I don't often give perfect ratings to games, but this is one of the very few games that deserves no less than a 10.
The Longest Journey was made in 2000, but even now in 2007, some games still have a lot to learn from it. The sound and the soundtrack is excellent overall and the voice acting is simply superb. Although the graphics may seem dated to some of the less romantic, grab-a-gun-and-shoot-the-hell-out-of-everything-in-sight gamers, the visuals are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen in a game. The Longest Journey is a perfect example of a brilliant, art house game.
The story in the game is not only one of the most complete and detailed ones, but it is also one of the most beautiful ones. It is funny in certain places, sad in others. At first it seems naive, but slowly, as the game progresses, the player realizes that the story is much, much deeper than it seems at the beginning, and when the game ends, it leaves the player thinking, reliving the adventure.
The game requires a lot of patience and time. Although it's possible to skip most sequences, it's really worth just to play through the game and listen to every possible conversation. Although some parts may be hard to figure out, it is impossible to get "stuck" in the game (I've heard of two bugs: the rope disappearing in chapter one, and a bad save in chapter two, but the patches sort those bugs out completely). Besides, if you get stuck, there are always extremely helpful FAQs/walkthroughs on the web and in the hints/cheats section of gamespot. Speaking of which, I had to consult a walkthrough twice...
If you are the person who prefers to get a shooter and blast your way through a game, or think that the more blood and gore, the better, look elsewhere. You'll find this game pointless and extremely boring. But, if you are a person who enjoys classics and who is willing to invest part of your time and soul into the game, you should do so without a second thought. What you get in return is much, much greater.