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Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Clumsy combat and adventure games just don't mix

Imagine a majestic bald eagle soaring through the sky, not a care in the world except for where its next furry meat-snack is coming from. Now imagine that same eagle trying to flap its wings with a brick tied to its talons. That's pretty much how we'd sum up Dreamfall: The Longest Journey - a high-flying, classically-styled adventure that's been weighed down with several unnecessary and awkward fighting sequences.

Dreamfall is a sequel to The Longest Journey, a highly regarded PC adventure game from 2000 that was big with the "point-and-click" crowd of adventure purists. However, that genre continues to struggle for mainstream acceptance. So, to make Dreamfall more accessible (and probably more Xbox-friendly), the sequel travels a more accessible action/adventure route in this follow-up.

Well, kinda. Heroine Zoe Castillo can wander her environments freely, guided around by your movement of the Xbox pad's left analog stick (no pointing required). Then, any interactions with the environment - climbing, chatting, picking up items, even walking up stairs - are triggered by pressing a single action button only when an on-screen icon says you can do so.

Dreamfall's adventure roots are also apparent in your character's "Focus Field", a feature that pops up once in awhile and channels your attention onto a particular object or person in the form of a big blue beam of light. Its use is only required a few times during the entire game, though; you may forget the mode even exists until you get stuck.

 
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Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Genre: Adventure
Expected release date: 4/25/2006
Published by: Aspyr
Developed by: Funcom
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Clumsy combat and adventure games just don't mix
Xbox Review  -  Apr 26, 2006