NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams

 Wii
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Dec 18, 2007
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 47
  3. Negative: 2 out of 47
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  1. Nintendo Power
    90
    This was obviously a labor of love for the development team--something that goes beyond the nuts and bolts of typical game design. [Jan 2008, p.86]
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  2. Game Chronicles
    90
    Sometimes you have to be reminded of your roots to realize that there is more to games than just flashy explosions and blood soaked chainsaws. I highly recommend getting this title the next time you have the chance. I seriously doubt you’ll be disappointed.
  3. The Wiire
    83
    For buyers of the game, it is a great experience and incentive to replay again and again. For those who hated collecting all of the stars in Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Galaxy, however, this game could prove to be a wonderful rental and nothing more.
  5. GameZone
    80
    Nights: Journey of Dreams delivers a second dose of the classic, 2D meets 3D gameplay that made the original Nights a success. It has its share of flaws – the lack of innovation is surprising, and the motion controls are the worst of the bunch. But as a whole, Journey of Dreams is a great adventure.
  6. GamesRadar+
    80
    NiGHTS really soars when it's in the air, maintaining the essence of the original game. Some of the crappier additions send it into a bit of a nose dive, but overall the game rights itself with its bold originality and a unique charm that's unlike anything else out there.
  7. GameDaily
    80
    The presentation is excellent (for the most part) and the online functionality is an astonishing add-on, letting you compete against others in various activities.
  8. n-Revolution Magazine UK
    80
    If you look past the awful bits, there is still more inspired gameplay and interesting level design here than you'll find in many recent games. [Issue#18, p.64]
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  9. Zentendo
    80
    Sonic Team should really just ditch Sonic games. They are onto something much better with NiGHTS and with a little more polish and tightening up, this series could become something truly magnificent.
  10. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    79
    A few niggling control issues aside, Journey of Dreams is an enjoyable adventure. [Feb 2008, p.82]
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  11. GameSpot
    75
    It may not have the same magic as its lauded predecessor, but Journey of Dreams is still a fun, if inconsistent platformer that positively drips with style.
  12. AtomicGamer
    75
    Overall, NiGHTS is not a bad game. Flying around is still as fun as it was the first time around on the Sega Saturn, though this time it is more because of the quality of world design as opposed to the tight controls of the last edition of this game.
  13. ZTGD
    75
    Journey of Dreams isn’t for everyone and some will likely wonder what all the fuss was about. However, fans of the original will find plenty to adore here as Sonic Team has faithfully revived the franchise and given it just enough to make it feel new and fresh.

Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Best Wii Game of 2007
28
#28 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2007
45
#45 Most Shared Wii Game of 2007

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 76
  3. Negative: 5 out of 76
  1. NitemareDT
    Jul 19, 2011
    10
    First thing's first. I HATE the majority opinion of this game. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the greatest games on the Wii. I'm a SonicFirst thing's first. I HATE the majority opinion of this game. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the greatest games on the Wii. I'm a Sonic fan more than anything and this beats every Sonic title on the Wii for me. Secondly, just because I disagree with your opinion or I'm not as old as you, doesn't mean you should completely disregard my opinion, at least hear me out.

    Right, starting with the story. It features two children, William Taylor and Helen Cartwright, and follows their journey through the magical world of Nightopia, a world created by dreaming humans who travel to the Night Dimension while they are asleep. There they meet a wise owl, creatively named "Owl" who tells them about the Night Dimension and the Ideya every human possesses when traveling there. Every visitor to the Night Dimension has a total of 5 Ideya and these are usually stolen by Nightmaren from the evil counterpart of Nightopia, Nightmare. They then meet NiGHTS, a genderless, carefree, jester-like being who allows visitors to Dualize with him/her and fly. From there, they discover that Will and Helen still possess the Red Ideya of Courage and this creates a door to Nightopia, a world created as a reflection of the visitor's heart. This means that Nightopia is different for every visitor. Once entering this Nightopia, NiGHTS is imprisoned by Reala, a henchman Nightmaren created by Wizeman, ruler of Nightmare. Will and Helen can use their Ideya of Courage to temporarily Dualize with NiGHTS and unlock the cage he/she is trapped in. I won't say anymore as it would ruin too much but all in all, this game has a very original storyline and, based on what you've read, you can come to a conclusion on whether or not this is your sort of thing or not.

    As with most Wii games, the control scheme can be very....awkward. I, personally, don't enjoy the strange control schemes the Wii usually has to offer although most games do provide either Classic Controller or GameCube Controller support as backup and this one is no exception. The full list of control schemes for this game are: Wii Remote alone, Wii Remote and Nunchuck, Classic Controller and GameCube Controller. This means there's a choice for everyone to become comfortable with the one they choose and nobody can complain about not having the correct peripheral to play the game. There is, however, a problem I should address with all the control schemes using an analog stick...8 directions only. The analog stick only lets you move in 8 directions which feels incredibly restricting compared to the 360-degree movement of the original Saturn analog stick. However, hardware limitations aside, the game is still more than playable and there's also the Wii Remote control scheme available (though I wouldn't recommend it).

    Additionally, addressing the hardcore NiGHTS fans, I want to explain something. The original NiGHTS into Dreams... was a fantastic game and, don't get me wrong, it IS better than Journey of Dreams although not by a huge amount. However I do think that, seeing as the original came out when we, or you, were much younger, we saw it as a much more magical and immersing experience as opposed to being newly introduced to something as an adult. The original, even with it's hardware limitations, still managed to create a beautiful and magical world and I think that Sonic Team have done their best with the hardware the Wii has to offer to do the same with Journey of Dreams. The slowdowns are a downside but you have to sympathize, the game was moved over from the Xbox 360 and PS3 to the Wii late in the development of the game so they did what they could, keeping a nice balance between aesthetics and performance. Moving onto the voice acting, it's...good...but it's not great. Not terrible, but not great. It's certainly got a cheesiness to it. I mean, this IS partially to do with the writing but still, I suppose they did what they could with the fact they had to take a game with no major story and no dialogue and turn it into a game driven by storytelling and dialogue filled cut scenes. Owl and Reala have to be my favorite voices purely because of how convincing they are as both a wise owl and an evil jester...thingy...respectively. As for NiGHTS' voice, while I think I would prefer it if he/she didn't have one, the one they chose wasn't too bad, and I suppose they HAD to chose one given the story driven nature of the game. Personally, I would have preferred it if Sonic Team took the "Nintendo" approach and let all dialogue be text based and all character emotions be visual.

    I would definately recommend those who haven't played the first NiGHTS to check it out and for those who have, give this a try, I'm sure you'll like it. If you've already played this game, play it again and give it another chance. C'mon, it's not that bad. :D    … Full Review »
  2. pookie
    Jun 29, 2012
    9
    Short and sweet - NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams is the long awaited sequel to the 1996 Saturn's underrated gem; NIGHTs into Dreams. Honestly, it'sShort and sweet - NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams is the long awaited sequel to the 1996 Saturn's underrated gem; NIGHTs into Dreams. Honestly, it's quite surprising they even developed a sequel. An HD update or remake of the original might have been better, but a sequel is good enough. Those who played the original will appreciate this sequel the most. Others might have mixed opinions. The gameplay is basically the same concept as the original, but with a few twists and gimmicks. This is a good game and like the original the sequel is just as underrated.… Full Review »
  3. JRcade
    Nov 15, 2010
    6
    No where near as magical as the original, the entire game feels rushed. The Graphical presentation aside from boss encounters feels and looksNo where near as magical as the original, the entire game feels rushed. The Graphical presentation aside from boss encounters feels and looks like that of Sonic Heroes and Shadow the hedgehog, both of which were developed by Sonic Team USA. It's a very heartwarming game to go through the lives of these children and enter the world of dreams where they can escape it all. But engaging in pointless and uninteresting platforming with children that move more like robots in-game is nothing short of disappointment. It surely isn't the classic, but it's still very playable, and a small breather for hopefully a new installment that can play the worthy successor role.… Full Review »
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