After first appearing on the Dreamcast, NiGHTS makes its Wii debut.
Graphics:
The graphics in this game vary from good, to bad, to amazing. The CG cutscenes look amazing and fit the mood of the game very well, while the in-game cutscenes aren't as good. Sometimes the characters and level design can look a bit blocky, but that's only for in-game cutscenes. The gameplay cutscenes look simply stunning, amazing looking affects are everywhere and the character motions are very well done.
Audio:
The V/O in the game isn't much to boast about, while the characters can sound good, they can also at some points sound like they were bored when recording the voices. The music in Journey Of Dreams is beyond amazing, with amazing orchestral scores and some good non-orchestrated stuff too. The music really complements the level design which, when mixed with graphics makes the mood of the levels feel very good, which coincidentally makes the gameplay more enjoyable.
Gameplay:
This is where the game begins to falter. Don't get me wrong, the gameplay is awesome, but it's a few misses in certain gameplay areas and the controls that stop it from being an amazing game. In the game there are two different storylines, one being Helen's dream and the other being Will's dream. Journey Of Dreams has an ok multiplayer comprised of only two things to do, either race or battle, not much diversity eh? You can also have multiplayer online! But you can only do races? What's up with that? Some of the levels where you play as either of the kids are mediocre at best, and some of the Nights levels are lacking and not too exciting.
There is also "My Dream" where, depending on what you collect throughout the game, Nightopians or Nightmarens build up your "My Dream". Although you don't have much to do with how it gets built, its a nice side dish to the main game. Also when you go online depending on where you live, the weather can change in "My Dream" mode all thanks to the Wii weather channel. You can also visit your friend's dreams which is another small goodie.
The controls in this game are what make this game lose some of its magic. You have different ways of controlling the characters, but none of them are all too impressive. With mediocre controls, the game begins to become sometimes frustrating and overly difficult. This is part of why I didn't enjoy multiplayer too much. The other part of it is because you get only two multiplayer modes, well three if you count "My Dream".
Overall:
Overall this is a game that has a great presentation and alright gameplay that any NiGHTS fan would enjoy. Other than that you should probably just rent it first to get a feeling of it, and if you can resist its undeniable charm this game is not for you. This game is a good distraction from life and another excuse to not go and play outside.