As much as it pains me to say it, Phantasmagoria is kind of hard to recommend today. I want to hype this game up, after all, it’s unquestionably a major milestone, and it deserves to be held in high regard for the achievement that it was. The trouble is, though, that it’s sort of an “awkward growth phase” in the evolution of video games… Sort of like video game puberty, if you will. In current year, Phantasmagoria’s technical achievements won’t dazzle you like they did in ‘95, and even the edgy content, quite controversial at the time, is going to feel pretty unexciting. As a result, it’s much easier to appreciate Phantasmagoria as a historic achievement than as an actual game. If someone new to point and clicks boots it up, its design is going to feel very clunky, even when compared to other point and clicks of the era, and it’s obvious that Sierra’s focus here was on innovation, rather than gameplay. It doesn’t feel like a rich world ripe for exploration in the way that a good adventure game should. I’d say it feels more in the same vein as Myst than King’s Quest. Adventure game fans should definitely give it a go if they want to have a well rounded knowledge of the genre, but if you’re a new player who just wants to play classic game that’s new to you, there are dozens I’d recommend ahead of this one. Sorry, Phantasmagoria. As important as you are, I just can’t recommend you without a hearty disclaimer.
