by Jin Lovelace, HSM team writer & filmmaker

Standing here in Fort Bellamy, my first thought was, “I’m not going to be interested in this space, let alone the Dream Adventure apartment.”

Though looking at the video gave me some impression of Fort Bellamy being a lovely space to hang out and enjoy the activities available, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed about Lockwood’s latest offering. Granted, this was all based on the initial announcement of the space.

The Dream apartments are, for the most part, very opulent estates with high-quality designs and a fitting theme to compliment the backdrops. The Dream universe’s signature, which is something I appreciate, happens to be how huge the spaces typically are; they’re generally some of the largest estates you can purchase in Home. My fascination for them is due to the connectivity they have with the public spaces, notably the Sunset Lounge that connects to the Dream Yacht, and how Dream Central just connects with every personal space that you have. It creates an internally consistent world-within-a-world — a cohesiveness which makes Lockwood’s offerings so appealing (just look at the Sodium universe as an example) and which Home in general typically lacks.

So it’s no surprise to see that this gorgeous space — Fort Bellamy — is yet another public setting that connects with yet another Dream space. In this case, the Dream Adventure.

I find myself enticed with what Lockwood has done. As much as I love the lighting here in this space, it’s the breathtaking endless blue that brings a bit of tranquility to my eyes. The view of the ocean floor and the living creatures is crystal clear as the seas of Destin, Florida.

Ascending towards the fort itself, the building is a hollow remnant of what was a pirate’s cove, where rumor has it there is treasure to be obtained here in these parts of the fort. I don’t know how true that maybe, but the design here serves as a gateway for the Dream Adventure’s theme. Personally, I’m not much into pirates, to be honest, but nonetheless this space is pretty cool for what it is.

There aren’t a lot of interactions here compared to, say, the Dream Central or any of Lockwood’s other public places — but the motor ski mini-game is worthy of a mention if you’re looking for something to do while you’re visiting. Otherwise, I’m not keen on the number of hammocks that are littered around the area, as they aren’t interactive whatsoever.

Fort Bellamy is a solid place to hang out if you’re curious as to what lies here, but beyond that, it only serves as a dock for the main attraction: the Dream Adventure. The opulence is there, but not much else to do unless you wish to come and relax on the deck chair that’s available or you wish to access your personal abode from here.

But it’s definitely worth a visit every now and then. Public scenes are expensive to create and notoriously difficult to monetize; Lockwood’s quite good at the formula of using the public space as a teaser to sell a private one. And, certainly, the Dream Universe has just enough fused-together cues from the real world to hit all the highlights. Is Fort Bellamy an analogue for St. Kitts’ Brimstone Hill Fortress, or Jamaica’s famed Port Royal? Well, the answer is a bit of both — and neither. Just as the Dream Adventure feels a bit like Errol Flynn’s voyage of the Zaca combined with an Enya music video. Explore it for yourself.

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