Best Adventure Game
Dreamfall (PC)
Publisher: Funcom
Developer: Funcom
Read our preview from E3 2004 >>
Graphical adventure games as we once knew them are scarcer than ever these days. Even the winner of this award, Dreamfall, will have numerous action elements that will attempt to buck the trends of classic adventure games--rather than hunting for keys, you'll be able to smash doors down; and rather than having to sneak around a monster, you'll be able to fight it. Still, Funcom's Dreamfall will also clearly have all the trappings of a classic adventure game, including a deep and involving story, like its predecessor, the award-winning adventure game The Longest Journey.
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It would have been easy, and obvious, to simply cite Dreamfall's impressive graphics engine, which, as we saw at E3, is capable of rendering large and highly detailed environments with realistic bump-mapped textures and dynamic lighting. However, Funcom really seems to be making use of the technology to create the colorful, scenic vistas that the world of The Longest Journey is known for. In addition, it's clear that the developers aren't content to simply add better graphics to the sequel--the new game will have both action elements and an all-new interface option called the "focus field," which might just bridge the gap between a traditional PC keyboard-and-mouse setup and a traditional console control-pad setup.
And as you might expect, Dreamfall will also have a comprehensive story that involves travel to strange and colorful new worlds. There will even be appearances by returning characters from the previous game, like the previous savior of the universe, April Ryan, as well as appearances by all-new characters, like the enigmatic soldier of fortune Kiam. It's Dreamfall's impressive combination of exceptionally good graphics, an intriguing story, and all-new gameplay mechanics that stood out from the other adventure games at E3.
The other Best Adventure Game finalists:
Fahrenheit (PC/PS2)
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (PC/PS2/Xbox)
Missing (PC)
Silent Hill 4: The Room (PS2)
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