Longest Journey

Can anyone give me the lowdown on the journey.
Some say it's cool others hate it real bad. <img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/woozy.gif" />

The Longest Journey is a completely unique game. First of all, it is long. Maybe the longest adventure game I have played.

There aren't a lot of traditional "puzzles" in it. A few early on and there is one chapter set at sea that has a few. What "puzzling" there is is largely situational/conversation-based. "Find so-and-so and talk to him about such-and-such." The game is much more driven by plot and dialogue than by puzzling. And it is a well fleshed out plot, though the myriad details of the backstory can leave your head reeling.

It is also one of the only (if not the only) games in which you will see actual character growth, development and change.

The main reason that the game is so controversial is the sheer enormity of the amount of dialogue. In particular, there is one section of the game where you are forced to endure a twenty minute long monologue on the history of a planet. Overall, I would say that 2/3 to 3/4 of the total game time is spent in conversation.

Some people thoroughly enjoyed this amount of character interaction. Some people were bored to tears with it.

Sounds like it might be a little overwhelming at times. I hope you can atleast pause it during the twenty minute monologue.

I'm definitely in the minority here but, I didn't like it at all. There was just so much dialogue to go through that, for me, it took away from everything else. I could have just read a book instead.
Rusty

I was trying to avoid personal opinions and give "just the facts," Rusty, but I certainly understand that attitude. We have very mixed feelings about the game ourselves.

Think I gave a pretty accurate overview of the game and why opinions are so split on it?

Sounds similar to egypt1156 that was a character based game too if my memory serves correctly.

The only game that I can compare TLJ to is Syberia. In many ways, TLJ is the game that Syberia aspired to be a much more compact version of.

TLJ was nothing like Egypt 1156 BC. Maybe you're thinking of different game, Hemlock.

By the way, there should be a game option you can check so you are able to skip dialogs.
I enjoyed the voice acting myself, but some people preferred to skip the dialogs and read the synopsis of them in the diary or log sections.

I was refering to character interaction maybe it was alantis the lost tales. where you have to interact in order to accomplish a task.I know one of the games was very story driven

Hemlock, you need to check out the Twisty list, which is a list of every Boomers favorite 15 games of all time. The top 20 from everyones list is posted on the home page. Enjoy.

I thought it was a great game.

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" /> Where do I find this twisty list I found it, I guess I should read more carefully before I jump back in with a reply. Thanks Johnboy

The top 20 games that made the final list are posted on the Boomers Home Page. I guess I should do the same <img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/woozy.gif" />

I found the list. I've played alot of them already. I'll have to sit down and make up a list.

Even the game itself knows that it is long-winded! At one point April is listening to an old fisherman tell a long tale and she curls up on the dock and goes to sleep! LOL!
I loved that game so much, but I love games with a lot of character interaction and story, regardless of the length of the conversations.

BJ's assessment of TLJ is the fairest I've seen. It is definitely a unique game, and not to everyone's liking. IMHO it is as much an adventure game classic as Myst. I loved almost every part of it, and have played it through 3 times. Although I have played all kinds of PC games for years, (since '86), it was TLJ that brought me into the adventure game fold. This was the one that made me say, "This is what I want in a game! Find me some more!"

Thank you very much, Fairygdmther! What a nice compliment.

I really did try to keep opinions out of my assessment and just give Hemlock "the lowdown."

I did like the game, but also found it extremely long-winded, though I was warned. I got into it more after Stark, did not care for all the bad language. After going under the sea, then I was really involved and finally listened to the conversations. Previous to that I would just click on the dialog, then go off to do something needed in the house. After all, can always read it later in her journal. So it was dash into the room, click, then dash out, then come back later and do it again. I could do with more action, less talk, but I did enjoy the game, overall.

Extremely fair sum up of the game BJ, well done Keep writing like that and you'll be recruited to write many more reviews

Hawk, I preferred to listen to most of the dialouge but there were a few times that I clicked on it and left the room. The ol' "click and dash"

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you can skip dialog in TLJ with the ESC key ...?

Kim

I just finished this game about 2 weeks ago. I have to say that I really enjoyed it, and even had tears in my eyes at the ending. finishing up Grim Fandango with Runaway on deck......

It sure sounds like the majority of GB'ers liked it. I bought TLJ and Syberia on-line.
I'm on pins and needles waiting for them to arrive. From what I can gather I should play TLJ before I play Syberia.

Hemlock, I think the bottom line is that some people absolutely loved the game and others did not for the exact reasons that BacardiJim gave. BTW, BarcardiJim, that was a great way to describe the game factually. I would suggest that you try the game for yourself. The cost is just 19.99 which is not bad for an adventure game.

I prefer 1st person but TLJ is the exception, I loved it inspite of all the long winded conversation, and as dmtomchick says the ending is very moving. Definately play TLJ first, I found syberia a little bit lacking somehow, couldn't quite get totally immersed in it.
Sylvia

PLay syberia first so you save what just may be the best adventure game ever, The Longest Journey for last.

TLJ is what all adventure games should be like but none of them come close. It deserves to be a classic much more so than myst. myst just happened to come out at the right time but the game itself is barely even an adventure game, but rather a puzzle game.

I totally agree!! I got really, really involved with the characters and the story in this game. It completely grabbed me; and when it was over, I was bummed for quite awhile.

I guess it all depends on your perspective: Maybe TLJ never would have made it as a classic at the time Myst did because TLJ might have been considered barely an adventure game since it was about some chick in some sort of plot with a bunch of pretty pictures and no really good puzzles!

(I'm sorta kidding, but just 'sorta')

Syberia it is. Then TLJ.
Thanks everyone

Love the wizard!

It is cool isn't it?

I just read the dialogue faster than they did and hit escape in TLJ. Much quicker!
Ann

I liked the Longest Journey very much, but I found the dialogues very irritating. Still I have listen to all of them, because I was afraid, I would't understand how to go on if I did not.
josefien