Media Molecule kicked off the New Year with a return to their Dreams livestreams. And with the closed beta for the long-awaited title starting up last month, the team shared a few Dreams tips and tricks while showing off what the community has been up to in the game. Dreams‘ second closed beta starts on January 21 for PS4, with invites going out on January 11.
The stream kicked off with the news that the Dreams open beta will begin later today. Players can sign up for the beat on the Media Molecule website. Anyone can sign up, though there is a limited number of places but a specific number wasn’t given. Those who do manage to snag a beta code will have to agree to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) which basically asks that you don’t stream the game or share footage.
Media Molecule also confirmed that the progress you make in the beta will be carried over for when the full game is released. You’ll have to be 18 or older for the beat due to Sony’s requirements but those of you who are successful will receive an invitation on January 11 before the second beta goes live on January 21. Players in the US can sign up here, while players in the EU should go here.
Even though it’s been the first chance for some players to go hands-on with Dreams, the stream managed to show off a handful of intriguing designs that demonstrate just how much freedom is available to players. Though, the Winter Community Jam that Media Molecule announced during the closed beta was actually won by one of its own, with a fairly depressing winter scene being shown off. We also saw levels users had created, with one letting you play as Big Ben, as you race across London to get back in time for New Year’s Eve.
We also saw the variety of projects that players have been getting to grips with. Some have been focussing on ‘logic tools’ for the game, creating physics mechanics for others to use, while others have been creating character templates that you can import into your own game. The stream showed off a host of different end products, with time-based platformers that have you rewinding and fast-forwarding time to solve puzzles and an escape room puzzle game, and a platformer that has you switching between being fat and skinny.
Dreams’ level designer, John Beech, was on hand during the stream to offer some tips and tricks for us as the open beat draws closer. He had quite a lot of advice which you can see in the stream below. Beech covers a variety of topics, from character creation where he says that players can access a handful of more complex tool by switching to the game’s advanced options. Similarly, he says that new players should use the Duluce Puppet to ease into the creation tools. You can see more of John Beech’s tips in the stream below.
