Azure Dreams: Wayback Wednesday Vol. 26, Part 1

What are some of the most addictive games you’ve ever played? Take a moment to think about this question, perhaps even making a shortlist. Titles like Tetris or Super Mario Kart might come to mind, along with your favorite platformers such as Sonic, Mega Man, Castlevania, Donkey Kong Country, or any Mario game. Others might consider a Sims title, the latest open-world Zelda game, or a farming sim like Stardew Valley. It wouldn’t be shocking if some lesser-known games made the list too.

Now, ask yourself: does a game have to be exceptional to be addictive? Outstanding RPGs like Persona 5 and Final Fantasy often top the charts, but there’s also a tier of good but not great games that entice players to return time and again. While they may fall short in some areas, they excel in key aspects such as gameplay loops, reward systems, and just a good old-fashioned deep dive. Azure Dreams firmly sits in this category.

Azure Dreams doesn’t have an intricate story, which might lead some avid fans of the genre to overlook it, something I did growing up. It is barebones: The main protagonist, Koh, is a monster tamer from Monsbaiya. He becomes fixated on exploring the towering structure that looms over his town, seeking answers about his father’s mysterious disappearance in the tower 15 years prior. You don’t find out much more until reaching the 30th floor out of 40.

That will take a long time because this is a classic roguelike in the vein of Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer and Taloon’s Great Adventure (Torneko no Daibouken) for the SNES. That means that, like in those games, for every step, slash, or action you take, the enemy takes one too, so you can use this knowledge to your advantage, especially later in the game. Just keep in mind that a select few enemies can make two moves for every step you take.

Upon entering the tower for the first time, Koh meets a talking monster named Kewne who accompanies him on each successive trip. This game is a slow grind with gradual improvements. Each time Koh leaves the tower, he reverts to Level 1. I can sense the dread that must be coming from some readers, but rest assured there are still ways, with each subsequent trip, to come in more prepared and stronger. Namely, the red and blue sands, which add +1 to attack or defense to your favored sword and shield. Koh is allowed to bring in 5 items, and your favored sword and shield should take up two of those slots, leaving 3 more slots for useful items such as a wind crystal, which allows a safe exit from the tower, and pita, which can be fed to your Kewne or any other familiar, and several other possibilities for the fifth slot.

Prepare to rely on wind crystals often. I reckon I took more than 20 attempts before getting to the top. This is a tough game, so being addictive is a must; otherwise, frequent losing and leaving tend to wear on people. Azure Dreams passes that test as, even after so many exits, usually due to a dumb mistake or acting in haste, progress, even if minimal, was still evident.

Granted, traps are numerous and can mess up progress a great deal the higher you get in the tower, but that can be chalked up to luck. In one instance, I had boatloads of luck with limited tracks and a plethora of great finds showing huge progress. After several attempts in a row, I couldn’t get past the mid-20s. Then, all of a sudden, I rocketed ahead to floor 36, which gave me the incentive and push I needed to complete the game, since I was so close to the last floor.

Like any other RPG, HP should be monitored at all times. One little misstep can cancel out an otherwise excellent run. Less obvious but just as important is the management of familiar MP. Once that hits 0, they will fall asleep and be rendered useless until it’s fed a pita fruit. Kewne is the starting game familiar, but other familiar eggs can be found in the tower. They can be left at the shed and, after one visit to the tower, are ready to hatch into a new familiar that can be trained. Other than using one healing familiar and fusing Kewne with a Cyclone, I just stuck with Kewne as I am not too keen on monster-raising. No, I don’t want to catch them all. The one fuse I did do, Cyclone to Kewne, allowed MP to drain at half speed, making a higher climb into the upper reaches of the tower easier and more likely, and I was less dependent on pita, freeing up a slot for another useful attack item like blaze, fire, flame, pillar, and acid rain. Finding these in the first 30 floors was paramount to my success in the last 10 floors. Part of succeeding in this game is luck and finding several of these in my eventual climb to 40.

In the last 5 floors, I just started making a beeline for the exit and using the attack spells as needed. The severe risk monsters posed far outweighed the minimal gains from fully exploring the last floors. I suppose tinkering with familiars and fusing would have alleviated those concerns, I admit. Sleep and Restore are also incredibly helpful, as even some of the most vile, gigantic beasts can be put to sleep for at least a turn or two.

One of the best aspects of the game is the slow but progressive rise in tension in the soundtrack as you ascend the tower to 40. What starts as enigmatic and harmless gradually turns into an ominous and foreboding atmosphere, eventually giving way to an outright menacing vibe.

Coupled with the evolution of little enemies into pesky and burdensome and eventually into dangerous and deadly, the art direction mirrors the music. The first time you hear the intimidating tracks on the upper floors, you know shit has gotten real, and the heavy-hitting foes are out for blood. In my experience with the upper floors, much less than the lower floors, there was something different. Where enemies seemed out in full force below floor 30, the upper floors tended to be more sparsely populated, which added to the dread. You know they are around, and you just know they will come at the most inopportune times. Being sparingly used added to the pernicious ambiance in the “It’s almost too quiet” type of moment.

In town, there are several side quests, but I was solely focused on making it to the top, so other than expanding Koh’s house and shed, I didn’t do anything else. Be aware that dating and a few different mini-games and side quests exist.

Azure Dreams is not a classic or even a hidden gem, but it is a solid game. I’d recommend it to any RPG fan, even those with limited to no experience with roguelikes.

Wayback Wednesday Volume 1: Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger.

Wayback Wednesday Volume 2: Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Wayback Wednesday Volume 3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete

Wayback Wednesday Volume 4: Secret of Mana and Wild Arms

Wayback Wednesday Volume 5: Illusion of Gaia and Grandia

Wayback Wednesday Volume 6: Breath of Fire 3 and X-Men Legends

Wayback Wednesday Volume 7: Star Ocean: The Second Story and Super Mario RPG

Wayback Wednesday Volume 8: Demon's Crest and Dragon Quest VI

Wayback Wednesday Volume 9: Suikoden I and Jeanne d'Arc

Wayback Wednesday Volume 10: Ranking the first 6 Final Fantasy games

Wayback Wednesday Volume 11: Earthbound and Valkyrie Profile

Wayback Wednesday Volume 12: Legend of Legaia and Secret of Evermore