Colorful Characters, Warm Environments, Great Story
User Rating: 9.4 | Dreamfall: The Longest Journey PC
I don't have much to say other than I really enjoyed this game. The introduction seemed a bit shabby at first (stiff animation, minimally animated secondary characters) but after the first mini-level things got a lot more interesting both visually and narratively. In many ways the graphics technology seemed a few months behind its peers, but you quickly forgive the lack of normal mapping and HDMI lighting when the art direction is some of the strongest you'll find in any game. The characters are charming with even the background NPCs brimming with personality (particularly in Arcadia). The environments are detailed and inviting and you'll wish you could visit them. Though the game offers much to explore and is not very short, I still wish it had been longer with even more places to visit, but then the Longest Journey spoiled me in that respect. I guess that with three main characters you expect it to be three times as long and involved, but in reality your time is divided between the three. I sincerely hope FunCom gets to finish what they have started in The Longest Journey and have expanded upon in Dreamfall. Games like this make the gaming industry more worthwhile. I enjoy mindless shooters and vacuous glitz as much as the next person, but Dreamfall is a reminder of all the other wonderful things games can be.
I subtracted two points from the gameplay because I found the fighting unneccessary and some of the controls were too console-oriented. I gave everything else a ten because the graphics, sound, music, and value were all fantastic and I want to help improve the game's overall reviewer score. :)
