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Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is a pretty excellent game.

Ramen NoodleRamen Noodle whoa, god has a picture of me!Registered User regular
edited September 2008 in Games and Technology
Seriously, I picked up a brand new copy of it today at Half Price Books for like $7. This game is still beautiful and is one of the first adventure games I've played in a long time. The dialogue is rather excellent and the plot is compelling so far (I'm only like 2 hours in and I just
Did the little bit with April, and got to Newport.
). I'd make a real OP for this but I don't want anything spoiled for me accidentally. Who else has played this?

Ramen Noodle on
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    LittleBootsLittleBoots Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Ramen Noodle wrote: »
    Seriously, I picked up a brand new copy of it today at Half Price Books for like $7. This game is still beautiful and is one of the first adventure games I've played in a long time. The dialogue is rather excellent and the plot is compelling so far (I'm only like 2 hours in and I just
    Did the little bit with April, and got to Newport.
    ). I'd make a real OP for this but I don't want anything spoiled for me accidentally. Who else has played this?

    I still haven't finished Beyond Good and Evil, I should hurry up and do that before my 99 cent month of gametap is up =/

    LittleBoots on

    Tofu wrote: Here be Littleboots, destroyer of threads and master of drunkposting.
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    GlalGlal AiredaleRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I adore the Longest Journey series. Wonderfully written from start to finish; and while many objected to the second game's simplification, I loved it. Felt like playing an interactive movie. Wish they'd given you a better combat tutorial though, by the time I needed it I'd forgotten any tips the tutorial might have suggested but never forced me to learn.

    Glal on
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    NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    After playing partially through the first (up to the point where you could unlock the outtakes... I forget the chapter and my save file got corrupted after that) I'm glad they simplified it. That one puzzle with the fucking rubber duck and clamp? What the fuck was that?

    Nocren on
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    DashuiDashui Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I absolutely loved this game, too, and am eagerly awaiting the sequel. I was quite sad to hear it wasn't being made, and rejoiced when it turned out it was. They're making it in episodic format, though, and there hasn't been word on it for quite some time. Has anyone heard anything about it recently?

    Dashui on
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    AntihippyAntihippy Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Play the first one then.

    I haven't finished it myself, because it is looooooooong, but it is also rather excellent if ugly.

    Antihippy on
    10454_nujabes2.pngPSN: Antiwhippy
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    GlalGlal AiredaleRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    TLJ is ugly? Did you try turning on antialiasing? Not the highest resolution ever, but the pre-rendered backdrops haven't aged at all. CG cutscenes however are a bit so-so, yeah; the character models are pretty meh.
    I personally played TLJ with the Universal Hint System on the side. The story was far too good to pause it for long periods of time as an obscure puzzle popped up.

    Dashui: it's episodic in that it's a trilogy story-wise. Not in the Valve "you're getting 1/3 of the game" sense.

    Glal on
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    AntihippyAntihippy Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Glal wrote: »
    TLJ is ugly? Did you try turning on antialiasing? Not the highest resolution ever, but the pre-rendered backdrops haven't aged at all. CG cutscenes however are a bit so-so, yeah; the character models are pretty meh.

    Yeah, that's pretty much my problem with it. The pre-rendered backgrounds are awesome, but the character models are so bad that the contrast gives me a headache.

    Antihippy on
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    LegbaLegba He did. Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I loved Dreamfall. So much so that after beating the game, I gave away my copy to a friend and went out and bought the collector's edition so I could get The Longest Journey and the art book.

    Playing TLJ clears up a lot of little things they hint at but don't explain in Dreamfall. Nothing major, but it's pretty neat all the same.

    Anyway, I'm not expecting the sequel to Dreamfall anytime soon - FunCom's resources are all packed up in Conan and have been for quite a while now. Perhaps now that the game is finally out... who knows.

    Legba on
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    rippa2krippa2k Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    TLJ is one of the defining moments in adventure game history... A game that came out of nowhere, and yet will be with me until the day I die.

    Truly a work of genius...

    rippa2k on
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    GlalGlal AiredaleRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Legba wrote: »
    Anyway, I'm not expecting the sequel to Dreamfall anytime soon - FunCom's resources are all packed up in Conan and have been for quite a while now. Perhaps now that the game is finally out... who knows.
    Surely that's a different team though?

    Glal on
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    CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I love Dreamfall as well. A lot of people hate it. Yeah, it's got pointless action sequences, and a cliffhanger ending, but it's still the best adventure game to come out this side of Sam & Max. The story is just as good as it ever was, too.

    I should play it again.

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
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    LegbaLegba He did. Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Glal wrote: »
    Legba wrote: »
    Anyway, I'm not expecting the sequel to Dreamfall anytime soon - FunCom's resources are all packed up in Conan and have been for quite a while now. Perhaps now that the game is finally out... who knows.
    Surely that's a different team though?

    I wouldn't bet on it. FunCom isn't that big. For comparison's sake, they released Dreamfall 5 years after their last MMO, Anarchy Online. Given that Age of Conan is their bread and butter, and still has a 360 release in waiting, I'd expect a similar if not longer turnaround for a Dreamfall sequel, even if they did have a team currently working on it - which I wouldn't bet on.

    Legba on
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    ArceusArceus Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Cherrn wrote: »
    it's still the best adventure game to come out this side of Sam & Max.
    Manny Calavera would like to have a word with you.

    Arceus on
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    BioPortBioPort Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Legba wrote: »
    Glal wrote: »
    Legba wrote: »
    Anyway, I'm not expecting the sequel to Dreamfall anytime soon - FunCom's resources are all packed up in Conan and have been for quite a while now. Perhaps now that the game is finally out... who knows.
    Surely that's a different team though?

    I wouldn't bet on it. FunCom isn't that big. For comparison's sake, they released Dreamfall 5 years after their last MMO, Anarchy Online. Given that Age of Conan is their bread and butter, and still has a 360 release in waiting, I'd expect a similar if not longer turnaround for a Dreamfall sequel, even if they did have a team currently working on it - which I wouldn't bet on.


    Plus, they have that MMO The Secret World in the pipeline after Conan.

    It's going to be a long wait.

    BioPort on
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    galenbladegalenblade Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    The TLJ series is fantastic. I usually point to April Ryan when the "No good female role models in gaming" argument comes up. She's a great character without becoming a stereotype.

    When Dreamfall came out, I opted for the (very) limited edition. Took forever to get here, but worth it.

    WRT the continuation, I've been following Ragnar Tornquist's (Lead Writer for TLJ and Dreamfall) blog, and he's essentially said that Dreamfall Chapters is sort of on the back burner until Funcom can get ahead of Age of Conan and The Secret World. Full post about that is here. EDIT: Contains spoilers for the end of Dreamfall.

    galenblade on
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    CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Arceus wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    it's still the best adventure game to come out this side of Sam & Max.
    Manny Calavera would like to have a word with you.

    Oh, I meant to say the best recent adventure game, since it and Sam & Max are the only really good ones to be released in the past two or three years.

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
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    emnmnmeemnmnme Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Arceus wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    it's still the best adventure game to come out this side of Sam & Max.
    Manny Calavera would like to have a word with you.

    Oh, I meant to say the best recent adventure game, since it and Sam & Max are the only really good ones to be released in the past two or three years.

    Return to Mysterious Island was good, dammit!


    "What would you like for dinner, Zoe?"
    :whistle:Spaghetti!:whistle:

    emnmnme on
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    GlalGlal AiredaleRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    galenblade wrote: »
    WRT the continuation, I've been following Ragnar Tornquist's (Lead Writer for TLJ and Dreamfall) blog, and he's essentially said that Dreamfall Chapters is sort of on the back burner until Funcom can get ahead of Age of Conan and The Secret World. Full post about that is here. EDIT: Contains spoilers for the end of Dreamfall.
    Hatred for Conan... growing.

    Glal on
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    SeptusSeptus Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    rippa2k wrote: »
    TLJ is one of the defining moments in adventure game history... A game that came out of nowhere, and yet will be with me until the day I die.

    Truly a work of genius...

    So what you're saying is, I should buy it on Steam?

    Septus on
    PSN: Kurahoshi1
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    JinxJinx Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    TBH I didn't like Dreamfall nearly as much as the original TLJ. At first I thought being able to see the world, which was stunning pre-rendered, in 3D was AWESOME. But unfortunately it didn't make up for some of the other necessary elements of 3D... like, you know, moving. It felt clunky and not much fun. I also felt the combat was poorly executed and only added to give the game "mainstream appeal," and as far as I know it never got mainstream traction anyway. It was also extremely short and the ending lacked closure.

    Trilogy? fine. but TLJ had the grace to give itself a complete storyline. Dreamfall felt like half a storyline.

    Jinx on
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    BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    The only problem with Dreamfall was the combat. Everything else was excellent.

    Blackjack on
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    Bob SappBob Sapp Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Dreamfall is barely a game. It's an interactive movie with no real puzzles and lame action sequences. Very disappointed in it. The first TLJ was awesome, though.

    Bob Sapp on
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    PMAversPMAvers Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Jinx wrote: »
    Trilogy? fine. but TLJ had the grace to give itself a complete storyline. Dreamfall felt like half a storyline.

    Technically, it was. Chapters, whenever it comes out, will be the second half of that book.

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    emnmnmeemnmnme Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    There were maybe two puzzles total in Dreamfall.

    emnmnme on
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    jothkijothki Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    emnmnme wrote: »
    There were maybe two puzzles total in Dreamfall.

    Lemme think...
    Connecting the sheet and towel together and hanging them from the window, and matching up those symbols in the maze thing, right?

    jothki on
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    RohanRohan Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I love these games so much, I could hug them all day long :)

    Rohan on
    ...and I thought of how all those people died, and what a good death that is. That nobody can blame you for it, because everyone else died along with you, and it is the fault of none, save those who did the killing.

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    InitialDKInitialDK Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I agree with the detractors. I have played TLJ probably 10 times since it came out in English and it is one of the best games of its genre if not the swan song of adventure games. Dreamfall dissapointed me.


    Back when I was younger and more passionate about it I wrote literally essays and pages of posts on different forums talking about the good points and what I considered the many bad points of Dreamfall. I think it had great potential but overall felt like a disjointed and incomplete experience and the writing/story/character development was no where near as great as TLJ.

    I actually envy those who loved Dreamfall because I really wanted to.

    InitialDK on
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    JinxJinx Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I really wanted to like it too.
    ...

    :(

    Jinx on
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    RohanRohan Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Everyone here fell instantly in love with Zoe, right?

    Because I know I did.

    Rohan on
    ...and I thought of how all those people died, and what a good death that is. That nobody can blame you for it, because everyone else died along with you, and it is the fault of none, save those who did the killing.

    Nothing's forgotten, nothing is ever forgotten
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    Bob SappBob Sapp Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    You should all play Runaway instead for some good old fashion adventurin'.

    Bob Sapp on
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    CheesechickCheesechick Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Glal wrote: »
    TLJ is ugly? Did you try turning on antialiasing? Not the highest resolution ever, but the pre-rendered backdrops haven't aged at all. CG cutscenes however are a bit so-so, yeah; the character models are pretty meh.
    I personally played TLJ with the Universal Hint System on the side. The story was far too good to pause it for long periods of time as an obscure puzzle popped up.

    Dashui: it's episodic in that it's a trilogy story-wise. Not in the Valve "you're getting 1/3 of the game" sense.

    I thought Chapters was actually going to be comprised of episodic games that made up the conclusion of the plot that started in Dreamfall?

    I adored Dreamfall. I agree with the detractors somewhat (action sequences were clunky and lame, simplification of/lack of puzzles was disappointing) I really feel the writing/characters/plot/setting/atmosphere makes up for all its flaws. Sure it can feel like an interactive movie at times, but with characters and a story THAT good it doesn't really bother me. I felt more attached to Dreamfall's characters than I have with any other game.

    And maybe I'm the only one, but I absolutely love the ending. It's one of my favorite endings in any game ever. Sure, it's incomplete, but since they will eventually conclude it I don't see a problem with having a kickass well-executed cliffhanger. I love that...
    ...the game ends right when you (and Zoe) feel at your lowest. It feels like you've failed at everything you've set out to accomplish in the game, and that's a pretty powerful sentiment. Reza is possibly dead, April's been shot and her fate is unknown (to Zoe, anyway), Zoe is trapped in a dream world, and you find out that Zoe's mom is one of the baddies. Oh, and I think it's an optional movie you get at the end, but I got misty-eyed when Wonkers said he would stay by Zoe's side until she woke up, in the hopes that she would want to play a game with him. Awwww!
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Arceus wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    it's still the best adventure game to come out this side of Sam & Max.
    Manny Calavera would like to have a word with you.

    Oh, I meant to say the best recent adventure game, since it and Sam & Max are the only really good ones to be released in the past two or three years.

    Phoenix Wright would like a word with you, also.

    Cheesechick on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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    GlalGlal AiredaleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Bob Sapp wrote: »
    You should all play Runaway instead for some good old fashion adventurin'.
    Maybe some of us don't really care for Good Old Fashioned Adventuring any more. I know I don't. I loved the old adventure games for the writing, but I never got any sort of thrill or pleasure out of figuring out a puzzle that stumped me, merely an annoyed "oh come the fuck on, the other 3 solutions could also have done this". Since I have a job now, that sort of gameplay is even less appealing.
    On the other hand, I revel in the likes of Dreamfall and the new Sam'n'Max. Quality writing and puzzles simple enough to add to the experience, rather than pause it for hours at a time? Yes please.

    Glal on
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    ArceusArceus Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Cheesechick wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Arceus wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    it's still the best adventure game to come out this side of Sam & Max.
    Manny Calavera would like to have a word with you.

    Oh, I meant to say the best recent adventure game, since it and Sam & Max are the only really good ones to be released in the past two or three years.

    Phoenix Wright would like a word with you, also.
    If you honestly think that Phoenix Wright is the best adventure game of all time you should probably broaden your scope a little, say beyond a single platform (the DS).

    Arceus on
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    CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Cheesechick wrote: »
    Phoenix Wright would like a word with you, also.

    Goddamn

    I love Phoenix Wright, but I don't think of it as an adventure game for whatever reason. It's an interactive novel, with minimal puzzle solving*

    *which is just an excuse to say I FORGOT THE FUCKING DS, which has several good adventure games.
    Arceus wrote: »
    If you honestly think that Phoenix Wright is the best adventure game of all time you should probably broaden your scope a little, say beyond a single platform (the DS).

    No one said that. Also, shut up.

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
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    CSeraphCSeraph Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Arceus, since thread you quoted itself reveals that you are caricaturing his post, uh.... yeah...

    Dreamfall is excellent and I need to go back to it, I am approximately where you are. Works great on X360 too.

    CSeraph on
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    PatboyXPatboyX Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Glal wrote: »
    Bob Sapp wrote: »
    You should all play Runaway instead for some good old fashion adventurin'.
    Maybe some of us don't really care for Good Old Fashioned Adventuring any more. I know I don't. I loved the old adventure games for the writing, but I never got any sort of thrill or pleasure out of figuring out a puzzle that stumped me, merely an annoyed "oh come the fuck on, the other 3 solutions could also have done this". Since I have a job now, that sort of gameplay is even less appealing.
    On the other hand, I revel in the likes of Dreamfall and the new Sam'n'Max. Quality writing and puzzles simple enough to add to the experience, rather than pause it for hours at a time? Yes please.

    I don't know, I like the old games and the new Sam n' Max but it seemed like Dreamfall was trying too hard. TLJ was fun even though the plot left something to be desired. At the very least the game wasn't broken and -generally- didn't use recycled puzzles. Those are a rarity in Adventure games these days. (I'm looking at you, Adventure Company.)

    PatboyX on
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    CheesechickCheesechick Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Arceus wrote: »
    Cheesechick wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Arceus wrote: »
    Cherrn wrote: »
    it's still the best adventure game to come out this side of Sam & Max.
    Manny Calavera would like to have a word with you.

    Oh, I meant to say the best recent adventure game, since it and Sam & Max are the only really good ones to be released in the past two or three years.

    Phoenix Wright would like a word with you, also.
    If you honestly think that Phoenix Wright is the best adventure game of all time you should probably broaden your scope a little, say beyond a single platform (the DS).

    Oh I don't think it's the best adventure game of all time (for starters, check my sig :wink:)- just one of the better ones to pop up in recent years.
    Glal wrote: »
    Bob Sapp wrote: »
    You should all play Runaway instead for some good old fashion adventurin'.
    Maybe some of us don't really care for Good Old Fashioned Adventuring any more. I know I don't. I loved the old adventure games for the writing, but I never got any sort of thrill or pleasure out of figuring out a puzzle that stumped me, merely an annoyed "oh come the fuck on, the other 3 solutions could also have done this". Since I have a job now, that sort of gameplay is even less appealing.
    On the other hand, I revel in the likes of Dreamfall and the new Sam'n'Max. Quality writing and puzzles simple enough to add to the experience, rather than pause it for hours at a time? Yes please.

    I love puzzle solving, but I think the problem is it's difficult for developers to find the right balance between too easy (Dreamfall) and too hard (rubber duckie puzzle in TLJ), especially since, when it comes to puzzle solving, difficulty is super subjective and varies from person to person. It's hard to find a good balance - for me, games like Day of the Tentacle had perfect puzzles. Just tricky enough that you had to think to get them, but not too difficult or overly complex. And that's the kind of thing I'd like to see more of. Dreamfall and the newer Sam & Max games are just a little too easy puzzle-wise for my taste.

    Cheesechick on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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    AntihippyAntihippy Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Cheesechick wrote: »
    (rubber duckie puzzle in TLJ)

    Oh god, seriously, fuck that puzzle.

    Antihippy on
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    RawrBearRawrBear Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I loved TLJ, every bit of it from the puzzles to the writing was great.

    I didn't really enjoy any of the "game" parts of Dreamfall. The combat was horrid, and 90% of the "Puzzles" consisted of following someones instructions or going to do their groceries. That being said I loved Dreamfall anyway, the writing was great, the acting was great, Zoe was an awesome character, and seeing all the characters from the original that showed up again in the sequel made me giggle with glee.
    Also, Crow <3

    RawrBear on
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    StormwatcherStormwatcher Blegh BlughRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I love the bear thing in Dreamfall
    I still have to rally play both games though.

    Stormwatcher on
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