'Yume Nikki' Remake News: New Trailer Sets Up Game's Surreal Premise

By Kevin Reyes, Christian Post Contributor Monday, February 19, 2018

"Yume Nikki: Dream Diary," the 3D reboot of the original 2004 Japanese horror game developed in RPG Maker, is set to release this coming week. And to get people mentally prepared to face the surrealistic nature of its upcoming game, Kadokawa Corporation has released a new trailer that set up the game's unique premise.

Simply titled "Prologue," this new video focuses on Madotsuki, a Japanese recluse and shut-in that serves as the game's protagonist and point-of-view character. The trailer starts off pretty normal, with Madotsuki leaving a convenience store and, presumably, headed home. After about 50 seconds of running through the quiet dusk, Madotsuki's pace slowly turns into a walk as eerie, ominous music begins to play. Slowly making her way up to the end of the street, she is greeted by a messy puddle of blood and can do nothing but stare in abject horror. As the music begins to slowly rise in tempo, it is immediately silenced as Madotsuki wakes up in her bedroom.

Anyone that has ever played the original game from over a decade ago will know what just happened. But for anyone that did not, a quick breakdown is that Madotsuki is a shut-in in the most extreme case, she straight up refuses to leave her room no matter what. But, once she goes to sleep, she enters a strange realm where she is free to explore her surroundings and venture outside the safety of her door.

Set to release on Feb. 23, it seems the developers of "Yume Nikki: Dream Diary" have put a lot of heart in the game and have captured what made the original so unique. They recently posted a new screenshot on Steam that shows some of the more platformer-like elements of the game as well as the enemies that, while they cannot hurt you, will force you to wake up from your dream. In celebration of the reboot's release, the developers also released the original "Yume Nikki" game for free on Steam.