The Longest Journey doesn't take place in just one interesting world, but two. Each world is interesting on its own. The futuristic Stark is a world of science and technology. The other is Arcadia, a world based on magic. But what makes each of them more interesting is that they were once one world. As you progress through the game, you learn the history of Stark and Arcadia and why the two worlds became divided.

Stark is one of the more restrained futuristic worlds ever presented in a game. There's no tyrannical regime in power, and humankind exists much like you would expect it to in the future. There are bad and good neighborhoods. There is a bit of a class struggle. There is a strange religion that is growing popular (although not too popular). People exist pretty much as they do now, only with holographic sculptures and flying cars.

Stark, the scientific world

Arcadia is more fantastic, but equally realistic. Unlike the residents of Stark, the inhabitants of Arcadia know that there are two worlds. To them, magic is commonplace, but even the simplest object of science - a magnet, for instance - is an incredible thing. Arcadia is filled with strange creatures such as beings that exist in all moments at once, intelligent mole people, witches, dragons, and necromancers. Placing these creatures amidst Arcadia's beautiful forests and oceans makes this world only more interesting.

Arcadia, the magical world

Over the course of the game, the boundary between the two worlds becomes more and more tenuous. Forces are at work to reunite the two, though it's possible that both will be destroyed in the process. As April Ryan, you must find a way to protect the separation and keep both worlds intact. To do so, you must travel from Stark to Arcadia and back again numerous times. And when you're visiting one world, you'll miss the other, which is a testament to how well each is designed.

 

They dance a grim fandango in this land