Dream Chronicles: The Book of Water
Game Review

The Book of Water is the second part of the second trilogy in the Dream Chronicles series developed by Katgames and published by PlayFirst. The first trilogy starred the human Faye as she discovers her destiny among the fairies, battling the evil of the fairy queen of Dreams. The second trilogy features her half-fairy daughter Lyra, who has reached adulthood and is embarking on her own adventures.

The game picks up right where the previous game The Book of Air left off. After having successfully escaped a magical parallel dimension, Lyra returned to her town of Wish to find it engulfed in a magical storm and tragedy affecting her family. A note from her mother Faye tells her that Faye's nemesis Lilith the Queen of Dreams has returned and is causing havoc once again. Lilith had managed to put a curse on Lyra's father, using his essence to fuel the magical storm. Faye had already left town to find a cure for the curse, and Lyra must now search for the powerful Book of Water to help save her father and put an end to Lilith's evil plans.

As you would expect from a Dream Chronicles title, The Book of Water contains artwork that is simply breathtaking. Every nuance and detail is brought to life in a realistic yet painterly feel. Every scene in the game is gorgeously illustrated, from the dark foreboding town walls, to the whimsical and magical toy store, to the tranquil coastal village.

The game is also very story-driven. Every scene in the game is narrated by Lyra in a quaint British accent (and the voice actor does a pretty good job at it). Whenever you enter a new location, Lyra will expand the story and highlight important items of interest. The game feels almost like a cross between a storybook and a game. You get to watch as Lyra's story slowly unfolds, but you are also there to help when things go missing or when there are obstacles and puzzles to solve.

The dream crystals are back, and each scene has a few of these tiny colorful objects waiting for you to spot them. The same as in The Book of Air, these dream crystals are used to activate special abilities once you've found enough of them. These abilities include an "Illuminate" spell to light up dark areas, a "Mend" spell to repair broken objects, and a "Reveal" spell that lets you see magically-hidden items. These act both to make each scene a hidden object scene, as well as to break the game up into chapters. For example, you won't be able to read the Book of Water and progress further in the game until you find enough crystals to learn the "Reveal" spell.

The puzzles in the game are pretty unique, such as maneuvering toy train tracks to make the train go in the direction you want; while others give a different spin on a standard puzzle, such as trying to connect six power points in a "pipe" puzzle. Some of these puzzles, such as the aforementioned pipe puzzle, can be really difficult to solve. Thankfully there is a "skip" button if you get stuck!

While the game is considered a hidden object game, you don't get the traditional hidden object scenes where you need to find a laundry list of unrelated items. In this game, items are strewn around the main interface as a result of specific events, and you are then supposed to find them all. For example, the various parts of the previously-mentioned toy train need to be located in the toy store before it can be assembled and used in the puzzle.

The Book of Water is a worthy successor to the Dream Chronicles franchise, and is an entertaining game that will wow you with its gorgeous graphics. However, the game does feel a bit short and somewhat linear. You will love it if you liked similar games such as the other Dream Chronicles games or the Awakening series. You can get the basic version of the PC game, or you can get the Collector's Edition which includes bonus material such as additional gameplay, an integrated strategy guide and other extras. Or get the basic version or the Collector's Edition of the Mac game.

Check out the other games in this series!

Related PC Games at Big Fish Games:

Dream Chronicles: The Book of Water Collector's Edition

Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air

Awakening: Moonfell Wood

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