Dreamweb

December 31, 1994(31 years ago)·Full Release

Creative Reality

Publisher: Empire Interactive, Virgin Interactive Entertainment

★

8.4

9 user ratings

★

8.4

9 critic ratings

★★★★★★★★★★

⭐

VOTES

Genres: Point-and-click, Adventure

Platforms:DOS Amiga

Action Science fiction Single player Bird view / IsometricUSK 18ACB MA15+

Summary

Dreamweb is a 1994 point-and-click cyberpunk top-down adventure game available on MS-DOS and Amiga, developed by Creative Reality and published by Empire Interactive Entertainment. The game explores mature themes and presents a dark storyline involving violence and a short scene of full frontal nudity, which was uncommon in games during that era. Dreamweb was made available as freeware in October 2012.

Storyline

The main character and reluctant hero is Ryan, a bartender living in a futuristic, lawless city (hinted to be in England, as shown by British English terms like "lift" and "bonnet") who has been tormented by bizarre dreams involving a mysterious force called the Dreamweb. In the opening dream of the game, Ryan is approached by the master monk of the Keepers, who tasks him with the role of the deliverer and commands him to destroy the seven evils, who have joined forces to shatter the Dreamweb and plunge humanity into anarchy. However, in *Diary of a (Mad?) Man*, a short story that takes place before the game begins, it is heavily suggested that Ryan is losing his grip on reality and has imagined the entire Dreamweb narrative. After leaving his girlfriend Eden's place for work, Ryan discovers that his boss has decided to fire him due to repeated tardiness. But after hearing Ryan's story, the boss instead offers him a two-week, fully paid break to rest and recover. Watching the bar's television, Ryan learns the name and location of the first evil: David Crane, a rock musician staying at a hotel for a concert that very night. He goes to visit his housebound friend Louis, who points him to a place where he can buy a weapon. After acquiring it, Ryan checks in at the same hotel and, after overcoming two bodyguards to reach the penthouse, finds Crane in bed with a woman. The woman hides under the bed, and after Crane pleads for his life, Ryan kills him and is transported to the Dreamweb, where he is introduced to the second evil, a general. He returns home, checks the news (which reports Crane's death), and learns that General Sterling is appearing on a live talk show at a television studio.