Others say...

"Fantastic Graphics, Easy to Follow Game - Addictive!"
I like Nancy Drew series type of role-playing, work-at-your-own-pace games, that don't involve constant clicking, scrolling and fighting or gun-shooting. I like thinking games with puzzles and a bit-more degree of ease (than I found when I tried to play Myst, for example. Although I loved Myst it was far more difficult to play at the end of a long work day when my brain was weary.) This game was a great fit all around!

I bought this game looking for something with better (higher-resolution) graphics, than the Nancy Drew games, and boy did I get my money's worth. Not only does it look/ play great, the game was easy to figure out with minimal direction. I never "got lost" even if I stopped and started the game again a week or more later. There is even a diary to look back at and re-trace your conversations and steps to help you out. There are not just a few rooms or locations that you revisit over and over, like in some games, but instead, there are a seemingly limitless number of locals you go to and investigate. Of course, you do go back to places you've already been, but there are always some changes that revive it or new people to have conversation with.

The plot and theme are light enough to understand and follow, yet deep enough to keep from being boring or predictable. With so many places the game takes you through, it was like being in a whole new world with seemingly limitless places to go!

Beware those who want a game they can easily walk away easily from. I would have so much fun, 3 hours may have went by before I noticed. This game requires light concentration in some areas and some stronger reasoning and problem-solving skills in other parts. You might be forced to possibly re-walk your steps to see if you missed something (clues aren't always obvious) or get a better look at your "inventory" to see how you can use or it even combine items to make something all new to help you out of situations.

I liked this game so much, I ran out and bought the sequel the day after I finished it. That one was even better! I am itching for a 3rd version to come out, but I am not sure if one is in the works or not. I may need to get "Siberia" or something like that to hold me over in the meantime. I hear it is somewhat similar.

"Just didn't care for it."
I played a couple of adventure games (Syberia and another one I don't recall) and I got really enthralled by this game genre, so, based on everyone's review, I got this one.
Technical issues aside, I just couldn't get drawn into it. The story is too new-agey, too "evil white males vs pure frolicking happy people", etc etc. I just couldn't get to care for the main character, for the plot (I found myself rooting for the bad guys), and would get annoyed at the choices I was given.
After enduring the first chapter, I had enough and uninstalled it.
The graphics (dated, but good) and execution (didn't encounter a single bug) save this one from a 1 star rating.

"Greatest Adventure Game of All Time?"
This could be the greatest adventure game of all time. I picked this one up after finishing Dreamfall. The voice acting is the best I've ever heard and the story line was great. April Ryan has to be one of the best game characters ever made. It's not because she is special, it's because she is so perfectly ordinary. The graphics are old and hard on the eyes but 7 years will do that. This game has very little action in it so stay away if that's what you want. I did enjoy Dreamfall a bit more but that's mostly because it was newer. Make sure you get the game patch from the official website and don't forget to check the voice outtakes after you finish the game. They are really funny. I hope a 3rd one comes out soon. They really left us hanging in Dreamfall.

My All time favorite PC games:

Battlefield 1942
Baldurs Gate 2
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
Half-Life 2
The Longest Journey



"long, soo long"
I love adventure games, seek and find games and puzzle games. Thinking that's what this game was and seeing how it got such good reviews I gave it a try. After about 4 hours of reading dialogue, I began to feel very disapointed. It's like it's a movie you have to click through and read for hours and then they'll throw in a puzzle which is ridiculously strange. " Turn of the light in the bathroom and replace an eyeball while the guy's on the toilet. What? Who is going to figure that out? Some sicko? Every time there was a puzzle, I had to use a walkthrough. I wanted to play a game not read for hours and hours then finally get a puzzle which doesn't make any sense. You are basically just constantly meeting new characters and talking and talking to them, going to get them something then talking and talking to someone else and on and on. And I am only on the third chapter. I am going to finish it, since I paid for it, but it is basically a total waste of time, I started playing tomb raider instead.

"Named "Game of the Year" for a Reason"
Graphics: Though I've seen worse graphics, it isn't the prettiest as it can be, but I suppose this is due to the fact that it was made in 2000. The characters and their actions are by far the worse--April is, plainly put, ugly and her "pretty" friend Emma isn't so pretty. Furthermore, the game interface isn't very attractive and could use some improvement. However, the scenery is still quite appealing.

Characters: Voice actors and well-worded dialogue really distinguish each and every character--all 50 of them--with their own developed personalities. You will hate some characters and you will fall in love with others. As stated above in graphics, the characters are often poorly designed, however.

Dialogue: If you've been reading the other reviews on The Longest Journey, you're probably really afraid that the long dialogue will kill you before you get past the first chapter. I know I was and it was really starting to get to me until I found the beauty of the ESC button (which can be used when Time Skip is enabled in Game Settings). It allows you to skip through conversations line by line so that you can still understand it without wasting time. This sped up the game significantly without detracting from the quality and comprehension of the conversations. Some may say the seemingly never ending conversations take away from the gameplay, but it actually makes the story more realistic and gives each character personality. A lot of it is actually really funny and witty, so I'd say it does quite the opposite.

Gameplay: The game is very entertaining and challenging overall--you will probably need to use a hint at least once every few chapters. There are dozens of puzzles in the game, but most of them aren't exactly what I'd call "puzzles." Usually, you have to figure out how to get a person to do what you want, like leave or give you something, which is equally, if not more, as fun. However, there are still the traditional types of puzzles where you use trial-and-error on some sort of machine or device. Overall, the gameplay is very enjoyable and lengthy. There are 13 chapters in the game. With Time Skip enabled and the use of a hint occasionally, it will still take you at least a few days to finish so it's definitely worth every dollar!

Storyline: The storyline is surprisingly complex and interesting so I can definitely understand why people compare this game to a novel because it truly is like a fantasy book made into an interactive game. However, you do have some control over the storyline, which makes it even more interesting, especially in choosing your choice of words. Though I've read much more amazing and shocking storylines, this one is probably by far the best ever made in an adventure game (aside from its sequel, which I have yet to play).

Technical Problems: Though installation was a breeze, I've encountered a few technical problems with the game, which have been more like annoyances rather than anything major. The first problem was a bug with one of the "puzzles." Though I was doing everything right, April still couldn't finish the task. I finally managed to fix this problem when I reassembled the item in a different order, which shouldn't have mattered. The rest of the technical issues were just the occasional, usually brief lag times in the game where it would just freeze for a few seconds (the longest has probably been like 30 seconds) and then go back to normal. My computer isn't particularly slow or old, so I don't know what caused this, but it can get rather annoying. There are a few other bugs in the game, but nothing that will prevent you from completing the game.

Overall: I think you should definitely buy this game if you love great plots, adventures, and puzzles. It's definitely one of the best adventure games you'll ever spend your money on. Don't be discouraged if you're not much of a gamer--this game requires no hand-eye coordination whatsoever, just plain thinking and logic.


TIPS FOR GAMEPLAY--
* Enable time skip to skip through long conversations at will and fast-forward through April's running from one spot to another, which can take a very long time.

* To switch through the items in your inventory quickly without having to open your inventory first, press A and S.

* To find all exits in a scene, press X.

* Hints: Check out the Universal Hints and Longest Journey websites.

OTHER GAME SUGGESTIONS --
If you're into playing adventure games that focus more on puzzle solving, have fewer/short "movie" scenes, have no cuss words, and takes less time to complete, I'd invest on buying a few of the Nancy Drew adventure games. My favorites include Stay Tuned for Danger, The Message in the Haunted Mansion, Treasure in the Royal Tower, The Final Scene, Secret of the Scarlet Hand, The Curse of Blackmoor Manor, and Danger by Design.