Indie publisher Raw Fury announced Dream Cycle, a new action-adventure game from one of the creators of Tomb Raider, at Gamescom 2021. Though its developer's history will inevitably draw comparisons to Lara Croft's franchise, the reveal trailer seems to indicate Dream Cycle is far from a standard Tomb Raider clone, thanks to its fantasy elements and first-person gameplay.
Developer Cathuria Games describes Dream Cycle as the "next evolution of action adventures" and "ever-expanding portal into the unknown." It takes players to the Dreamlands, an alternate dimension filled with corrupted inhabitants and arcane curses, as Morgan Carter, a modern-day apprentice of the arcane arts. Players will be able to use stealth and traps to sneak past enemies - something Tomb Raider fans are no doubt familiar with - or challenge them head-on with more conventional weapons.
For the moment, it's unclear just how closely Dream Cycle's protagonist could resemble Tomb Raider's Lara Croft. The game's Steam description notes it is "brought to you by" Toby Gard, who was also responsible for the creation of Lara Croft as a character. Dream Cycle is set to enter Steam Early Access on September 7, so more information will likely be available by then, including a closer looks at Morgan.
Dream Cycle Vs Tomb Raider Differences
Many of Dream Cycle's key features seem like major departures from Tomb Raider's familiar formula. One of the most obvious is Dream Cycle's reliance on fantasy elements. The game is based on the H.P Lovecraft series of the same name, and its protagonist is capable of wielding spells and illusions in a manner Lara Croft hasn't. Along with magic, though, players can choose to utilize hand-to-hand or gun-based combat, like the Tomb Raider series. That said, this all appears to take place in first person, while Tomb Raider is in third person.
According to Cathuria, Dream Cycle is also "not a static game, but an ever-growing platform for mystery and adventure." Online updates will be provided to introduce new biomes, story chapters, weapons, enemies, and skills, suggesting Dream Cycle's setting, player character, and even basic gameplay features will be expanded on over time. Though it's not clear what it means, the game's Steam page says the Dreamlands are "computer-generated" and that each "tile" on the map contains "10,000 adventures." This, especially, brings more questions than answers. For now, Tomb Raider fans can at least anticipate the upcoming release of a new action-adventure title.
Dream Cycle will launch in Steam Early Access on September 7, 2021.
Source: Dream Cycle/Steam