Dreamfall: The Longest Journey Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Since this is actually a set with two games instead of just one (which is what I thought when I bought it -not that I'm complaining!) I'm going to review the games seperately. Please note that I had never even heard of either game until I picked this package up about 2 weeks ago.

The Longest Journey. (original game released in Nov 2000)

-Story 5/5
This is probably one of the best (if not THE best) storyline I've encountered. It's one of the few games where I was captivated from start to finish with no feeling of having to drag myself through boring parts just to find out what happens in the end. This game is worth playing for the story alone.

-Gamecontrol 4/5 (given for the time)
It's a 2-d setting (no camera moving) and point and click movement. Easy for even the most inexperienced gamer to grasp. While I thought this would annoy me when I first started playing (I'm used to having more control) it actually didn't.

-Gameplay 4-1/2 /5 (given for the time)
This game has the feel of a RPG, however it's not. This isn't a bad thing, but it changes the way the game is played. There is no actual fighting, it's based on "puzzles". The "puzzles" are trying to figure out what to use next to get out in a "real world" type way. It's very fun and challenging!

-Graphics N/A
Considering the game was released 7 years ago it's not fair to rate the graphics by today's standards. My ONLY complaint has to do with the 2007 GotY release, not the game itself. They should have been able to make a "windowed" mode so that we could have the option to play the game on a 800x600 window on the computer. This would allow me (and others who didn't play it when it was first released) to experience the game as it was meant to when it first came out. The images are very pixelated and it did make me miss a few smaller items because of the stretching that occurred.

-Overall 5/5
The game is almost perfect and the few things I had a problem with were not even enough to put a dent in the game. The game was (and still is) innovative and the story is king. Definately worth getting! :)

---------------------------------------------

Dreamfall (originally released 2006)

-Story 3-4/5
Overall I guess I'd have to give the storyline 3 stars, but the good parts are so great they deserve 4 stars. The story takes longer to suck you in, but once it finally does, it's great and I could just feel myself craving to finish the game. However the end botches it up. Not only with the huge cliffhanger at the end (as another reviewer pointed out) but the side plots are never cleared up either. If you actually let the end credits play through you get a little bonus clip at the end, but it doesn't do much other then indicate there might be a Longest Journey 3 coming out.

-Gamecontrol 4/5
I'm assuming the people who rated the controls as bad aren't used to the "WASD" movement that I am. I used to primarily play World of Warcraft and Guild Wars, both of which use this same movement system so it wasn't hard to adapt to it and I did not waste a lot of time bumping into the walls. However if you move straight from playing The Longest Journey to Dreamfall it does cause a bit of confusion. The only complaint I have is that they should have included a point and click option for looking at various objects, areas, and people. The other games I've played with the WASD movement include this to make it easier as opposed to tying to position your character just right so you can look at something. That was probably the most annoying aspect of the game.

-Gameplay 3 1/2 /5
Overall it's definately 3 stars. However, I give them an extra 1/2 for trying newer features that have been developed into other newer games... particularly fighting and "sneaking". Honestly... the fighting was pretty lame and except for getting the point across that you needed to figure out a different way to get out of that section, it served virtually no purpose and just was just awkward. The "sneaking"especially for this game could have been great, if it had been done right, but somehow it just wasn't. The defualt controls for it were hard (hold "ctrl" while walking) and uncomfortable. I just think there could have been a better way to "sneak". Another thing I didn't like was the character switching. I still do not understand the point of playing the Apostle. He seemed to have no purpose other then to show that the bad guys in Marcuria were not ALL bad and it wasn't very relevant to the story. Playing as April wasa bit weird. In some parts I understood it (when Zoe is trapped in the tower), but overall they should have just stuck to one character.

-Graphics 4/5
Considering the game came out about a year ago and 6 years after the original...the graphics are VASTLY better. However I've seen other games that came out earlier that have better graphics. (Sims 2 is one that comes to mind because the faces are very similar.) Some of the picking and holding up of items is awkward and looks VERY similar to the original. (Items going through the hand and floating through the air as opposed to being held. I understand this during gameplay, but during the cinematics it was annoying.) One thing I liked about Dreamfall (that actually bothered me about the first) is the costuming. In the first one April was ALWAYS wearing a midriff bearing shirt and capris even when she was given clothes in Marcuria...and NOONE else wore that. In Dreamfall Zoe is given quite a few changes of clothes and they are all relavent to the situation. (When she borrows Damien's clothes, while it clings to her, they actually made it look like a man's sweater, bc a single guy is not going to have women's clothing lying around.)

-Overall 4/5
I'm tempted to give it 3/5, but I'll be honest, I haven't played many "adventure" games and I was still engrossed in Dreamfall and finished it in three days (Technically two, but I didn't play on the day in the middle) this is rare that I want to find out what happens next that I must play (as I did with The Longest Journey) The problems don't have too much of an effect on the overall game, even if the original was far better. The only huge disappointment was the ending and all the cliffhangers.

------------------
The set overall 4/5

I definately recommend getting this set. As others stated it might be in your better interest to buy the games separately and used bc you could probaly shave $10 off the price, but I'm used to paying $30-$60 for a game (varies depending on the system) so a new game for $20 that turned out to be great was an awesome deal. It also comes with the Dreamfall soundtrack, which I haven't listened to it on it's own yet, but I did enjoy the music I heard in the game. (Both the score and the songs with singing) I did SOME research on it and it is supposed to include one song that you can't get from the free download off the site. So I suppose if you are a huge fan you might want to pick it up just for that reason alone. :)

My only complaint is that my new shrink-wrapped copy did not come with a game booklet, while it was not necessary to have one, it would have been helpful for learning certain things particularly in Dreamfall. (I was over half way through the game when I finally figured out how to check messages on my phone...and almost done when I learned they did include a "diary" of sorts as they did in the first.) The key is "M" btw and it has the diary, recent dialogue, and messages.

Also just a note on the rating...for parents (I have a 16 month old). The game is rated M and claims many things, but the main reason (I find) for the M rating is language. (They like using the "f-word" a lot.) The violence is not bad or realistic and there is no gore. I found I was able to play with my child in the room if I turned the sound down or the voices off. This goes for both games. It does have "suggestive themes", but is only voiced and not shown.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Product Description:
The Game of the Year Edition will take players on an epic journey of exploration and adventure as they venture through a thrilling and emotional storyline. Indulge in a fully interactive world where beautiful music stunning graphics fascinating characters and unparalleled gameplay variety promises to bring the adventure genre into a new era.In The Longest Journey the player controls the protagonist April Ryan on her journey through more than 160 locations spanning two original worlds and featuring a cast of more than 50 speaking characters. Dive into a journey of discovery where you will solve puzzles meet new people face terrifying monsters learn grow and live the adventure of a lifetime!In Dreamfall which takes place a decade after The Longest Journey players can finally revisit the epic universe. Players will be introduced to the new protagonist ZoCastillo who is about to get involved in a conspiracy that spans parallel worlds and hundreds of years. Zoembarks on a journey where she eventually discovers a magical world behind our own she will need to make decisions about what s important to her and what she s willing to risk for the people she loves.Format: WIN 2000XP Genre:ENTERTAINMENT UPC:618870115719 Manufacturer No:11574

Want to read more honest consumer review about Dreamfall: The Longest Journey now ?