I'm glad I bought this - it's excellent! Graphically, it's good considering it's age. It's mature and gory in places, it isn't aimed at kids, and the sprites move well. There's attention paid to the locations, they're small, detailed and full of the vibe of Louisiana. The music is great, most P&C (and similar) games have repetitive music and voices but here it suits the scene. The voice acting is top-notch. A great thing about this game is how it deals with repetition - in this game, I can just click the mouse and skip it. Less annoying. The commentary is great and the game is peppered with funny moments and bits that make you want to search them out. Puzzle-wise, most are logical and easy once you get into the groove. Some can be a nightmare and there are points where the game is happy to let you head toward certain death because you forgot to get something. The story is easily the best part and it is superb. The characters are fleshed out, the histories build a believable story and it all comes together seamlessly to create a compelling tale. You'll keep playing the tougher puzzles not just to finish another game, but because you want to know what happens to the characters next. You start to care about them. They are human and flawed. Buy this is you want a well-written point and click game with a hefty dose of horror on the side, which oozes atmosphere and character.
I am running this on Windows 7 Professional 32bit on an i7 machine with 8GB ram. After initial problems with getting it to run I found that you just need to change the resolution and run it without UAC on. After that it works, and thankfully it is worth the effort. This is not a game for anyone who wants a Morrowind or Final Fantasy type RPG. This is more like a darker Icewind Dale. And it is dark, if you look into it. You awaken in a mortuary, with no memory of who you are not even your name. And so begins your journey. Why do you remember nothing? Why are you undying? And if you are truly undying, how alive are you? These are the motivators behind the story, your reason to keep going. The world is a dark, dying place full of strangeness. If you know something of the Baldurs gate and Neverwinter games then you will understand some of the terminology but it really isn't necessary - you're accompanied by your floating, talking mimir, an encyclopedia stuffed into a skull. The characters are individual and will react to different people and situations in different ways. Even getting them can be an interesting struggle. This is not a game for people who want a quick fix or a definitive baddy from the outset. This is more for people who enjoy a good mystery and are willing to wait and look for it. Graphically it is quite reasonable. Whilst not as good as many other games from the period it was created on a much smaller budget and stands up very well for it's age. The music is reasonable and the sound effects are good, but the real treat is the voice-acting. It can be comedic, terrifying or over the top but it fits in well with the story and the world. I've seen some reviews lower the score because they have difficulty getting the game to work. If your graphics card is too poor, you are not willing to install June 2010 distro of Direct X and you don't understand how to access properties on Windows 7 that is not the games fault. Ask on the forums and people will be more than happy to help you. But don't mark a good, solid game down for technical problems caused by conversion, as that does not do it any justice.
I bought this on download from the Playstation store when it first came out, and the DLC as soon as it came out. At full price, which is a fair bit more than what GOG.com is asking. Graphics: Uber-cute! The lighting, design and palette are wonderfully used and as cutesy as it looks there are some great references to other games and to some old-school tv shows too. Everything is well-used, not over-used, so the world is easy to understand and be immersed in. Performance: Despite the raft of things to do it's not a particularly heavy-load to run. Works brilliantly on PS3 and PC seems to be no problem. Despite much playing I've yet to find a single glitch though, to be honest, I was having so much fun I wasn't looking particularly hard. Story: Ludicrous. Like the sort of story you get on a really weird Saturday morning kids senshi show. Basically, it's Power Rangers with a working sense of humour and better costumes. Combat: Brilliant! It's turn-based combat like many RPGs but the way you fight is dependent on the costumes your party are wearing. Where a stronger piece of armor will make you take less damage from weapons in Skyrim, a halloween costume lets you turn into a FREAKIN' NINJA here. Personally, me like. Exploration: Every bit of the maps you go around are relatively linear. Parent map to child map sort of linear with some backtracking, which should be annoying...but isn't. It's done in such a way that being linear keeps the backtracking to a minimum but makes it feel worthwhile. There are side quests and puzzles but they are optional and not intrusive. You really feel like it's an accomplishment when you do pretty much anything because the game makes you feel good. Negatives: Too short. Even with the DLC content it was too short at full price. The lower price however makes it a great purchase, so you'll feel you got just enough bang for your buck. Summary: I can't justify removing a star from this game due to length. Not at this price. And what it lacks in playtime it makes up for in fun. In the end, isn't fun all you really want from playing a game?
The story is a pretty typical ghost story/murder mystery with a bit of magic thrown in. It's nicely acted, intentionally hammy with a bit of the feel of 'Tales from the Crypt' about it and checking round the rooms brings some nice little touches and funny scenes. Graphically it's pretty - some beautiful windows and lighting drawn in, some excellent set pieces with the pictures and scenery and some genuinely disturbing bits regarding the story. I found some of the puzzles to have no real hold on the story and the game itself to be glitchy. Some are too easy, some are too hard - the puzzles are not that well balanced. I passed the microscope test and it still wouldn't let me finish (ended up having to redo it. It's a horrid puzzle, especially on a faster machine). At the time of it's original release it was an outstanding effort and a breakthough technologically speaking. That, and nostalgia aside, it is still definitely worth playing, though not necessarily worth the hype.
I adore this game and series. I'm biased and for good reason. The worlds are beautifully realised, the characters feel real and the interweaving stories are multi-layered and intriguing. It's incredibly nice to look at and lets players find out more about April from the first game in the series, 'The Longest Journey' (which I heartley recommend). Summary: Graphically it's still a good looking game. Plays well but the interface can be a bit awkward when Zoe gets into a confined space (you'll see what I mean when she's in the security zone). Still no final part to the series despite arts council funding in the developers home country and some artwork, fmv and test work having been released the year before last (2010). I don't feel that the score should be dropped because a further game has not been released although I hope it does come to pass. Only the occasional control issue stops me giving it a full five stars, but it should give the option of four and a half.
Lets get the bad out of the way first - even for it's time the graphics were average. Extremely good to look at and the designs are excellent but still average. There's also a glitch with a portal but that should be fixed in this release (definitely the one I'd buy). The good is the imagination behind it. Blue willys rotating in the beginning fmv aside, the imagination shown in the storytelling, the character behaviour, conversations and designs generally is wonderful. You really feel like these are real people. They act and react the way real people do and you feel that they have history and backstory, which in turn fleshes out the worlds. Puzzles are well balanced, occasionally irritating until you realise what is expected from you, and make sense to the areas they are in - nothing feels like it's been crammed in to fill game time. Don't be put off with the fantasy tab put on this game. It's dark and not for kids and has a hefty dose of sci-fi in it. Buy this, buy Dreamfall (the sequel) and hope that one day they finish the final part of the series (apparently it now has arts council funding and will be online, but things have gone quiet, fingers-crossed!).