One of the best stealth games ever made, and it still holds up decades later! The graphics are dated but the sound design is excellent and has not been surpassed by any game I've played since. It has a vibrant modding scene and mods (fan missions) are still being made to this day.
This game is getting long in the tooth but is still a masterpiece of stealth gameplay, sound design and has a thriving modding community making tons of fan missions that rival the original missions in quality. A must-play! The GOG version comes with a fan patch that fixes most of the issues that make it difficult to play on modern machines as well which is amazing.
The soundtrack was one of my favorite things about Dreamfall Chapters. The music does an amazing job of setting the mood for the story, and is very enjoyable mood music in its own right. You can tell a lot of love was put into the music, and reminds me of great soundtracks from other games, like the Final Fantasy series.
I wasn't really sure what to make of this game when I got it; I had played the The Longest Journey years ago, but had never touched The Longest Journey: Dreamfall or Dreamfall Chapters. After playing all three back to back, I've found myself in love with this game. To be clear, I played this game after The Final Cut was released in the summer of 2017, which, as I understand it, added a significant level of polish to the game. The music, art style and graphics are beautiful. The plot isn't afraid to deal with heavy topics, and does so in a mature and nuanced way. Despite being wildly different types of games, I compare this game to Papers Please; it's not so much about the way the game looks or even plays but about how it makes you feel. It has a superb sense of atmosphere and really made me care and empathize with the characters. The gameplay is similar to the last game in the series but thankfully without a combat element. It's got the bones of a point-and-click adventure but where game mechanics had the potential to interfere with storytelling or pacing, the game consistently prioritizes the story. This means that the game is less interactive than the average video game, but moreso than a movie, giving it a unique niche. At first I wasn't sure how I would feel about this, but it's very aware of its strengths and limitations and plays to those beautifully. This game has unexpectedly become one of my favorites; just make sure you're not expecting a classic point-and-click or adventure game and I think you'll enjoy it. The story is laden with hidden meanings and is a fun world to think about and get lost in.
I had heard so much about this game that I wasn't sure what to expect by the time I played it. I don't normally enjoy games from the survival horror genre but this game did not disappoint. Rather than "jump scare" horror, the game slowly builds tension and dread over time, peaking during a few points of sheer panic. The controls are a little unwieldy, which only serves to heighten the sense of horror when you're fumbling with a door or valve as you run away in terror. The visuals and sounds from the game are fantastic, and really add to the immersion. It's simply a beautiful game and definitely a classic in my library.
At first glance, the game is unforgivingly brutal: roguelike (albeit with some carry-over benefits for your "next life"), little guidance, and as many others have pointed out, no obvious way to make money. Oh, and everything wants to eat you. And your pea-shooter gun isn't going to allow you to fight back. That said, this is one of my favorite games, and certainly the most fun I've had in a while. Each problem you encounter in this game is like a little secret that needs to be solved. In time, none of the game's challenges will feel overwhelming. For those who have already bought the game and are having a difficult time staying afloat (heh), here are a few tricks that helped me: - Most monsters attack by ramming you. Hug your ship close to them as they move and keep firing, they won't be able to attack you. Most ships can't attack from the back, just stay in back of them and you can pick them off without being hit. - The best way to make money is selling sunlight-filled mirrorcatch boxes. You can buy empty boxes from Khan's Shadow, and fill them at the Cumaean Canal after traveling to the surface. You can then sell them either to the Blind Bruiser at Fallen London, (if you've smuggled for him/accepted his dispensation) or on the Isle of Cats. You can make 10-30k a trip depending on how many boxes you fill. - You can also make money buying coffee in Fallen London and selling it to the surface via the Cumaean Canal, though this can only be done a limited number of times. - You can also make good money delivering salt stone loads from the Salt Lions back to Fallen London, though this can only be done a limited number of times. - Focus on your veils skill. This means choosing the urchin background and spending secrets with officers that let you increase veils. It's generally better to avoid enemies than battle them. - If you have a hard time exploring, pass on your map to your next character to save time. -Dig through the wiki. This game is full of secrets.
