Beyond The Blue Village: Exploring The Smurfs – Dreams

If you ask us, The Smurfs should be prime video gaming characters. They’re cute, they’re blue, they love an adventure and there’s a cast of upwards of one hundred of the little guys. But if we’re honest, The Smurfs games have been few and far between, and what has come to the world, has struggled to gain traction. 

After spending time with The Smurfs – Dreams, that could all be set to change. 

The Smurfs – Dreams has been put together by the team at Ocellus Services. You may have heard of them, as they were previously behind the rather brilliant Marsupilami: Hoobadventure (4.5/5 review score from us, whilst sitting pretty on MetaCritic with a 74 MetaScore). Combine them with their previous publishers at Microids, and it’s safe to say The Smurfs – Dreams is in good hands. 

Honestly, this is one game you’re going to want to keep an eye on, as it looks to launch on Xbox (One and Series), PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC come October 24th 2024. We’ve come away from a brief time with the game so impressed that we’re not sure we can wait those few short months to play more. 

It works as a 3D platforming adventure, feeling very Mario in the way things are set-up and run. That’s by no means a bad thing at all, and there’s both interest and intrigue that comes to the fore with each and every jump, every secret that unfolds. The levels we’ve played – one as Smurfette, the other as Vanity – have proven to be fairly large affairs, open, ripe for exploration as we’ve leapt, jumped, bounced and slid across the worlds ahead. 

And these levels have proven to be extremely different from each other too, with some latter mirrored gameplay features a bit of a star. It goes to show just how much thought has been put into The Smurfs – Dreams, and if the full game is anything like the two stages we’ve taken in, it should well fly. Throw in some multiplayer and this will be far from a nightmare. 

In The Smurfs – Dreams, you will get transported to a world far beyond the wildest imaginations of even the most triumphant Smurf. Looking fantastic with some super colourful worlds (did you expect anything else from a The Smurfs game?!), it is here where you’ll find yourself trying to overcome The Smurfs’ archenemy, Gargamel, as they have cast a spell on the Smurfy world. It’s up to you to wake the blue ones, hoping to restore peace to Smurf Village in the process. 

In terms of stage design, The Smurfs – Dreams allows for Ocellus Services and Microids to go to town with the level structures, providing diverse, open worlds that can be freely explored. And that exploration seemingly works well too, as it builds in unique puzzles, secrets and more. For the most part, from what we have played, things are very much on point, with just some usual hard-to-negotiate jumps and landing points a tiny downside. When you’re making the most of springy pillows to power your Smurfs into the air, judging the landing can occasionally feel off. 

When The Smurfs – Dreams releases in full come October 24th 2024 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC, there should be four dreamy worlds playing host to 12 levels and 16 mini-levels, all ready to be conquered. We’re excited to see how those additional stages and worlds come together in the whole Smurf-verse.

Expect the key features of the full game to sit as…

• Solo or co-op – Foil Gargamel’s machiavellian plans alone or team up with a friend for a smurf-tastic two-player gaming experience.
• Immerse yourself in the Smurfs’ imagination – Each dream unfolds a unique gaming adventure with its own set of accessories, puzzles, and unveils surprises.
• Set out on an adventure – Explore 4 dreamy worlds, with 12 levels and 16 mini-levels to complete and discover the secrets of the Smurf Village.
• A character that reflects you – Gather all the magic orbs to awaken every Smurf and bring the village back to life. collect patterns to customize your character with new clothing and unlock various surprises throughout your journey.
• A Magical artistic direction – Discover a unique and colorful artistic style that evolves as you explore different dreams.

If you like what you see in the latest gameplay trailer below, then consider a pre-order of the Day One Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition. The former is available on PlayStation and Switch, giving access to the full game of The Smurfs – Dreams, as well as a 3D Lenticular, Stickers Sheet, Digital Thief Skin, Digital Soundtrack and Digital Artbook. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the three latter items too. 

The Smurfs – Dreams promises to be the grandest of all Smurfing adventures. In fact, it could well be The Smurfs’ best exploits yet. 

If you can’t wait, perhaps check out The Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone. 

Huge thanks go out to Microids for giving us access to a couple of levels of The Smurfs – Dreams on PC through Steam.