Purveyor of Previews: She Dreams Elsewhere

This week I checked out She Dreams Elsewhere. I really liked this one. (for the record though, I have yet to play a demo I don’t like)! It reminded me a lot of Shin Megami Tenshi if SMT featured a depressed young adult who drinks heavily and lives in a filthy apartment.

To say the main character Thalia has issues is an understatement, Her anxiety, and depression is so bad she can’t function in day-to-day life. When the game opens, she’s hit rock bottom. Unfortunately with her, things can only get worse before they get better. In this case, it means getting trapped in a dream that’s trying its best to kill her. Luckily for her, there are friends who will help her fight her inner demons and find her way out.

The game itself is a turn-based combat affair that’s basically if earthbound and final fantasy had a love child. This early in the game, the combat has yet to come into its own. As of right now it didn’t really wow me. I was mostly rushing through the dungeon to see more of the story. On the other hand, I can see the combat in this game ramping up and being much more difficult and compelling mid-game. So I’ll just have to see with this one. While the combat didn’t wow me, I will absolutely be returning to see how the story plays out. The writing in this game is really nicely done and every aspect of the game, from the limited color palette to the ethereal hip hop soundtrack serves to enhance the story. It’s a heavy tale, but I’m hooked.

Overall, despite the weak combat (which again, I do see the possibility for improvement as the game goes on) She Dreams Elsewhere is absolutely worth your time. It’s a unique and compelling narrative-driven story that I believe will speak to a lot of people. 

The game is still in development, and at this time does not have a release date. However, the demo, which took me 69 minutes, is available on Steam and Itch.io!