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I Didn't Want a Combat Game...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: February 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I buy adventure games because I like adventure! Too many frustrating combat scenes in Dreamfall. I prefer puzzles over violence. I'm not a teen boy anymore.

The characters were too difficult to control with my pc controls. (kept bumping into walls and making myself dizzy with out of control spins). It was especially difficult too flee from the trolls and the twins. I almost quit the game a couple of times.

Set design was nice, but there were too many locked doors (which I later learned to ignore).

Unfortunately, the ending left me hanging. What ever happened to the other characters?

J

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Overall, I'd give this game a thumbs up, but I have hard time calling it a true sequel to the original masterpiece, and have some mixed feelings about this game. First, it's a new game, with a new lead character, and a whole new style of play. If you liked the original you will probably enjoy this "sequel" as well, but things have changed. The main character is now Zoe Castillo, with an older, jaded April Ryan playing second fiddle. The original April Ryan is absent from this game, and , I have mixed feelings about Zoe taking over the lead role in this series

April Ryan , of the original game, was charming, witty, light hearted and fun. Zoe , a nice girl, is simply more serious and lacks a lot of the levity provided by the original April Ryan. I will, however, say that Zoe's( as well as most actors in this game) voice acting is excellent and she's capable of handling some deeper, more mature subjects convincingly. However, I very much miss the whackiness, wit and youthful optism of April. April was arguably one of the best adventure game characters , to date. She was a milestone that set the standard for a number of other games. Her character has changed dramatically in the latest installment, and the game suffers from that. Zoe, while enjoyable, just doesn't stand out as much.

Kian, the third player has virtually no real involvement in the game, other than a handful of conversations, and simple combat sequences there's nothing about him that couldn't have been made into a cinema. Perhaps he may have a role in a following sequel, but not in this game. The story, like the lead character has also made a distinct change.

The story line is faster moving, more intense, and more sci-fi oriented than the original. It's a good , engrossing, story line, but it lacks the wild creativity and fantasy of the original. It has a distinctly diffferent feel or "flavor". The overall magic, awe, wonder,whacky humor and originality of the first installlment are just missing. Again, not a bad storyline, but not what made the original game a classic. The gratutious profanity and innuedoes have been toned down quite a bit, but it's still an adult, or "mature audience game"

This game is *NOT* for young children. There are a curse words, sexual situations and innuendos, some mature subject matter, and violence, as well as references to drugs and alcohol. Nothing over-the-top, but it's not some G rated title.

The controls in this game largely detract from the overall experience. Playing Dreamfall is more like playing a 1st person shooter, than a point and click adventure game. Navigating cramped areas can be a nuisance. It took me several hours of play before the controls became second nature, so to speak. I enjoyed the simple beauty of point-click the original offered, much more. Secondly, maybe it's my imagination, but this game doesn't seem to have quite the level of diversity in scenary the original did. The frequent load sequences also tended to detract fromt the overall experience.

Thinking and problem solving have definitely taken a back seat to eye-candy cinemas, simplistic combat, and puzzles generally tend to be "dumbed down" to accommodate individuals who don't enjoy games with any thinking involved. I wouldn't go so far as to call this game an interactive movie. It has puzzles. They are there. They're just much simpler, and scarcer than puzzles typical of earlier adventure games. Frequently another character in the game will tell you where to go and what to do next, making the game a bit too easy. This gamealso has numerous fight, flight and flee sequences. Arcade sequences are hardly new to adventure gaming, but in Dreamfall they're frequent and water down the game's status as an adventure, puzzle based game. The saving grace is that the story progresses quickly, and will keep most people interested in just what the heck is gonna happen next. Secondly, very few people will spend hours pixel hunting for a simple clue, or silly oversight. Personally, I'd rather see the adventure game market watered down, and and still alive, rather than die off completely. If that means putting up with silly combat scenes or excessive cinemas, that's fine with me.

This game has no real ending, just a place where the game stops, and the remaining chapters were written simply to whet your appetite for a sequel. I was upset when I saw the ending of this game. It was sad, disturbing and abrupt. It just left so many unanswered questions, with many sad possibilities waiting in future installments. The ending was much like "cliff hanger" season finale to a television series. It was meant to to tease the player, not provide resolution. That fact shouldn't be a problem if there's a sequel, but due to lack of interest in adventure games, there may not be another installment of this game.

Again, overall, I'd recommend this game. Just be aware of what you're getting yourself into.

a nice little movie

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I loved The Longest Journey and couldn't wait for this game to be released, but I was really disappointed. This game was pretty much just an interactive movie. I liked the storyline, but there was almost no game play. The few puzzles the game has are so easy, a five-year-old could figure them out. In other adventure games there are multiple hot spots to click on, which is supposed to make figuring out your next move more difficult. In Dreamfall, there are only a few hot spots per screen so you know exactly what you need to do. I've had rely on the Universal Hint System for many similar games (even a few Nancy Drew games have stumped me!) but not for this one. Oh, and don't expect a nicely wrapped up story. It's not quite a cliff hanger, but it certainly leaves many story lines dangling. Not satisfying at all.

There's a reason why so many people are vigorously defending it can be played on a gamepad >>

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 25
Date: April 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The reason why so many people in so many forums are defending the fact that this game can be played on a PC if you simply also buy a gamepad as well and don't use the keyboard and mouse -->
It's because it is more or less unplayable without it.

Despite the logic that this game's predecessor was a PC game, Dreamfall was built for the XBOX. The version for the PC, as it is becoming more and more apparent, was duct taped together very quickly and without regard to the fact that it was a PC.

And whereas the story may be good, if it can't be played, get a book, or watch Final Fantasy. Seriously.

Here's the thing. On a PC, probably the biggest thing that is used differently from console games is the mouse, and the use of cursors on the screen either to pick stuff up, talk to people, click where you want to go, or give someone a hurtin'.

But, since this is an XBOX game, there is no cursor and no use of the mouse in that sense at all.

The second thing that would be useful, especially in this case where the mouse is essentially de facto put out of commission, is the fact that PC users can modify numerous controls on their keyboard for use. However, again, being an XBOX game, they only have a wee few number of controls, so as not to exceed what can 'fit' on the XBOX game. Numerous actions that would normally have been put in the game to aid gameplay are not there... only a small few things can be done, and so the character is not able to do much of anything.

And I'm sorry that so many people have to complain that the game is virtually unplayable in standard PC version, but being able to handle the controls is not the point of the game. That should not be difficult. The programmers should make that easy for us to do, as they most certainly did in TLJ.

the fact is, they could have left the same engine/backend/supporting matrix/whatever , as they did in TLJ, and then maybe there wouldn't be so many people talking about how it's not easy to simply get the game going.

there's simply no reason for that, regardless of all else.

Worth the wati!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 14
Date: May 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

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 you explore the world in full 3D and still have the depth 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 developed 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 straightforward. 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 !

Game? This was a GAME?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 8 / 14
Date: June 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This was one of the MOST disappointing letdowns I've had about a game in a LONG time. There was practically no game to play; it was really just a series of whichever character walking from one conversation to the next. I do NOT consider a puzzle to be finding a single object for 5 different people who need the SAME thing simply to give it to one another. I ALSO do not consider a puzzle running into an obstacle and overcoming it simply by touching a few matching symbols.

I hear people talk of the wondrous graphics of this game. All I seemed to notice were boxy, repetetive 3-D renderings that were fairly dull.

The original game on which this farce was based blows it out of the water. DON'T waste your money or time on this piece of garbage.

Most immersive game ever...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: April 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Dreamfall is a game unlike any I have seen. It plays out like an interactive 3D sci-fi/fantasy thriller (hence its action/adventure game categorization) with a storyline so well written and executed that I didn't ever want the game to end. The audio environment (with complete orchestra) was also the best I have experienced in a game.

The story opens in Casablanca, 2219. Zoe Castillo, the main lead, somehow gets pulled into a conspiracy that spans parallel worlds and several centuries. Per the game publisher: "Something is affecting our world: static interference disrupts technology, and it seems to be linked to a ghostly presence seen only by a few - a presence inhabiting a black house in a wintry landscape. As Zoe begins her search for a lost friend, she discovers that there is a magical world behind our own - and the search is now on for the one person who may help Zoe unravel the dangerous web she has become entangled in..."

Unlike most adventure games, the bulk of the game isn't to pick up objects and combine them in some special way: in Dreamfall, such scenes do exist, but do not amount to too many. Rather, the game combines a variety of gameplay: code breaking, fighting sequences, stealth tactics... A lot more true-to-life in my opinion. The fighting sequences have been greatly simplified, though. Fighting moves are limited to quick attacks, strong attacks and blocking. Given the game's overall appeal, I am more than happy to forgive this minor shortcoming, however.

Dreamfall also has some stunning visuals, especially where the background setting is concerned. I really enjoyed trekking across all of the game's locations, which include a futuristic Casablanca, the high-tech halls of a Japanese corporation, a strange city at sea, a magic metropolis, vast subterranean caverns, and the frightening realm of the Winter.

I highly recommend playing the game with a gamepad, though. I hear that some people didn't find the keyboard/mouse combination very easy to use. For action/adventure games, I usually pull up my trusty Logitech Rumblepad 2 gamepad, which in this situation made playing the game a breeze.

Having completed Dreamfall, I can't say enough of how much I enjoyed playing the game. So when is the sequel coming out? Can't wait...

Great Game! Don't let controls put you off it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: May 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Lucky for me I bought this game without reading the negative reviews here, otherwise I might have missed out on a really, really good adventure. If you tweak the controls in the Options panel (by tweak I mean actually change the settings for mouse sensitivity) the mouse and camera angles level out and you can easily maneuver the characters around. There really is no learning curve other than that, movement is done with the WASD keys on the keyboard (I now think this is industry standard btw, why such a ruckus?). For those who have stopped playing the game because they're frustrated with the controls, please try to reset through Options and try again, it really is worth it!

It has been a long time since I had played the original The Longest Journey, and I wasn't anxiously waiting around for Dreamfall so maybe that is why I'm not disappointed with any of the elements in it. I think the story line in Dreamfall was very interesting, Zoe was an incredibly engaging character (more than I recall April being in the original, or in this one for that matter) and this is clearly Zoe's story.

The puzzles in the game...well they aren't really what I would call puzzles. The game is very easy from that viewpoint. But there also are not a lot of running here and there puzzles like you find in most adventure games today - those just drive me up a wall. There are a few but none that really distracted from the game.

Dreamfall does end in a way that might not be satisfactory for some people, and it clearly indicates there is at least another game to be made with these characters, but I was ok with the way everything worked out. There was clearly still hope for Zoe & April and still a very real threat to the twin worlds. I would view this game as the 2nd book in a great trilogy.

Also, I cannot say enough about what a treat it was to have such great voice actors, especially after playing Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and just being completely pained by the voices in that game. The actors in Dreamfall just did such a superb job and its amazing how much dialogue you can listen to when a capable actor is speaking it. If not for them the game would be a snore.

My only major dislike in the game was the combat. It was just god-awful and should have been cut from the game. Other than that, Dreamfall is very strongly recommended!!!

The story is the point of this game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: June 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The game is more of an interactive movie than a game, but don't let that deter you from buying it.

It is unfortunate that the developers felt the need to put in combat and stealth, perhaps to appeal to the mass, because both are implemented rather poorly. But then again, the need for either doesn't arise all that often. At the heart of it, Dreamfall is a point-and-click adventure game much like its predecessor, even if the puzzles are a little too easy.

The story, however, is wonderful. Characters are colorful, well-voiced, and well-written; the story overall is engaging and compelling. By the end, chances are that you will be wringing your hands because you have gotten so involved with the characters. Switching playable characters is an interesting approach, too, since it gives you multiple viewpoints for the story and lets you see more of Arcadia, a good way to approach world-building. Many people will say that the ending is weak; I wouldn't say it's weak so much as inconclusive, laying groundwork for the third and final game of the trilogy -- many questions are left unanswered, loose ends untied, and some may not like this. I have my objections to it, but thinking back on it, it *has* done its job: it leaves the player wanting more. (Though I'm not sure how wise a choice this is, since gave development cycle can take up to two-three years -- by the time the next game comes out, if one comes out, the spark will have dwindled a fair bit.)

Despite its flaws, the game is still very much worth playing, and as far as video games go, it's a memorable experience.

DO NOT BUY PC VERSION

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 10 / 20
Date: April 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I really wish I hadn't pre-ordered this and waited to read reviews! I just installed it onto my PC last night and couldn't wait to start playing. I gave up after 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES! It's impossible to maneuver on the PC. They say you can use the mouse to move the characters, which is true enough, but that means the characters are ALWAYS moving. It's extremely difficult to actually view anything, and it takes twice as long as a normal game to do something as simple as walk out the door. I am so disappointed.

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