmare Can Make You Stronger
Beating the creatures lurking inside these dreams isn’t just about getting to the end of a level, either. Patients can reward you with sentimental items, and these can become equipment that changes how your character performs. Some can improve attributes such as strength, speed and endurance, while others provide new abilities altogether. That includes moves such as spinning attacks and dashes, giving you more options when dealing with the next nightmare.
The equipment can also be combined, so there is room to build a combat style around the abilities and bonuses you prefer. It’s a straightforward progression system, but one that should give you something to consider when deciding which nightmare to tackle next.
Every Mind Tells a Different Story
Dream Doctor isn’t simply about fighting your way through a collection of monsters. The worlds themselves are shaped around the minds of the people you’re trying to help, giving each patient the potential to bring something different to the adventure.
That gives the game an interesting balance between its psychological premise and its action gameplay. One minute you’re trying to understand someone’s fears, and the next you’re preparing to take on whatever those fears have turned into.
With three versions available on the Xbox Store, across Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, Dream Doctor is now ready for anyone fancying something a little different from their next action adventure. Whichever edition you buy, it’ll cost you £4.19.
Just remember – when your next patient says they had a bad dream, you probably shouldn’t ask them to show you the way in.
