The American Dream

There’s no doubt that The American Dream’s commentary on American gun culture will rile some, particularly at this point in the political landscape, nevertheless as a VR experience it’s certain worth your consideration.

With a message that is guaranteed to piss off half of the American populous in a hilariously vicious way, The American Dream is one of the most entertaining games in the virtual reality space. What it lacks in longevity, it makes up for in snappy writing, unique aesthetics, and excellent voiceover. Come for the gunplay, stay for man’s best friend, Buddy.

It’s a game that can’t be taken as any singular part; it’s more than a satire and more than a mini-game collection. It’s a statement and a joke and an open question about the ideologies we carry with us. It’s worth experiencing.

Using VR’s unique potential to tell powerful and insightful stories with stark, reflective criticism is on display in ways we haven’t seen before. The humor won’t land for everyone and the message will likely get misinterpreted or lost by some, but The American Dream raises questions that are absolutely worth discussing regardless of your stance on gun laws. This VR experience, despite the quirky visual style, is not for the faint of heart.

Ironically, The American Dream’s political aspiration is both its selling point and its downfall. It doesn’t say anything beyond what you can already discern from the game’s trailers, but there’s still plenty of fun and laughs to be had in this offbeat depiction of America.

The narrative hook The American Dream tries to position itself on does more to detract from this game than enhance it. It does nothing to spark a conversation, is far too over the top to pose as a commentary, is completely tone deaf on occasion, and goes on for far too long.