The gameplay is oversimplified, and though the story is deep and interesting it ends in the worst way possible.

User Rating: 7.5 | Dreamfall: The Longest Journey PC
Gameplay: 3/5
+ This game tries to capture the simple essence of a 2D adventure and bring it into a 3D environment. And in some ways it succeeds, and feels like you are playing a point and click classic with an extra dimension. But there soon emerges some obvious problems that really drag the game down.
You still have an inventory where you can collect items, look at them, use them, or combine them. The problem is that it has been extremely simplified and no longer has the challenging puzzle of trying to figure out what to do with the items. The one thing I liked about the original game was that it balanced the number of inventory items you had and the number of items you can interact with on screen very well. It wasn't impossible with convoluted combinations, but it still wasn't a press-this-button-to-win game. This sequel, however, veers more towards the press-this-to-win model. You rarely have more than 3 or 4 items in your inventory. And in fact you don't even really use your inventory that much. So when you do get an item it is blatantly obvious what you need to do with it. Gone is the puzzle of trying to figure out what to do with your items.
This game also attempts to add combat to the series, and does a pretty lousy job at it. It feels very strained and unnecessary. When the fight sequences occur, you are locked on to an enemy. You can press left click to do a weak attack or right click to do a strong attack. You can also press Space to block. All you have to do is hit your opponent 3 or 4 times and they will lose all their life and you win. It's really simple and doesn't take you long to exploit the bad AI. Just wait until they attack, side step, and do a strong attack. Easy win. The problem is that it just doesn't feel satisfying to fight, and the mechanic feels like a very strained addition to the game.
This game does do an interesting job of giving you control over three different characters throughout the game, though. You can only control one at a time, but it's interesting to sort of switch perspectives throughout gameplay. Along with this, the game is very heavy on the conversation side. While there aren't many objects to interact with, there is plenty of dialogue to listen to. The combination of this means that this game feels a lot more like an interactive novel than it does a game. Which can be good or bad depending on your opinion, but after completing it I realized how empty and lacking the gameplay was.

Story/Presentation: 4/5
+ I have strongly mixed reactions about the story in this game. I thought that the original Longest Journey had one of the most fantastic storylines ever for a video game, so when I began this game I felt like it was naturally going to be inferior. And the first hour or two is kind of weak. But soon it starts to pick up and the story becomes very deep, engrossing, and emotional. And while I don't think I ever felt like the story could have surpassed the original one, it soon grew on me and I saw how it had its own unique elegance that could parallel the original. And near the end there are some very moving moments, which left me feeling very interested and attached to what was going on. Unfortunately, the ending was entirely unsatisfying and borderline insulting. It pulls the player in and then just leaves them dangling. I don't know whose idea it was to end on a cliffhanger but it is such an awkward way to finish a game. You never know what happens, there are tons of gaps and holes left in the plot, and nothing ever gets concluded. It feels like if the power went out near the end of a movie and you never learn how it all wrapped up. So yeah, it had a lot going for it but to just trash it all for such a weak ending is really disheartening.
Still, the fact that you control three different characters in the game is very interesting. It really supports the feeling that this is an interactive novel where there are different chapters corresponding to the different characters' perspectives. And the writing and dialogue is strong enough to believe that a professional author was responsible, which is very cool.
But still, I can't emphasize enough how upset I was at the ending. Just be aware of it when you play the game because it can be very unsettling after you complete it.

Graphics: 4/5
+ The graphics are decent for a fairly old game. There isn't anything glaringly wrong with them, but they do sort of have a plain look carried over from the previous generation. Still, I found it thrilling to be able to revisit environments and characters from the original game now in a three dimensional world. If you have fond memories of The Longest Journey, then it will really be exciting to see familiar faces and places carry over.

Value: 3/5
+ I beat the game in little less than 8 hours. Which isn't that good considering the original game was about twice that length. It does feel kind of short, and the abrupt ending makes me wonder if they chose that lengthy intentionally or if there were other constraints that made them stop. Also, the fact that the price is $20 (twice the cost of the first game which in my opinion was far superior) is a deterrent.
If you were a big fan of the original game then you'd probably be interested in playing this game. You shouldn't have high expectations, but you still will probably enjoy moments here and there throughout the game. If it goes on sale, or if you buy it in a bundle then you can probably get your money's worth. But if you haven't played the original game then I'm not sure if it's worth it to start the series here.