Wouldn't you find it rather frustrating to get introduced to a game that you want to really like so much, but find yourself a bit frustrated that you can't get into it as easily as someone else? It's not like you're not a master of the genre at hand or don't have the kind of thinking process that could easily get into this sort of game, but it's that certain piece of the puzzle that's missing that keeps you from seeing the entire experience as the developers intended. I have a fear that a few people are going to feel this way about Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, and that's too bad, because the game has more going for it than you might expect.

If the title sounds familiar to some of you, think back to the beginning of this era. I'm talking early 2000. Funcom released back then a game called The Longest Journey which had a play system similar to that of Escape From Monkey Island, with a point-and-click format. What set it apart, however, was its expansive storyline, taking you in a number of directions and introducing you to an enthralling mystery that managed to stick with you. For a PC game, it managed to push a lot further at the time in terms of detail and depth, and becoming more involving than one might expect. in fact, now that I think about it, I never finished it. Gah, and here I am with a new computer. Curse my timing.

The game revolved around a young woman named April Ryan who found out that a parallel version of Earth, known as Stark in that game, exists and is known as Arcadia. However, there was a fine balance established between the two that became interrupted by a strange force, leaving April to act quickly to make sure that neither world was disrupted or destroyed. The second game follows up ten years down the road, with a new girl named Zoe, who's studying bioengineering in the small town of Casablanca (insert Humphrey Bogart joke here). She's having all sorts of turmoil in her life, not sure which way she wants to go or even if she wants to go. That's when she receives strange messages indicating that April Ryan needs a rescue, and the adventure kicks off.

One thing that can be said about Dreamfall is that it is involving, although it helps if you familiarize yourself with The Longest Journey first. The developers at Funcom, God bless 'em, try to include casual mentions of the first game's events and such to keep new gamers from getting too lost, but the best way to approach is with a good knowledge of the past. Those who have one will find this adventure just as enthralling and able to suck you in as Journey did, as the storyline twists and turns without bordering somewhere on the silly side of things. Funcom backs this with superb dialogue and great voice acting that stays true to character.

There's also something to be said about the graphics. While you won't find anything here that really takes advantage of the Xbox hardware (after all, the PC version seems better suited for this kind of game), there are some vivid environments here that explode to life, whether checking out the back areas of Casablanca or digging deeper. It has a staying presence that many will find worth exploring, backed by solid animation and imaginative designs.

The gameplay is wonderfully mapped out for the Xbox pad, so those expecting a highly complicated interface will be sorely disappointed. The controls are simple to follow and rather easy to use, and there's also some mini-games that help pass the time rather well, maybe even enough to throw you off your quest from time to time. If I'm bothered by anything, it's Funcom's attempt to throw in other game types into the formula. The fighting/action stages don't hold up as well as the exploration factor, thanks to a gameplay system that's a bit too basic. The stealth sequences are also unnecessary, as the game has enough good tension to go around as it is and didn't really need any sneakiness. I suppose Funcom tried to make this a bit more console friendly, but when a formula works, you don't tinker with it.

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is probably going to have a mixed performance on the Xbox, and it deserves better. Funcom would've been wise to just leave the extra gameplay features out of the game and stuck to what worked best, an involving adventure piece that's just as good as the original Journey. The curious should definitely give it a look, as there's a lot beneath the surface in terms of story and ambience, moreso than most Xbox games on the market. Hell, this may be just the game to stir up interest back in the original. I certainly hope so, and hope that we don't have to wait six years for the eventual conclusion.

Our Final ScoreOK

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