A wondeful game with an immerisve storyline, one that's just a bit short!
Graphics 10/10:
The graphics in Dreamfall are stunning. The backgrounds and scenery are fantastic to look at and by using some good camera angles you can really take it all in and enjoy it. Characters models are fantastic too. No two characters look alike, not even the simple people who wander the streets. Each have their own unique appearance. In terms of the three main characters; Zoe April and Kian, they're models and texturing are amazing. They all really look like at any moment they could jump out of the computer screen and have a conversation with you. Occasionally you'll see some minor clipping at limb joints, but its very minor and not a problem. One thing you'll notice straight away in cut scenes is facial expressions. These have been done well and the characters express what they feel, well on their face. There are eyebrow movements when they're angry, rolling of the eyes when they're frustrated and looking away when they're trying to avoid a subject.
Gameplay 10/10:
Gameplay is simply amazing it takes the best of the Adventure genre, sticks it together and then expands on it to improve it even more! Unlike your typical point and click adventure, Dreamfall will having you take full control of your character with WASD and moving them around. How this works, for example, is to interact with an object you need to walk up to it and click on it. This is quite different to a typic adventure, but works very very well. In terms of puzzles, they are fairly generic amd are few. There are only two 'real' puzzles that are used numerous times in the game. They aren't particularly hard, but will require a bit of thinking to get. However this is not to say there aren't other puzzle type situations in the game (trust me, there is plenty), there just aren't typical type puzzles. When you begin the game you'll find the controls quite difficult to use and very frustrating. However by lowering the mouse sensitivity by a lot it suddenly becomes much much easier to use and to understand. You use the mouse to control the camera and WASD to move. One of the more controversial aspects of Dreamfall is the combat system. From other reviews I have read people seem to feel it was not needed and just added on for the sake of it. Whilst I agree the game could have been done just as well without it, I think its nice for a change to get out of a cut scene and have a bit of action. You can use a light or heavy attack or you can block. Its fairly straight forward and easy, but can be quite refreshing midgame. Also, at times its more like watching a movie than playing a game. There are many cut scenes in the game, all very interesting, but if you're not thrilled by the game this can get tiring.
Sound 10/10:
The musical score in Deamfall is fantastic and really sets the mood well. There is a lovely range of background music and ambient sound in Deamfall, each suits its environment very well without influencing you to much about your current situation. Surprisingly, some areas of the game have no background music, this may seem strange at first but is actually very clever. By having no music like that it sets a very different tone for your current area, often a little tense or scary. In terms of sound effects its all done brilliantly, everything sounds very realistic. Finally we have voice acting. The voice acting in this game is the best I have ever seen it. Each actor has been well cast to their character and it all seems very real. There is great expression in each voice and it helps you feel for that character. Also, there's no clunky dialogue or weird pauses that other games with voice acting have. Two thumbs up!
Story 10/10:
Normally I don't have a story section in my review, but Dreamfall needs one as the entire game is heavily based around an amazing story. The Dreamfall story is very original and is unlike anything else you will play, well, except the prequel. You play as a young girl named Zoe Castillo who lives an ordinary life in Casablanca. She's going through a bit of a rough patch as the game begins, she has nothing to do, she dropped out of university, she's lost faith in life basically. Also, she has been having strange dreams and on top of that she has been seeing a strange girl calling her name and asking for her help on tv screens. Suddenly things take a turn for the worst when her best friend goes missing and she goes off ti find him. The story is great and will keep you well hooked for the whole game. The end is a real cliffhanger though so don't expect and loose ends tied up.
Value 7/10:
The only let down of the game. The main storyline itself only takes roughly 15 hours to beat, and thats if you explore and talk to everybody! There are no side quests to do and nothing else to achieve, so when you're done, thats it. Unless of course you want to go play it again! Which is highly likely. Outro 9.6/10
Dreamfall is an awesome game and a real treat to play. The graphics and music are stunning, the gameplay intuitive and it is really only let down by the fact it is to short. On top of all that it has one of the best stories you will get in a game! I highly recommend this game to everyone, not nnecessarily to buy as this is not a game for everyone, but at least to play!