Product Info

Platform

Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC

Publisher

Microids

Developer

Ocellus Studio

Genre

Adventure, Platform

Players

1-2

File Size (Minimum)

3.2 GB

Release Date (NA)

Oct 24, 2024

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Microsoft Store

Steam

Epic Games

The Smurfs: Dreams is a 3D platformer game that deserves players’ attention due to its creative gameplay and charming visuals. 

Sweet Dreams

The evil wizard Gargamel is at it again. Trying to find the Smurfs’ village, he poisons a few Smurfberry bushes in the forest that’ll put whoever eats a Smurfberry into a deep slumber. When the spell activates, it indicates the location of the victim on a special dreamcaster that Gargamel possesses, giving him a visual map to the Smurf village.

Papa Smurf, the elder leader of the Smurfs, avoids the spell and creates a specialized pillow to help rescue the sleeping Smurfs in their dreams. You play as a male or female Smurf who will do the rescuing, and you can be joined by a friend locally in your mission.

Smurfs are partially known for their distinctive white outfits. Regarding your Smurf, you won’t be able to change clothes until you rescue your second Smurf, Tailor Smurf. Once awakened, there’s a set of outfits to choose from, but most are locked behind either the in-game currency of Smurfberries or the collecting of enough threads that are hidden in each level. In addition, there’s at least two outfits you have to pay for outside the game, but even with this set, it feels like there should be a lot more outfits. You also cannot choose which Smurf to rescue, so if you want to play as Smurfette, tough luck. At the very least, add her outfit or other popular Smurf attire.

Super Mario Vibes

Playing The Smurfs: Dreams not only looks gorgeous with its vibrant and detailed levels, it plays smoothly, too. At first, the game feels like it was inspired by Super Mario Galaxy, but, instead of planets, players choose a constellation that references a Smurf, e.g., a needle and thread for Tailor Smurf. Each main-story level has a set of stages you’ll need to tackle before reaching the sleeping Smurf.

Each level you play is laid out on a 3D plane where players can roam around freely. If you’ve played games like Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario 3D World, it feels like you’re playing a Super Mario game without the power-up costumes. The gameplay also feels smooth, and if there were any game glitches, they were hardly noticeable. Ocellus Studio, the team behind the development of the game, did a superb job.

The controls are simple. Players can run, hover for a short time, stop in midair in a bubble for a few seconds, and dive afterwards for extra air. It creates a fun way to tackle and find secret areas. The game’s camera auto adjusts so that players don’t have to mess with it as it follows the player.

Players can also collect items such as threads and glowing mushrooms to get that 100% completion. If you’ve missed an item, you can revisit a specific stage, but you must complete that stage in order to record your accomplishment.

There are also side levels, which are not required to complete the game. These are very short but do have some distinctive mechanics. For example, in one, you basically play soccer and need to push the ball into the net to score a goal before proceeding to the next level. The major drawback with these side levels is they all look alike, whereas the main-story levels are much more decorative and colorful.

Each final stage or boss battle is different and fun. Some stages change up the gameplay. For example, you’ll need to sneak around giant Smurfs by hiding in shadows to prevent being caught in your underpants. Another has you avoiding fire and meteor-like attacks from Bigmouth, another character from the Smurfs animated series.

While single player is fun, co-op is moreso. Players can jump and interact with each other, but it’s not as tedious and frustrating compared to the New Super Mario Bros. series. Players can also rely on each other by completing or activating hard-to-reach Smurfberries and teleporting back to the other player to avoid any complications along the way. If a player falls off a cliff, catches on fire, or loses all two hearts, they’ll teleport back to the player still alive. If both players die, you’ll have to restart back at the last checkpoint. There are a lot of checkpoints, so there’s no stress of having to redo an entire level. The further you play, the game’s difficulty does pick up too, making it a steady challenge for newcomers.

A Dreamy World to Explore

Exploring each main-story dream is visually gorgeous, filled with details and colors, and is overall quite creative. Each one is uniquely different and fun. It’s unfortunate the game’s main story can be completed in less than ten hours. Finishing every level and finding every item does add more hours to it, though

There’s no voice acting involved nor any music that closely resembles the Smurfs series. The soundtrack doesn’t add enough oomph but does enough to add sound to each scenario in each level.

The Final Dream

The Smurfs: Dreams is well worth exploring with its creative and vibrant levels. Whether you play by yourself or with a friend, it’s worth jumping in. You could say it’s Smurfalicious.

A PlayStation 5 code provided for this review.