Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Pros: Best story to come out since The Longest Journey itself: emotional, provocative, unforgettable, enlightening; extremely memorable characters; stellar voice acting; beautiful soundtrack; yes, there's going to be a sequel! Cons: Simple combat; not much challenge in puzzles; story leaves you wanting more; oh I'd be tormented having to wait for the sequel! Above all else Dreamfall delivers a story that's like no other, something that's highly uncommon to gaming these days.

Look at all the games currently out there, they're all pushing more polygons and piling up features, like adding more explosions into a movie. Granted, these games are fun to play, but when it all ends, there's this lack of meaning. Wouldn't be nice if not only if games deliver an experience that's eye-opening, virtually life-changing experience and turning the game player's world upside down? That's just what Dreamfall and its predecessor (The Longest Journey) are about. It's a thrilling journey filled with deep and profound sense of meaning.

First of all, i, like many others, have been waiting for this game for a very long time. When i finally got my copy, i was totally absorbed by the experience. I don't have a very "fit" computer, but the game ran perfectly with the graphics at maximum, and after inverting the x and y axis of the controller in the game menu, the controls were perfect.

The graphics are both great and impressive, both in Arcadia and Stark. The characters have been nicely worked, especially Kian, Zoe and April (as one would expect). As i said, the game ran and looked perfectly on my geForce 6600GT, with the graphics maxed out and AF+AA at moderate levels. CPU = 3800+ Ahtlon64, 512MB of RAM memory, the rest does not actually matter so much.

The game is very intuitive and pleasant to play. Puzzles are not very complicated but also not simple. They just fit in and some of them you actually get to solve by reflex, as if the character is actually you. Bottom line: puzzles are not annoying and don't make you wanna bang head against keyboard. :) As for the storyline, it's great. It blends in with the original episode, TLJ and also adds a lot of spices to it. Lots of new playable characters, each one with it's own story and abilities.

I was actually impressed by the new approach on the controls part of the game. I believe that it's actually better and more enriching for the overall gaming experience to control your characters' movements by keys rather than by pointing out where they should go with a cursor. The game feels more realistic and gives you more freedom, that way.

Dialogues are great also. The voices were well chosen and are very warm, unlike some other games of the same genre have.

So, what's there left to say? 10 out of 10 for this game.

The story of Dreamfall is fabulous and immersive! No senseless puzzles! The challenges require high curiosity and a little common sense to solve, but they aren't too easy. There are multiple choices for every action, some which seriously alter how you progress. There are a few places where combat is required, but if you don't care for that in an adventure game, use a little logic and you'll find at least one if not more ways to succeed without fighting. There is plenty of replay, I'm still finding new ways to solve the obstacles! The only downside is the lousy PC controls (hoping for a patch soon), but the Xbox is fine so I'm given this a top rating!

If you enjoyed The Longest Journey, you can't go wrong by buying Dreamfall. However, if you played either game, then there's no point in me trying to win you over. You would already be a fan. That's what these games do, they win you over and you become a real fan of the story and creators. You wait anxiously for the next part of the story. Give The Longest Journey and Dreamfall a try. If you love good stories and deep characters, these games are for you. This game was made by real story tellers and artists. The voice acting is professional and they give really moving performances. The artistic direction is what you would expect from such creative and imaginative minds.

I held my breath, I feared, I laughed, I cried, and when it was over, I was begging for more.

While maybe not the most conventional computer game - even in its own genre of adventure games - the story and characters simply took me with them. Dreamfall is a worthy, long-awaited sequel to my favorite adventure game ever, The Longest Journey. It is an experience all fans of science fiction, fantasy and mythology should experience.

If you're not into adventure games - or gaming in general- simply take it as an interactive film or book. The story is amazing, and the reality is credible and thoroughly thought through. Ragnar Tørnquist is a true storyteller.

While the graphics are maybe not the best possible, the voice-overs are absolutely awesome, and the dialogue is one of the strengths of the game - awesome voice directing and acting. The characters will comment on objects and things, revealing a lot about the world and themselves, and you'll probably find yourself playing the game through a second or a third time after completing it, just to explore the different dialogue alternatives, and look for details you've missed. Big thumbs up!