Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

 PC
  • Publisher: Aspyr
  • Release Date: Apr 17, 2006
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 611 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 491 out of 611
  2. Mixed: 72 out of 611
  3. Negative: 48 out of 611
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  1. MarkL
    May 3, 2006
    9
    Dreamfall was extremely anticipated by adventure gamers as it was the sequel to one of the best game in this genre: The Longest Journey. I was one of those who couldn't wait to get my hands on it and in the end, I was not disappointed. The game is actually a bit different from the first one because it's not a "point and click" adventure. It feels very natural because youDreamfall was extremely anticipated by adventure gamers as it was the sequel to one of the best game in this genre: The Longest Journey. I was one of those who couldn't wait to get my hands on it and in the end, I was not disappointed. The game is actually a bit different from the first one because it's not a "point and click" adventure. It feels very natural because you explore the world in full 3D and still have the deepth and content of old adventure games. The core gameplay consists of interacting with the wonderful characters. This can look limiting but it stays interesting through the whole game thanks to the excellent writing and voice acting. All the characters are well developped and contribute very well to the emotional roller coaster that is Dreamfall. There are some very minor stealth and combat gameplay elements but those are not the focus of the game.



    While the technical aspect of the game isn't exactly top notch, the art design makes up for it very much. The sound is especially good; voice acting is probably the best ever and music is always very fitting and well composed. The story is amazing and very inspiring; this is number one reason to get into this game. My only grippe is that it's way too easy. There are few puzzles and they are very straightfoward. Also, the ending raises a lot of questions which is both good and bad. It's good because it leaves you thinking about it and you feel like you have to go through the game a second time. But at the same time, you don't get the same kind of resolution you would get from your typical movie, which is a little bit less satisfying.



    In the end, I would recommend this game to anyone interested in a good story and very well done dialogs coupled with good production values. 9/10 !    … Expand
  2. JulienL.
    May 4, 2006
    10
    This game is a milestone in terms of adventure games. Forget Grim Fadango and The curse of monkey island because this time a proper 3d Adventure game has been created. I suggest to every amateur of the genre to buy it and if you are not a fan of adventure games, I suggest you still rent it!
  3. KaneC.
    Mar 7, 2007
    8
    I don't see how this game is getting vote rates at 1, must be because those people cant even play a game right, or they have crappy PC's. but who ever says this game is crap, they must have some handi capped disabilities, because this game is the bomb. graphics are the best, gameplay is good, puzzles, fair combat, and a weird but good storyline. Who ever gave this game a rating I don't see how this game is getting vote rates at 1, must be because those people cant even play a game right, or they have crappy PC's. but who ever says this game is crap, they must have some handi capped disabilities, because this game is the bomb. graphics are the best, gameplay is good, puzzles, fair combat, and a weird but good storyline. Who ever gave this game a rating of 1, must be smoking crack.… Expand
  4. RandallS.
    Dec 19, 2008
    9
    I have to say this is one of the most memorable adventure games I have ever played. The story is very interesting, the sound is great, the puzzles are usually pretty neat.

    My only qualm is that the combat system was really simplified. I think they could have done a little bit better even though you only fight like ten things throughout the whole game. And I agree with MC. If you    I have to say this is one of the most memorable adventure games I have ever played. The story is very interesting, the sound is great, the puzzles are usually pretty neat.

    My only qualm is that the combat system was really simplified. I think they could have done a little bit better even though you only fight like ten things throughout the whole game.

    And I agree with MC. If you don't like cutscenes and stories, just don't play a game like this! There is absolutely no way you can call this a bland game unless you completely skip out on the story, which would be a real shame, because it's one of the best I've seen in a game.    … Expand
  5. GranvilleI.
    May 2, 2008
    9
    I love every thing about the Game. I some how missed this Gem. Because of it i am now playing the long journey and have fallen madly in love with April Ryan.
  6. RomanO
    Jan 3, 2010
    10
    I enjoyed Dreamfall: The Longest Journey for the most part. But it should have been a pure adventure game. Every aspect of action that has been thrown into this game sucks. Fighting is beyond bad it's the worst. Stealth is just boring, feels like ir shouldn't have been there. But apart from the action parts this adventurous journey was an enormous pleasure for me. I guess the I enjoyed Dreamfall: The Longest Journey for the most part. But it should have been a pure adventure game. Every aspect of action that has been thrown into this game sucks. Fighting is beyond bad it's the worst. Stealth is just boring, feels like ir shouldn't have been there. But apart from the action parts this adventurous journey was an enormous pleasure for me. I guess the creators had to make it more action oriented than the first Longest Journey, because the adventure genre is getting unpopular, but they mesed up on that. In short great adventure, bad action. Can't wait for the sequel. P.S. I give it 10 ignoring all the action parts.… Expand
  7. AlexanderB.
    Mar 15, 2008
    10
    Wonderful story, this journey is really fascinating and in the end it comes to a big final. I hope there will be a continuation someday.
  8. B.Iliev
    Apr 27, 2006
    9
    One of the greatest stories ever told in a game. Great atmosphere,music, graphics, voice acting. It could've been the best adventure game ever if there were some more good puzzles in it. Anyway if you're a fan of The Longest Journey , an adventure gamer, or just someone who likes a good sci-fi story then you should buy it. And this is not just a good story it's an epic.
  9. M.Alex
    Jul 2, 2007
    10
    A bit like an interactive movie and "quite" linear (which I don't necessarily consider a con), the magnificent story kept me glued to the screen for over 24h. If you can cope with plot linearity, try this one out.
  10. elendiel7
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    Dreamfall: The longest journey, is the sequel to the point and click adventure game “The Longest Journey”. Dreamfall is about exploring different worlds and character development. To put it quite bluntly, Dreamfall is a story driven game, with some flawed action sequences and some underwhelming stealth portions. I have always wanted to play Dreamfall, and for some reason I only just gotDreamfall: The longest journey, is the sequel to the point and click adventure game “The Longest Journey”. Dreamfall is about exploring different worlds and character development. To put it quite bluntly, Dreamfall is a story driven game, with some flawed action sequences and some underwhelming stealth portions. I have always wanted to play Dreamfall, and for some reason I only just got around to it. I’m glad I waited, since my younger self probably wouldn’t have appreciated the game for what it truly is, since it lacks any real action.

    Dreamfall presents itself some 200 years into the future, where corporations seemingly act as the government. There is often references to the wire, which is quite honestly just the internet from what I gather, only everyone seems to be connected to it at all times. Everyone seems to be reliant on the wire for everything, and it’s heavily monitored by corporations.

    The setting of Dreamfall takes place in a sci-fi world called Stark, but also a different world of magic called Arcadia. Only a few people can travel between both worlds, often called shifters. The story is completely linear, and although the game allows you to choose specific dialogue when in a conversation, the outcome is eventually going to be identical to everyone else that has played the game. The only reason to choose the other conversation options is for more back story of each character, or maybe a event. It’s quite a nice feature, and although the story is static, this makes it seem a little bit less so.

    Ranging from 10-15 hours, the game is a decent length. The story itself is one of the most interesting and immersive narratives I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Most of the game is actually listening to conversations between 2 or more people, so take that into consideration. There is also some fairly easy puzzles in the game, with a few non-obvious ones thrown into the mix. The world itself is very static and linear. There definitely can be exploration, but there isn’t anything interesting to find if you deviate from your path.

    Combat and stealth need to be mentioned. Combat is simply clunky, often times you’ll be throwing punches into thin air because of how bad it is. The stealth in the game doesn’t present a meaningful experience either, as I could be standing in-front of someone 5 metres away and they won’t even notice me. Why this was even included into the final product is beyond me.

    The worst part of the game though, is the awful ending. Two hours up to the games ending, you begin seeing a lot of events taking place, and a lot of questions get brought up. The ending flat out refuses to answer any of the questions you might have about other characters or sequences you saw before the end. It’s completely left to your imagination what happened to everything and everyone else besides Zoe.

    Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, is one of my most favourite adventure games. The story itself is something everyone should experience at least once in their life. While the combat and stealth are completely awful to your experience in Dreamfall, the game is worth your time if you can appreciate a interesting narrative in a sci-fi/fantasy world    … Expand
  11. Pirateguybrush
    May 5, 2006
    10
    Awesome game, the ending made me cry.
  12. AmundB.
    Apr 23, 2006
    10
    The best game ive played in ages.
  13. EllaP.
    May 14, 2006
    10
    A wonderful game with beautiful screenshots, and soundtrack, and a plot that still has me thinking, and thinking....
  14. BenC.
    Feb 20, 2007
    10
    Excellent Game! Challenging puzzles and fairly good gameplay. Thanks!
  15. JTT
    May 3, 2006
    10
    The story of Dreamfall is spectacularly immersive! No senseless puzzles, these challenges involve finding objects and convincing characters to help you. There are multiple ways to solve everything, some dramatically change how you progress in the game! Plenty of replay, I'm still finding new ways! The only downside is the PC controls stink (waiting for a patch for that), XBox controlsThe story of Dreamfall is spectacularly immersive! No senseless puzzles, these challenges involve finding objects and convincing characters to help you. There are multiple ways to solve everything, some dramatically change how you progress in the game! Plenty of replay, I'm still finding new ways! The only downside is the PC controls stink (waiting for a patch for that), XBox controls are fine.… Expand
  16. MarilenaP.
    May 28, 2008
    10
    Live your story! I'm absolutely amazed and sad that it ended... Where is the next one?
  17. Mofkeesx
    Sep 7, 2006
    10
    This game grabs you, good story line, nice characters, can't wait for part 3.
  18. KillaStag
    Nov 7, 2010
    9
    Great game only downside were the combat although there wasn't much of it and possibly the puzzles were a little easy but perhaps that's a good thing because they don't get in the way of an amazing story and flow of the game. Took 9-hrs to complete no guides needed.
  19. yiNXs
    Jul 26, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't know what it is with this game. Just like it's predecessor, I have played a big part of the game being either annoyed, or amused by weaknesses, simplicity, or oversights in writing and/or gameplay. I've wondered lots of times what the hype could've possibly been about, especially when running from a to b and back for the millionth time. I still kept playing though. After about 2/3 into the game it had somehow managed to get a firm grip on me and while the faults and annoyances remained, I'm deeply immersed into the whole story.

    So, is the story that good ? I can't really tell. It's definitely not bad, but I've played the Witcher 2 just before this and, for comparison, that game does have what I'd easily call a really good story. Dreamfall is more like the series Lost. There's holes and gaps and things that happen that don't seem to matter, but then there are also great story elements and moments which just kept me hooked. In the end, the good parts do balance out the bad.

    **Minor spoiler alert**

    ...until it suddenly ends with a bunch of cliffhangers that dwarf the hanging gardens of Babylon, which I thought was very annoying. I still can't hate it for it though. Despite all it's flaws, and there are many, the game is just good.

    I also liked that I felt a bit like playing a low-violence Tombraider.    … Expand
  20. Iamcorrupt
    Apr 25, 2011
    10
    I truly loved this game when it first came out, the story and atmosphere and even most of the VA work was top notch. The core game play did have a few control issues that seemed to crop out here and there but nothing so bad as to pull you out of a great experience.
  21. hfffoman
    Nov 6, 2011
    10
    This is a first rate classic of adventure gaming and the metascore of only 75 shows that critics who get bored if they haven't killed anything for 5 seconds, and can't resist sniping at adventure games, shouldn't review them. Dreamfall has a wonderful story and provides a captivating experience.
  22. binioslaw
    May 7, 2012
    9
    Sequel to the best(in my opinion) adventure game of all time: The Longest Journey. Story and character wise its still a masterpiece, but unfortunately most things that were changed from the original are problematic. The biggest problem are the controls - game dropped point-and-click style play and introduced third person view. The controls are clunky and stiff.That is a big problem whenSequel to the best(in my opinion) adventure game of all time: The Longest Journey. Story and character wise its still a masterpiece, but unfortunately most things that were changed from the original are problematic. The biggest problem are the controls - game dropped point-and-click style play and introduced third person view. The controls are clunky and stiff.That is a big problem when you take into account new features - fighting and stealth sections. Fortunately the rest of the game is as good or even in some parts better then its predecessor. The story, characters, dialogues are excellent! The story itself is very intelligent and moving. The story has an open ending and by the end You will be probably in tears...yes its that damn good. The sad thing is that the ending sets up a third part, that probably will never come...Either way this is a great game,and if You can overlook the clunky controls You will not regret playing it! My rating: 9/10… Expand
  23. Nataraja
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    Visually this game is far superior to the original and the story is equally engaging. The biggest drawback is the lack of complex puzzles to solve, the very awkward controls and the after though introduction of a combat system. However the cut scenes and acting are excellent and keep you moving deeper into what could be best described as a movie/book/game hybrid. Very unique and a gameVisually this game is far superior to the original and the story is equally engaging. The biggest drawback is the lack of complex puzzles to solve, the very awkward controls and the after though introduction of a combat system. However the cut scenes and acting are excellent and keep you moving deeper into what could be best described as a movie/book/game hybrid. Very unique and a game I love for the sheer impact of the story it tells.… Expand
  24. Kewadin
    Jan 3, 2013
    10
    I give Dreamfall a 10 for the simple reason that I have played through it at least 5 times, maybe more. It's not a perfect game, and it has its issues, but something in it compels me to play through it again from time to time, something most games do not do.
  25. Dark_half-Elf
    Feb 13, 2013
    10
    It is a masterpiece, albeit simplified for the sake of gameplay time, no hardcore, but it is a new genre of interactive cinema, and this game handles told story not be forgotten for a long time zasyadet in your memory, this is one of those magical events, in which you believe.
  26. Fishymew
    Nov 10, 2013
    8
    This is a typical adventure game were the award lies within the story. The puzzles aren't many, and often not that interesting. But the characters, dialog, story and especially the setting are all interesting and engaging. The game will take you through all sorts of environments, from futuristic versions of our world into medieval fantasy landscapes. But the gameplay isn't that advanced;This is a typical adventure game were the award lies within the story. The puzzles aren't many, and often not that interesting. But the characters, dialog, story and especially the setting are all interesting and engaging. The game will take you through all sorts of environments, from futuristic versions of our world into medieval fantasy landscapes. But the gameplay isn't that advanced; it mostly consists of running around and clicking on stuff, and you won't have much trouble figuring out which items to combine or were to use them. There are a handful of fights within the game, but the fighting mode isn't very well made. But as this isn't a fighting game, I can't say I expected the fights to be that grandiose, and frankly I didn't expect any fighting at all. But since the setting of the game triggers a lot of curiosity, I will have to say that I somehow from time to time found myself wishing I played something else instead, as I missed being able to interact in more ways within the world, rather than just hearing the protagonists comments about stuff I click on and talking to people. I'd say the reason of this lies within how linear the story could be at times. If there were more ways to complete different tasks, or at least more complicated one's, I'd feel more engaged in the actual gameplay. Another thing I would welcome was if there were side quests or just small stuff to explore in general, to sidetrack a bit from the main story. The main story is interesting though, it feels like an epic adventure as it will build up from something feeling like a "regular life simulator" into an magnificent journey between worlds.… Expand
  27. Genezi
    Jun 10, 2017
    9
    Great game. i have spent a lot of time on this title. It has a great story with memorable characters. Good gameplay and best cut scenes with good dialogs.
  28. runner
    Oct 25, 2014
    8
    I would start by saying that Dreamfall is basically a masterpiece in terms of storytelling (and perhaps some more). Right before Chapters got released I decided to play TLJ and Dreamfall again. I must admit that playing Dreamfall straight after playing TLJ made me see clearly some of DF's flaws and understand why some fans were disappointed.

    Dreamfall is drastically different than its    I would start by saying that Dreamfall is basically a masterpiece in terms of storytelling (and perhaps some more). Right before Chapters got released I decided to play TLJ and Dreamfall again. I must admit that playing Dreamfall straight after playing TLJ made me see clearly some of DF's flaws and understand why some fans were disappointed.

    Dreamfall is drastically different than its predecessor. The old point-n'-click interface is almost completely dropped as you're now moving the characters around 3d environment with controller. (I actually prefer that interface) BUT, that's not all.
    In general, DF has more "hollywoodish" feeling in it. It feels much more like an interactive movie in a way, unlike TLJ. Its pace as much faster compared with TLJ, and many aspect, while good, feel inferior regarding TLJ: The characters are (usually) not as appealing or memorable as on the first game, the puzzles aren't as original, the dialogues aren't as clever, and April Ryan, the loved heroine from TLJ comes back in a rather gothic-gloomy-just-leave-me-alone fashion (although that's a part of the STORY and is completely understandable), and in general it felt as if we've lost some of TLJ's depth.
    Don't get me wrong, these aspects are good(!) within the game, but can be easily overshadowed by TLJ.

    And now, enough with comparisons, I'll try reviewing DF on its own:
    The graphics are beautiful! Both Stark and Arcadia looks fantastic on medium-high settings and even better with anti-aliasing (mainly with ATI video cards I think). I truly enjoyed exploring and viewing the environments in the game.
    The musical score for DF is also amazing in my opinion. Much more "hollywoodish" as I said earlier, it feels orchestrated, and although at times it's poorly mixed into the game (in my opinion) it is very well done, the music as felt all the way throughout the game, and not because it loops infinitely, but because as in a movie it is carefully fitted into every scene alone.
    Story is amazing, of course. It stars of in a weak way. It actually starts off like TLJ - some teenager who's lost direction in her life, and just walking around aimlessly talking to everyone etc'.. The thing is that Zoe looks more dull and shallow than April in TLJ. Give her a chance, though. You'll learn to like her quickly enough as the story twists and turns wittily and Zoe changes and develops.
    In general, the three main characters you'll control in the game would go through interesting changes, which are wonderfully presented to you in DF's cinematic ways. And towards the end it gets really emotional and touchy, you'd probably have no choice but to sympathize the protagonists.

    Now let's talk about some weaker points of the game, as much as I'd like to ignore them... But they're still there: Gameplay wise, well, DF is NOT a big hit. At all. It tried to introduce some action sequences with combat and stealth (I actually kinda liked some of the stealth parts, but..) they were pretty badly done, and for that reason they didn't add to the game as much as they could! (You can avoid many of those sections though). Aside from that, there are *some* inventory puzzles. Not that many. So, what's left besides the aforementioned gameplay aspects? Well... Dialogues. And running around. From cutscene to cutscene. It's sad for me to say these things, because I enjoyed DF so much! Yet, I simply couldn't ignore that big parts of the game I just passed with listening to conversations (merely listening, not even choosing what to say), or with backtracking, which is, at some point, well, not fun.
    And unfortunately, it makes exploration of the beautiful world introduces in DF somewhat tiring and not too rewarding. That's a minus. (Not to mention that the entire game is rather easy!)
    Nice thing about the gameplay, though, some sections can be played in several different ways, in some dialogues you can respond in different ways, and that's actually a great and well done addition to DF's replayability.

    And I'm getting out of chars here, so lets make it quick! DF has some technical flaws as well. Minor, but still - The loading screen appears just way too much! Every time you go from one location to another. This can get pretty annoying! (Although the waiting isn't too long, just a couple of seconds).
    At times, the characters walking around simply fade away! Not aesthetic.
    The characters' animations aren't that good usually, which is a pity as the 3d models themselves and graphics in general are so fine.
    One last thing which didn't annoy me personally but is a drawback - there are many characters and terms which players that are new to TLJ's universe are not familiar with, and Dreamfall doesn't introduce those well.

    That's all I suppose. It's clear that Dreamfall isn't the perfect game, but whoever plays it should understand that the real thing is the story, which most people would agree - is great.
    The game gave me great joy and excitement, and it deserves high grade.    … Expand
  29. turqouise_bluse
    Dec 13, 2015
    9
    Truly an amazing game. The story, the music, dialogs. I love its promoting of gender equality, as there's lots of leading female characters. Very interesting game. One of the best games to be honest. I wish there was a lot more games like this one. I want to thank the makers of this game. Truly spectacular.
  30. Loki79
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    Dreamfall is a worthy successor of a masterpiece like The Longest Journey.

    The shift from point-and-click adventure to adventure-action provides for a slightly better pace of the action, while not taking a thing away from the game's strongest suit: storytelling. Zoe's quest for his friend's whereabouts quickly picks up pace and leads her to various places both in her world and in the    Dreamfall is a worthy successor of a masterpiece like The Longest Journey.

    The shift from point-and-click adventure to adventure-action provides for a slightly better pace of the action, while not taking a thing away from the game's strongest suit: storytelling.

    Zoe's quest for his friend's whereabouts quickly picks up pace and leads her to various places both in her world and in the alternative universe of Arcadia.
    There she'll finally meet April Ryan, the protagonist of TLJ. From there things will get more and more complicated, involving both worlds and a multiversal conspiracy.

    The ending doesn't tie all the loose ends, far from that. Which can be a bit disappointing and frustrating, but on the other hand it leaves us players wanting for more.
    A more "traditional" finale would have felt a tad cheesy, while the openness, with a rather strong negative vibe, fits the narrative tone of both worlds.

    Our heroine(s) didn't save their world, their future hangs in the Balance (pun intended), but there is still hope, and the core message is "fighting is always worth it".

    All in all a great adventure-action game (with more of the former, as it had to be expected considering its origins) with a cast of memorable characters and locations.
    Besides the already mentioned finale, it's a shame we didn't find out even MORE about some of the other NPCs, and the worlds of Stark and Arcadia.

    Very much recommended to anyone who values a compelling story over mindless button-mashing.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best PC Game of 2006
9
#9 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
40
#40 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 45
  3. Negative: 2 out of 45
  1. 1UP
    40
    Edited down to a tight package this could probably make a pretty good machinima feature (or Sci-Fi original motion picture for that matter). But as a game, it fails.
    Read full review
  2. GameSpy
    100
    Dreamfall is an amazing journey that propels players into a world where science, magic, art, and music combine to make a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.
    Read full review
  3. Cheat Code Central
    86
    Where Dreamfall excels is in telling a story. The imaginative characters and locations are truly memorable and create a unique experience that makes the ride more enjoyable than the destination.
    Read full review
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