Dreamfall: The Longest Journey review

Clumsy combat and adventure games just don't mix

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    The engaging storyline

  • +

    Jack Angel's voice acting as Wonkers

  • +

    The plausible puzzles

Cons

  • -

    The half-hearted combat

  • -

    No plot resolution

  • -

    Waiting for a sequel

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Imagine a majestic bald eagle soaring through the sky, not a care in the world except for where its next furry meat-snack is coming from. Now imagine that same eagle trying to flap its wings with a brick tied to its talons. That's pretty much how we'd sum up Dreamfall: The Longest Journey - a high-flying adventure that's been weighed down with several unnecessary and awkward fighting sequences.

Dreamfall is a sequel to The Longest Journey, a highly regarded PC adventure game from 2000 that was big with the "point-and-click" crowd of adventure purists. To make Dreamfall more accessible, the sequel travels the action/adventure route in this follow-up.

Well, kinda. Heroine Zoe Castillo can wander her fully 3D surroundings freely, but any interactions with the environment - climbing, chatting, picking up items, even walking up stairs - are triggered only when an on-screen icon says you can do so. It's an interesting departure from the traditional, "3D person walking around a 2D background" system that this genre grew up using.

Dreamfall's adventure roots are also apparent in your character's Focus Field, a mode that puts your attention on a particular object or person in the form of a big blue beam of light. Its use is only required a few times during the entire game, though; you may forget the mode even exists until you get stuck.

More info

GenreAdventure
DescriptionFinally, the sequel to the beloved adventure Longest Journey debuts on the Xbox and the PC.
Platform"Xbox","PC"
US censor rating"Mature","Mature"
UK censor rating"",""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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