The Longest Journey

This game is proof that games, like movies and books, can be considered works of art. The characters are amazing. Each and every one of them seems real. There are so many of them. They are all unique. The settings are so imaginative. The story is compelling. I've never played a game where I really cared about what was happening, until I played this. Played is too unflattering of a word. Experienced would be better. The voice acting is incredible. It's an epic game. The Wizard of Oz of games. The game has been around for over a year now. It should be available really cheap. I highly recommend tracking it down. You won't be sorry.

This game is a true gem -- gorgeous graphics, extremely engaging and entrancing story. The puzzles are not too difficult, but are fun and fit well into the story. I'd encourage EVERYONE to play this game -- yeah, I'm talking to YOU! There's philosophy and humor, excitement and mystery, and most of all -- well, ADVENTURE. It's fun. It's interesting. You'll love it.

Above and beyond the great writing is this amazing soundtrack that I'm still listening to 20 years on

The Longest Journey is a cross between a traditional point-and-click adventure game and a computer-animated novel. Story, character and environment are much more important than you'd expect, and it's here that most of the innovation is to be found - the puzzles are quite old-fashioned and occasionally a bit silly, and the technology doesn't push any envelopes.

Ragnar Tornquist's script, though, is hugely ambitious, and mostly successful; it has a superb premise - essentially a pair of worlds, one futuristic, the other a place of post-Tolkeinish fantasy, and with a heroine (April Ryan) who finds herself shifting, at first unwillingly, between the two. There are some problems - a few too many genre clichés, and the script is needlessly verbose in places where less would have been more. Most of the vocal performances are excellent, however, especially from the lead characters, and visually the design, especially of the environments through which April moves, is superbly evocative. This gives TLJ a narrative range and emotional resonance that's very rarely found in games - if you have the patience to operate at its meditative pace. Even if there'll never be a mass market for this kind of thing, I hope it is another step along the way to the development of the computer game as a genuine art form.

Undisputably the best adventure game I've ever played.

Right from the start you are drawn into the adventure like a moth to a light - your alter-ego April Ryan has an intriguing, wondrous dream that sets the pace for everything to come.

Stark and Arcadia, the worlds you will travel through in the course of the game, are beautiful and memorable in every way. Stark portrays the world as we know it perfectly, while in Arcadia is a mystical right out of fairy-tales - so amazing yet believable.

You will come to both know and love April Ryan as she discovers her role in the Balance and interacts with both friend and foe. In fact, all the characters in the game are well-developed and add a sense of depth lacking in so many games today. The diary she keeps is attractively written, lending colour to her life as it subtly guides you into her thoughts about her past, present and future.

As for the technical aspects, the background art is simply breathtaking. Every scene is lovingly rendered and brought to life. Although the 3D models themselves are a bit lacking, you will still be wowed at the lip-synching. The voice acting is just as good as any animated film, with Sarah Hamilton doing an impeccable job as the lovable heroine. The soundtrack is awe-inspiring - if only they sold it separately!

As far as i can see there are no drawbacks to this game. I'm running out of adjectives so here's the bottom line -

If you have given up on adventure games you obviously haven't played The Longest Journey yet. If you like adventure games, this is a must-buy. If you don't like adventure games, you'll become a fan once you've played this through!