"In a Dying Genre, The Longest Journey Shines with Hope"

The point-n-click adventure games used to thrive on the PC market, and were once considered ''the thinking mans game.'' Back in the day, adventures like Monkey Island, Sam & Max, Kings Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry were amongst the most popular titles in both the genre and the PC. However, in this day and age, the genre is dying, and many, many gamers out there are probably unfamiliar with the genre all together. So what exactly is a ''point-n-click'' adventure game? Simple really: you take control of one character, have an interface usually consisting of an inventory, and a cursor to click on areas of the environment where your character can walk to and interact with. Some of the more recent games of the genre include Grim Fandango, Escape from Monkey Island, and even the Myst series. However, these games were popular back in the 90's, and here in the 21st century, while a small few companies are trying to revive the genre, it's just simply falling flat.

But The Longest Journey is by far one of the best games available of its dying genre, as well as adventure games all together. It's a great experience if you have the patience to get into it.

Story: 9/10

Like in pretty much all point-n-click adventure games, the story plays a very big role in the experience, and The Longest Journey is no exception. You play the role of a young college student named April Ryan. Basically she comes to realize that she is a ''Shifter'' and can shift between two alternate Earths, one that excels in science (like our own world) and one that excels in magic in a fantasy like earth. There is imbalance between both worlds, and chaos is reeking havoc. The Guardian of the Balance between both worlds is missing and it's up to April to try and save the world, basically.

I don't want to delve into the story too much, because it really is something truly fantastic and it's basically the main reason to play the game. My own vague description might sound pretty cliche, throughout the game it does sort of feel cliche, but by the ending of the game, it really isn't cliche and the story is actually quite original and very well drawn out.

The characters really bring this game to life, and believe me, there are a lot of characters. Some interesting, some not so much. But almost every main character is interesting, especially April Ryan herself. She's what brings the story, and thus this game, to life. Her character is witty, funny, and all-together just really interesting and great to watch her develop, and she's never really annoying either in the process. Another character I really liked was this talking bird named Crow. He's the comic relief in the game, but he isn't out of place at all. He reminded me much like Murray the talking skull from the Monkey Island series, if you are familiar with them.

Ultimately the story is very epic, but it might be pretty difficult to get into at first. It starts out very very slow, and some gamers might not have the patience or will to get into it. But stick with it, and you'll certainly enjoy it.

Gameplay: 9/10

The point-n-click genre is something most modern gamers probably would have a hard time getting into. It's mainly for old-schoolers. Everything about the gameplay is about puzzle solving and dialogue, and that's all. There is no fighting in the game, and if there is, you have to solve it by using a puzzle. You also can't die in this game. I can not stress this enough: the game is all about dialogue and puzzles, just like just about all point-n-click adventure games.

With that said, the puzzles in this game are pretty straight forward. Some are pretty obvious, while others will no doubt stump you. You mainly pick up items in your environment, put them into your inventory, and use them later on to solve puzzles and what not.

One very heavy asset to everything the game offers in both story and gameplay is the dialogue. Every piece of dialogue is done with voice overs, and it's a good thing too, because there are lots and lots and lots of dialogue. This game is almost like an interactive book in some ways. There is so much dialogue that the game spans out over 4 discs. That's right - 4 discs. Of course, this is probably the result of the numerous FMV's in the game, but they are all relatively short FMV's. But it's the dialogue, that makes this game both a joy and at the same time a drag. There are moments where the dialogue is great, and others where it just drags on and on and on... And unfortunately you can't pause during dialogue either. However, you can click through the dialogue via a click of the mouse if you so desired, and there will be clicking, for some characters like to purposely talk slow.

A nice touch to the game is April's Diary. The diary tells you what April is thinking during key moments in the plot and can even give you some clues on what to do next if you're stuck. The diary is very cool, and it really makes April feel like a real person.

Graphics:

It's hard to rate the graphics. This game came out in 2000, and for back then they were very good. I'd give the graphics an 8 or 9. However, by todays standards they are, obviously, out of date. Although they certainly aren't primitive or sore on the eyes, it isn't up to date, so by 2004's standards, I'd rate them a 6 or 7.

The FMV's are the same way. They are cool to watch, but unfortunately none of them are very long at all, usually lasting one or two minutes at the longest.

Sound/Audio: 8/10

Like I mentioned earlier, everything is voiced. Just about all of the voice acting in TLJ is very well done. The only downside, as also mentioned earlier, is that many times the dialogue is very, very long.

The music is also pretty good. I'll be honest though, it could have used more tunes, and none of the music is really memorable, but when it's played, which is usually during FMV sequences, the music is very good.

Replayability: 4/10

Most adventure games only require one playthrough for you to get the most out of them, and once again TLJ is no exception. However, unlike most games of its genre, TLJ has some unlockable content: outtakes, a concept art gallery, and some deleted music. It isn't much, but it was a very nice little touch and worth checking out once you've beat the game. The only reason to replay the game would be for the story, and I heard there was an alternate ending.

Final Thoughts:

If you're a long time fan of the genre that brought forth great games like Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, Space Quest, and Full Throttle (from LucasArts and Sierra), you must play The Longest Journey. For anyone thinking about getting the game, I warn you now that plan on having a lot of time to spend when you play. The game itself is pretty long (hence the title) but that's mainly if you don't figure out the puzzles quickly. Even if you do, or use a walkthrough, the game is still pretty long due to its massive dialogue.

The story of the game is really fantastic, and if you're a fan of this now dying genre you should definitely pick it up. There is also a sequel coming out soon called Dreamfall, so the genre is not completely dead yet. If you can find the game, and you like the genre, definitely pick this one up.

Overall (especially for it's genre): 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/19/04, Updated 05/12/04