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. xcale
    Mar 6, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Years later I was incredibly hyped as "the longest journey" would continue. Great graphics for its era that quenches your thirst and magnificent story (once again). It was also very exciting to play 3 different characters simultaneously. I remember that two of my friends watching like "what is he playing?" and we all three sat together until the story ends day after day.… Expand
  2. gold
    Apr 24, 2022
    9
    Опять таки прекрасное продолжение истории. были баги с рябящими текстурами. И при разговоре только открывание рта было анимировано. Впрочем это были все минусы игры. А так история интересная, но заканчивается на клифхенгере. Атмосфера прекрасная. Локации крохотные.
    Итог: 9.877/10    Опять таки прекрасное продолжение истории. были баги с рябящими текстурами. И при разговоре только открывание рта было анимировано. Впрочем это были все минусы игры. А так история интересная, но заканчивается на клифхенгере. Атмосфера прекрасная. Локации крохотные.
    Итог: 9.877/10
  3. Uarabei
    Feb 21, 2022
    9
    Continuation of one of the best adventures of my childhood.

    An amazing storyline that doesn't let go until the very end. It can be seen that the writers have done a great job, for which many thanks to them.
  4. dotrem
    Sep 12, 2021
    2
    The game is garabage. They put word 'journey' into the title and that is no fking journey. Just think how many different places have you visited into first game and try to play this game without loughing. Mission impossible.
    Gameplay is a pepega. "I see the locked door what shoud i do? Oh yes i use my phone to open it. I see the console what should i do? Oh yes i use my phone to hack it."    The game is garabage. They put word 'journey' into the title and that is no fking journey. Just think how many different places have you visited into first game and try to play this game without loughing. Mission impossible.
    Gameplay is a pepega. "I see the locked door what shoud i do? Oh yes i use my phone to open it. I see the console what should i do? Oh yes i use my phone to hack it." And i just describe you 50% of all iteractions in this game. Other 50% it's a running. Yes running. You know from A to B, from B to C, from C to A, from A to A etc.
    Story itself halleriously empty, there is no Balance or story about Worlds. Girl just want to find her ex couse still love him. Religon men is bad, technology men is bad, only teenagers who drop their lives and spend dad's money is good beep- boop.
    Can not believe tha possible to make game as bad.    … Expand
  5. alona
    Jan 22, 2021
    8
    Very good game. Story is interesting and graphics are nice. Liked it, even if it's not my favourite genre.
  6. M3ta
    Jan 11, 2021
    6
    This is sort of a sequel to The Longest Journey (not really a true sequel though, as it's mostly about an entirely new character and entirely different story.)
    I'm not sure it works that well as a standalone game. The puzzles are pretty rubbish, and few and far between. The voice acting is good. The story is very complicated - probably too complicated and over-ambitious.
    If you played    This is sort of a sequel to The Longest Journey (not really a true sequel though, as it's mostly about an entirely new character and entirely different story.)
    I'm not sure it works that well as a standalone game. The puzzles are pretty rubbish, and few and far between. The voice acting is good. The story is very complicated - probably too complicated and over-ambitious.
    If you played and loved TLJ, you MAY enjoy this game. But you may not - April's character is very different, in ways that aren't truly explained - and the development and conclusion to her story is unlikely to satisfy you.    … Expand
  7. geekslayer
    Oct 14, 2020
    7
    По правде говоря, то, что получилось в итоге, больше напоминает интерактивный фильм, чем адвентюрку в привычном для игрока варианте. Причем внешнему виду всего этого счастья до фильма далековато... Да, полное 3D, возможность крутить камеру во всех направлениях, яркие краски и более-менее приличное качество оформления - это невероятно круто. Круто для адвенчур, но ужасно для игр в целом.По правде говоря, то, что получилось в итоге, больше напоминает интерактивный фильм, чем адвентюрку в привычном для игрока варианте. Причем внешнему виду всего этого счастья до фильма далековато... Да, полное 3D, возможность крутить камеру во всех направлениях, яркие краски и более-менее приличное качество оформления - это невероятно круто. Круто для адвенчур, но ужасно для игр в целом. Тем более если шпиля претендует на звание интерактивного фильма, можно было бы и постараться. Ну да ладно, не так уж всё и плохо, ведь всё познается в сравнении. Если сравнивать с похожими играми, то Dreamfall может похвастать высоким качеством самой игры. Постановка сцен, подбор персонажей, игра актеров в озвучке, декорации сцен - всё это сделано в лучших традициях кинематографа. Особенно это хорошо проявляется в видеороликах, которые нам преподносят сюжет игры.
    Загадки и головоломки не очень сложные, часто правильное решение лежит на поверхности. Но из-за большой свободы действий вам не всегда будет легко выбрать верное направление пути и решение определенной задачи.
    Сюжет закручен так, что даже к концу игры нельзя понять, чем всё закончилось и как трое главных персонажей связаны друг с другом. По сравнению с оригинальным «Бесконечным путешествием» 1999 года сценарий слишком запутан и придется по вкусу не каждому.
    9/10 за атмосферность, 7/10 за геймплей и общее впечатление.    … Expand
  8. Babutto
    Jun 25, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have played The Longest Journey and only then Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. I have never played them before, even though I've seen the gameplay back then when the games were released.

    Pros.:
    - the sequel for the masterpiece predecessor;
    - the idea to include more diversed characters, to show the story from different perspectives;
    - the game seems stable, well optimized, supports alt+tab;
    - the game also seems pretty balanced from the point of view of narrative;
    - many voice over actors, references, characters from the previous game.

    Cons.:
    - the story is dull and much worse than the original one, sometimes it doesn't make any sense. Like the whole clash of Balance and Chaos from the first one, the mighty warlocks, sorcerers, dragons - here it's all in vain. Here the story is more about technological clash;
    - the gameplay is boring. Easy puzzles, stupid and unbalanced fights, unnecessary stealth elements. Tha game followed the same path as the Broken Sword. But the Broken Sword 3 was at least a solid game with strange controls - here the controls are easy, but overall quality had dropped;
    - graphics - disaster. Even the predecessor pixelized stuff seemded more interesting and organic (I don't mention CG, with current standards it's awful, back then it was WOW (remind me of Diablo 2 CGIs);
    - but I think all previous stuff may be secondary cons. The most important cons - the world seems dead. Just dead. It's not that lively narrative of two world. It's all dead now. Flat, boring, not interesting at all. Characters seem well done in general, but the struggle of April looks not sencere at all.

    For all who played Dreamfall after The Longest Journey, the game will be a real disappointment.

    Just 6/10. Same fate of many sequels.    … Expand
  9. Stariy_Big
    May 16, 2020
    10
    Очень крутой квест, бои бестолковые. НО сама история идеальна. Очень глубокая и интересная.
  10. bancandrei
    May 12, 2020
    6
    One of the most disappointing sequels I have ever played. It is not a very bad game per se, but it had impossible standards to meet set up by The Longest Journey. A lot feels just like running around on fetch quests, am not a big fan of the lore "enhancements" and plot is not resolved. To finish the story you have to go through a much longer and worse game: dreamfall chapters.
  11. Danil_Shtangeev
    Dec 9, 2018
    10
    Exciting story and characters. I've played this game many years ago. But it's still looking interesting for me.
  12. curzon_dax
    Sep 15, 2017
    5
    It starts almost well, but that's mainly because the characters are introduced; It gets EXTREMELY boring within 1 or 2 levels into the story because everything is extremely easy to "solve", everything is extremely linear and the characters are very uninteresting, weakly voice acted, and badly animated.
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. Broyax
    Jan 24, 2017
    3
    Le premier (The Longest Journey) était une grosse merde de jeu d'aventure en 2D tout foireux, le second est tout en 3D et légèrement plus jouable mais -car il y a toujours un mais- il a trouvé le moyen de me bloquer alors que je ne suis plus très loin de la fin, sans doute un infâme bug, à moins que ce ne soit l'interface à la manette ou bien les limitations très limitées de cetteLe premier (The Longest Journey) était une grosse merde de jeu d'aventure en 2D tout foireux, le second est tout en 3D et légèrement plus jouable mais -car il y a toujours un mais- il a trouvé le moyen de me bloquer alors que je ne suis plus très loin de la fin, sans doute un infâme bug, à moins que ce ne soit l'interface à la manette ou bien les limitations très limitées de cette adaptation Xbox faite à la hache et taillée à coups de serpe.

    En effet, si le jeu est graphiquement assez joli -ou disons pas trop laid- et que sa direction artistique n'est pas dénuée de talent, il rame souvent lamentablement, ce qui rend les interactions à distance pénibles, la précision à la manette étant déjà très discutable. Par ailleurs, les temps de chargement bien que rapides sont omniprésents.

    L'univers reste charmant et intrigant mais trop d'allusions non expliquées au premier épisode font qu'on se retrouve un peu largué. Il faudrait donc avoir fini le premier, c'est-à-dire cette grosse merde de jeu d'aventure en 2D tout foireux pour comprendre tous les tenants et aboutissants du second. Dommage.    … Expand
  16. Klewer
    Dec 11, 2016
    7
    As someone who absolutely loved the first I had to give this a go. While the story, characters and setting are all still amazing the game has just aged poorly. Mechanics aren't enjoyable and it's tough playing it in 2016 but still worth a go if you're playing through them.
  17. 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.
  18. Alumin88
    Feb 5, 2015
    5
    I'd like to be short for this review, if I could give this game a 5.5/10 I would as I don't think it's quite deserving of a 6/10

    It's a very pretty, graphically polished game that immediately drew me in Voice acting is heavy in the game and thankfully they managed to hire talented VAs to do the job, and has some pretty solid writing. Music is just fine, although nothing the stood    I'd like to be short for this review, if I could give this game a 5.5/10 I would as I don't think it's quite deserving of a 6/10

    It's a very pretty, graphically polished game that immediately drew me in

    Voice acting is heavy in the game and thankfully they managed to hire talented VAs to do the job, and has some pretty solid writing.

    Music is just fine, although nothing the stood out for me

    Now the negatives...

    You are essentially playing a walking simulator from beginning to end,
    It's puzzles are far too easy and uninspired, it attempts to bring a fighting mechanic into the mix, but it's just terrible and felt completely phoned in.

    While you are given multiple choices in the game in the form of dialogue prompts, I've heard that the choices you make really don't affect the game in any way, making it completely linear.

    It's story actually pulled me in and made me want to find out what's really going on.

    But in the end I was like... "WHAT?!"

    It's very confusing and apparently has a lot of references to it's original game which I haven't played.

    I went into the game thinking that I was going to be treated to a head-scratching Broken Sword-esque puzzle solver, but was disappointed.

    It's worthy of at least one playthrough but beyond that it doesn't really have anything else to bring you back.

    It really does have some great visuals and audio though    … Expand
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. joshxdr
    Jan 12, 2014
    6
    Dreamfall: TLJ is a 3-d third-person point and click adventure game. The game is a sequel to a classic adventure game released in 1998 called The Longest Journey. It is not necessary to play the original TLJ to play Dreamfall, but it helps a lot, since the game universe and many characters are the same. The game is very heavy on story, dialogue, and cinematics, and light on puzzles andDreamfall: TLJ is a 3-d third-person point and click adventure game. The game is a sequel to a classic adventure game released in 1998 called The Longest Journey. It is not necessary to play the original TLJ to play Dreamfall, but it helps a lot, since the game universe and many characters are the same. The game is very heavy on story, dialogue, and cinematics, and light on puzzles and gameplay.

    Story: the story is both the best and the worst I have ever seen in an adventure game. In the last two years I have completed 12 adventure games including old classics and modern indies. Dreamfall has a very complex and compelling story involving several interesting characters, political movements, and the complex game universe. It includes elements of comedy, drama, and tragedy. The story really gathers steam toward the end, resolving one storyline while introducing several more. Then, in the middle of the gathering drama and revelations, the game suddenly ends with no resolution to the fate of a dozen major characters and a dozen major plotlines. This is perhaps the most unsatisfying ending I have ever seen in a game, movie, book etc. Even if they did plan on a sequel, this was just plain terrible. I know a lot of people hated The Empire Strikes Back because of the unresolved plotlines. This is 100x worse.

    Gameplay: there are a few puzzles that require some thought, but overall the mental challenge of this game is on the light side for an adventure game. It is a little unfair to say that this is just an interactive movie, there are some clever puzzles. Unfortunately there are many times you are just sent on a mission to fetch a particular item and bring it to a particular place. The purpose of these brainless missions is to trigger cutscenes that move the story along. A lot of the action takes place in small rooms and tunnels. This means the camera that follows you has to zoom in and out a lot. I suppose this is a problem with any 3-d third-person game, but it can make you a bit dizzy. The interface was tweaked to be more "console friendly". This makes it a little more clunky for the PC, but not terrible.

    Fighting and stealth: the developers added a few fights and a few stealth sequences in the game. The fighting is flat out a waste of time. Just stand in front of your enemy and smash the mouse button and you win. Either that, or the enemy is so tough you always lose. The stealth sequences were much better, although they did not really fit in an adventure game. I like to play adventure games leisurely, with one hand on the mouse and the other hand holding a cup of coffee. I don't want action.

    Graphics: the graphics are dated by 2013 standards, but they are nice, especially the Dreamcore sequence. The close-up shots of faces look the worst. Lots of cutscenes, some of which are pretty cool.

    Sound: there seems to be a lot of interesting music and sounds, much better than the typical adventure game.

    Overall, from the quality of the story, to the quality of the sound and graphics, to the overall scope of the game, this had the potential to be EASILY the best adventure game of all time. Unfortunately the game was crippled by bizarre decisions by the developers: the mega-cliffhanger ending, the introduction of bad action elements, the clunky interface, the too-easy puzzles. What were they thinking?    … Expand
  22. 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
  23. keefbaker
    Nov 3, 2013
    7
    Fantastic writing, amazing setting, characterization and storyline are superb, the audio is also amazing. So why am I giving it a mere "7" you ask. Well, sadly the game mechanics themselves are a little clunky, especially the fighting. However the story is so good it's worth playing anyway. As to how good it is in comparison with the original? Well, I haven't played that yet so I couldn't say.
  24. Beefheart
    Oct 22, 2013
    7
    This game needs more mixed reviews. It's a decent spin off that doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. It's less memorable, less immersive and quirky. And it's gameplay is really boring. If you can look past its shortcomings it's a beautiful game with a captivating story. (Story that is to be concluded in Dreamfall Chapters).
    Also, the first game was definitely more daring, but    This game needs more mixed reviews. It's a decent spin off that doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. It's less memorable, less immersive and quirky. And it's gameplay is really boring. If you can look past its shortcomings it's a beautiful game with a captivating story. (Story that is to be concluded in Dreamfall Chapters).
    Also, the first game was definitely more daring, but Dreamfall stays mature in the way it deals with difficult occurrences, and the more complex, blurry motives of its characters. No hand holding in this regard. Intriguing.    … Expand
  25. 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
  26. aborle
    May 11, 2013
    7
    Note I won't be comparing it to the first game in the series.
    Dreamfall is a third person action adventure game (more adventure than action) which takes place in literally 2 worlds, Stark (technocratic) and Arcadia (Magical) and concerns itself with two main plots and a variety of subplots.
    What i liked : - Straightforward simple puzzles, none of the esoteric logic some other adventure    Note I won't be comparing it to the first game in the series.
    Dreamfall is a third person action adventure game (more adventure than action) which takes place in literally 2 worlds, Stark (technocratic) and Arcadia (Magical) and concerns itself with two main plots and a variety of subplots.
    What i liked :
    - Straightforward simple puzzles, none of the esoteric logic some other adventure games have.
    -Beautiful world and superb aesthetics. These places do feel familiar if they would've existed. Nothing looks too out of place and thus doesn't draw away from the immersion of the game.From Casablanca in stark to Marcuria in Arcadia, they all look equally wonderful and imaginative.
    -Stealth sections. Now compared to other reviews i didn't mind them. A couple of them have a puzzle sense to them (ie a different way to be steathy). Even if you don't like them, you can still complete them
    What i didn't like :
    -Combat It feels weak and rather random if you happen to hit the enemy or visa versa. It honestly seems tacked on.
    -CLIFFHANGER ENDING Now the good part is, at least 1 major plot gets resolved, but the game opens several others and doesn't bother to close them. AND THERE WAS NO SEQUEL IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS that really took 1 point off the total score.

    Overall, if you like an engaging narrative you'll like Dreamfall. You may not love it, but still like it. A 7/10 from me    … Expand
  27. 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.
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. stvartak
    Jul 17, 2012
    7
    Dreamfall may be the strangest game sequel ever. The gameplay, the graphical style, the character you play for most of the game, and the tone are all different from the original Longest Journey. And yet it is still very much a sequel, with some of the same characters (and a few important new ones) living in the same world(s), with enough common plot points and historical details to make itDreamfall may be the strangest game sequel ever. The gameplay, the graphical style, the character you play for most of the game, and the tone are all different from the original Longest Journey. And yet it is still very much a sequel, with some of the same characters (and a few important new ones) living in the same world(s), with enough common plot points and historical details to make it clear that you haven't accidentally bought the wrong game with a similar title. But still, it's a third-person 3D interface instead of point-and-click. It has little of the Longest Journey's snarky humor (except when Crow and Roper make their welcome reappearances), making the game feel somewhat darker. And because the humor is limited to characters you encounter, rather than the primary character you inhabit, the game feels a lot more serious overall. Also, the added freedom of exploring a 3D virtual world is offset by less interactivity; you have fewer choices, and your choices have fewer significant effects, than in the Longest Journey. Dreamfall comes close to being an "interactive movie," as other reviewers have described it. In short, I enjoyed Dreamfall very much, but not for any of the same reasons I enjoyed the Longest Journey. It is simply an engrossing story set in an interesting world with enough ties to its predecessor to feel pleasantly familiar. If you prefer combat and/or a high degree of non-linearity, look elsewhere.… 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.
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  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.
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