I was an avid gamer for many years, when I first touched Dreamfall. Always enjoying adventures since the early days of adventure storytelling ( Maniac Mansion), I expected good riddles, fun story and comical characters. The beginning quickly made me realize, that I was in for something quite different. Dreamfall is more like an adventure combined with some elements of a roleplaying game. The classic fun riddles, that define the genre, are replaced by a very deep, compelling story, interesting characters and puzzles, that are placed logically in the flow of the game world and it's challenges (just like in the first part The Longest Journey). To spice up things, Dreamfall attempts to bring an action element to adventure gaming, like Indiana Jones: Fate of Atlantis, but it didn't fully succeed. The controls are a bit weak and the combat/action systems are not fully polished. I personally didn't care about those systems either way. I saw them as another challenge and the story propelled me forward. In the end it's a great game. A great story. It's the first and only game, that was able to make me cry at the ending. It's been many years since Dreamfall was released but I still vividly remember the emotional ride, that the game made me feel and I cherish every moment. The ending is somewhat open, since it was originally planned to continue the series, but don't let that stop you from experiencing this masterpiece.
