Dreamfall Chapters Book Two: Rebels Critic Reviews

Rebels represents an absolute high water mark for video game writing and episodic gaming in particular. It expands in every possible way upon Reborn, maintaining unparalleled storytelling, presentation and voice-acting, whilst introducing very well crafted puzzles, an epic sense of scale and technical improvements across the board. If Chapters continues in this vein, it is destined for greatness.

Red Thread Games has given us two spectacular worlds to explore, and while actually getting around those worlds can be a bit of a hassle, they’re still well worth visiting.

What makes Dreamfall Chapters an adventure better than most is its huge world. A world we can explore beyond the physical boundaries of the game thanks to its deep and vigorous storytelling.

The main plot starts moving into gear, and with it come puzzles, decisions, and a bit too much time-wasting... but not enough to detract much from the wonderful core experience.

Book Two succeeds in reminding us that our destination may be predetermined, but our path is not. It's how we choose to travel, and who we keep by our side, that makes the journey worthwhile.

Sure, Chapters might be technically temperamental and occasionally get itself tangled in the threads of the series’ narrative, but it is also intelligent, crafts its world skilfully and has an admirable commitment to themes and design principles that make it stand out. We’re left eager to see where it goes next.

By ignoring so much of the first chapter’s successful formula, Dreamfall Chapters: Book 2 digs into some of the larger issues that may come to shape the overall game. But the price it pays feels too steep.

First episode of Chapters turned out to be a huge prologue, aiming to introduce new players to setting and characters, while story stood almost still. There was a hope that Book Two will change pace, and it partially came to be: there are some surprising developments, but Dreamfall still fails to truly engage players.