Rating: Summary: Just what I needed Review: If you are looking for a plot-driven adventure game, you enjoy reading science fiction and/or fantasy, and you want to use your mind every now and then during game-play, then consider playing this one. It is very well produced. It runs smoothly through its entirety and is graphically beautiful. As a former addict to Sierra's Space Quest and King's Quest series, I was pleased to have the opportunity to play a similar game set in both technological-driven and mythological-driven worlds. I was also glad that it was 3rd person, since the sensitive controls of 1st person games make me dizzy. To the drawbacks, though: April Ryan's normal 1-mouseclick speed was a very s-l-loooww strolling walk (I thought you had to save two worlds! What heck are you thinking??). That along with the nonchalant "we've-got-all-the-time-in-the-world" style of the spoken conversations was so at odds with the flavor of the game that I quickly changed my settings [allow ESC for skipping forward, subtitles ON, and voice level down (this still allowed for music and background sounds)] in order to ease my increasing dislike for our Star. I found the language real, albeit long-winded, and it would have revealed nothing new to me when I was a teenager, let alone what I hear from teenagers today, so I'm skeptical of the need for a Mature rating. The gamer in me hated that the conversations spoon-fed (or should I say force-fed?) information for solving tasks that I had already figured out but couldn't complete until finishing a set dialogue with some particular character. The reader in me, however, appreciates the dimension that the dialogue added to the story. Another drawback for gamers (at least me) is that you can do nothing wrong. You cannot die, but you may be stuck in the same place for a long time, which is a hell unto itself. If you need to look at/touch/combine things now, you can, if not, then you can't now but maybe later. Sometimes this made the puzzles too easy and a couple of times the emergence of a new item was so obscure that, I admit, I had to use a few hints to nudge me in the right direction. I'm still partial to the freethinking style of the early Sierra games mentioned above, yet despite its flaws this was a very entertaining way to wind down from work for a week. Funcom deserves kudos for this half game-half movie and, like the movie Matrix Reloaded, The Longest Journey needs a Part II to tie up loose ends. I am waiting.
Rating: Summary: One of the best yet Review: There just simply aren't enough good things I can say about this game.The graphics are excellent,the characters intriguing and the story line,intense.I recently purchased this again,just to play it all over again.There is only one other game of this quality,and that is "Syberia".April Ryan,our heroine,begins her journey in a dream.She bounces between Stark & Arcadia throughout the game,her reality and the dream world.After some time,she can't quite distinguish between dreams and reality,and eventually is thrust into her dreams...which soon become reality. There are many fascinating characters she meets on her way to save the world,and she keeps a handy diary,where her thoughts and important game information and subtle hints are stored. The journey is long and time is running out...shapeshifting and jumping through portals into another demension become an everyday occurence for the hip,young art student.This game is without a doubt,one of the best I've ever played.An exciting thrill-ride for the mind that doesn't stop until the credits roll.A MUST have all time classic.5 stars.
Rating: Summary: LOVED IT! Review: Of all the graphic adventure games i've played, (and i've been playing since king's quest 1) this is by far the best. My favorite one! Graphics wonderful! Plot fantastic! Wonderful humor! I never wanted it to end. And it didn't! For the longest time--it kept going and going. Well worth it, this game. :)
Rating: Summary: Through a Very Cool Looking Glass Review: The Longest Journey is more of a trip than a journey, more of a quest than an adventure. Like Alice falling down the rabbit hole into a very tripped out world of caterpillars smoking hash, and concoctions that turn a person very small or very large, The Longest Journey is a five-senses experience. And April Ryan, TLJ's central character, is the perfect hostess. If this were a movie, think natalie Portman or Wynona Ryder (pre- sticky finger days). TLJ is a more-edgy version of the Myst series, but in a platform more similar to a DreamCatcher game (inventory items, various characters with whom you must interact, etc.) You bounce between two parallel worlds: Stark (a mythical, futuristic west coast city) and Arcadia (Grimm's Fairy Tales meets Jules Verne), with the fate of the world in your hands (and eyes, nose, ears, etc.). TLJ is to be savored - rich graphics, excellent voice acting, compelling, not-too-difficult story line, puzzles, etc. This is not your typical, McComputer fare. Rather than hamburger, think filet mignon. As such, it will flood your senses and fill you up right. Caution: I wouldn't recommend this game for young ones - the language is profane at times.
Rating: Summary: The Longest Journey in more ways than one... Review: When I purchased this game, it was because of the rave reviews it has recieved by gaming magazines and organizations, as well as my own personal love of adventure games. It had been a long time since a worthy adventure game had hit the market (Grim Fandango springs easily to mind), and I was looking forward to the stunning visuals and in-depth gameplay I had read about. Well, the visuals did indeed impress me, and the voice acting was extremely high-quality, a virtual rarity for such games. And the game's story and characters are very in-depth. Indeed. VERY in-depth. Believe it or not, this is where my major complaint with the game is. I do believe that story and dialogue are important for a good interactive adventure game, and Longest Journey has it. In abundance. Perhaps a bit too much. The puzzles are inventive, the characters multi-faceted, the story captivating, and the background well developed. But after the game gets past the initial introductions, there are certain spots in the game where I found myself clawing my eyes out waiting for the in-depth dialogue to end. Do I want story and interaction? Yes. Do I want to spend forty-five minutes listening to two people drone on about the historical background of the game while I sit hunched over clicking the mouse every fifteen seconds to keep the conversation going? No. To be prefectly honest, I got about two thirds of the way through the game before I gave up and stopped playing. I was weary of the lengthy conversations going nowhere, and my carpal tunnel was really acting up. Interesting dialogue is important, but I'm not willing to suffer for it, which is sadly what I ended up doing. The key word is "Game", and I'd prefer to play the game instead of watching it like a hand-crank powered television. This game has much to offer it, but the extensive padding eventually turned it into the Longest Journey on several different levels. In short: If you love adventure games, then you definitely want to check this out, but be prepared for some exceedingly long stretches of boring dialogue that hold you captive to your mouse.
Rating: Summary: The best game of the year Review: The longest journey is one of the best game of the year. It starts introducing the plot in a subtle pace to make the player comfortable with April Ryan, the main character of the game. The game itself unravels as a story in a book with extensive dialogues that stir a sense of caring and compassion toward all the characters that April encounters on her journey. The voice acting of Sarah Hamilton is credible and almost fascinating as well as the other voice acting acters involved in this game. With a small budget, the Longest Journey have accomplished what other adventure games have not accomplished since these last years which is the responsibility that the player takes in order to save the world. Even though it sounds kind of a cliche, the player falls seduced with April and all of the stream of consciousness that April writes on her diary. This game not only gives a sense of comfort and relaxation, but it has different types of styles that are similar with other adventure games such as Myst, Escape from Monkey Island, and Grim Fandago. Although the puzzles are much more easier than the Myst Saga, it posses the mystery and the enchantment of the game. This game is a jewel and there is no doubt that April Ryan leaves Lara Croft in the dust. Teddy.
Rating: Summary: I'd Give It Ten Stars If I Could Review: Blown Away! I was so immersed in this game, the storyline, the characters, the never ending quest to solve the mystery of April's identity. The writers did an excellent job with the plot and subplots in the story, paying close attention to detail. It was a beautiful story, intriquing, with twists and turns and the game went on and on, I never wanted it to end. I had no problems with it on my new computer with XP. The game play was easy to moderate, mostly, with some bizzare puzzle combinations I would have never figured out without a hint, like when April had to get into the back door of the movie theater and she had to put a hat on some garbage and use the shadow it made along with the voice of a monkey toy to make the attendant think it was a police officer, so he'd leave and she could get inside. But what would an adventure game be without some difficult parts? I was truly amazed at how well this game was done and I'm hoping I can find some other adventure games that join this level of quality.
Rating: Summary: Get your girlfriend to game..and LIKE it Review: This was my first PC game and now I'm making a fool of myself looking for more. But honestly, this game is incredibly appealing in story, graphics and characters. The story is an oldie but goodie. Good versus evil, two worlds, balance and the allure of living in a non-magic world only to discover that magic does exist. The best part is there is word of a sequel. After you finish the game you'll be happy to have such information. You will be wanting more.
Rating: Summary: Blah, blah, blah YAWN! Review: I don't feel too bad, really, about getting this game, I only spent 9.99 for it. After all I was dupped into spenting much more for games that were extremely bad. With this one, at least the graphics were very good, simular to Syberia (which was far superior to this one, save the distracting cell phone conversations that had nothing to do with the plot). Why I hated this game? They talked too much, they talked more then my ex-wife, her mother, one of those boring late-night shows on PBS, and a parrot on speed rolled into one. They ran their mouths so much that I hated running into other characters. I played for a little more then an hour and still hadn't advanced much. Not because of having any difficulting in playing, but I could stand all the boredom. I hated the characters, a bunch of Bohemian weirdos that make your spinchter tighten with talks of free sex (hetero and homo)and other forgettable nonsense. If you bought it and liked it, let alone finally got to the end of it, you'll see why it's the Longest Journey. The longest part is being able to stand the BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! I'd sit through a Woody Allen film festival with a bottle of No-Doz before I'd ever play this game again.
Rating: Summary: A fair decent title, but not for impatient types! Review: This was my first so-called "adventure" game. I bought a used copy based on Amazon customers' hype ("This is THE game!"). Most reviews were 4 or 5 stars. Personally, I find it not what it's cracked up to be. Good points include pretty graphics, a standout soundtrack, and good voice acting, among other things. And some of it is just downright hilarious! Lead character April Ryan being sarcastic to a cop:"Oh, I just love a man in uniform!" (...) Please move along! Nothing to see here." I should mention that the game does have a rather feminist bent ("We must protect the men and children from the snapjaw"). The thing about TLJ is that there is an excessive amount of info and dialogue. Many times you have to sit thru minutes-on-end of tiring conversations to both get clues and choose among 1-to-several lines to continue with the game. Be prepared, there's a creature who looks like Jabba the Hutt's two-legged ancestor and sounds like 1970's sportscaster Howard Cosell with a major grammar problem that at one point you have to listen talk for 20 minutes! And he talks slooooooowly. And while I'm at it, there's this dude who floats around in a wheelchair-esque "hoverchair" who's got the coolest tech rig you've ever seen. He can crack government codes and stuff. He also has the trashiest mouth, however, which gives the game a language rating. Be patient, and enjoy! P.S.: You may want to get a good sound card and/or speakers. The music's a little too quiet.
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