Dreamfallen (i)
A ‘postmortem’ sounds so final. And it is. It’s something you do with a dead body – the dissection and examination of a corpse – and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey isn’t quite dead yet. The game’s still rolling out, and I’m personally hoping for sales to pick up again going into the holiday season. So I’m going to avoid using the term as much as possible, and focus on what this really is: not a dissection, but a diagnosis of sorts. A look back at Dreamfall: The Longest Journey – the genesis, the development, the response, and the future of the saga.
Keep in mind that all opinions stated in this article are mine and mine alone (my preciousss). In no way, shape, or form do they reflect the official opinions of my employer, Funcom (nor, indeed, those of my nation, Norway). That goes for all posts, not just this one. I’m an army of one.
With that out of the way, I give you this evening’s show:
Dreamfallen part (i), in which I talk about the critical and public reception of the game
When the first Dreamfall: The Longest Journey review was posted, on April 17th 2006, I was heartbroken. 7.4, from IGN? IGN, a site that rarely gives scores below 7.5? We weren’t expecting a perfect ten, but the general feeling on the team was that we’d done a good job, and that reviews ought to be relatively positive. And while 7.4 (7.5 for the Xbox version, for some reason, pushing the final verdict from ‘decent’ to ‘good’) wasn’t horrible, the review itself was a bit of a downer. IGN praised the story and the audio, and knocked pretty much everything else.
The next twenty-four hours were tough. We started questioning ourselves and the game, and we wondered if this was going to be a trend.
Luckily, the next day brought some much-needed sunshine. When the subsequent two reviews were as good as they were – an 8.1 from GameSpot and a perfect five-out-of-five from GameSpy (“outstanding!”) – that frown turned upside down. We rejoiced. For a while.
The next few weeks were the very definition of a roller-coaster ride. Not all critics were as kind as the ones from GameSpot and GameSpy. We received an ignoble 4.6/10 from 1up and EGM, and a punch-in-the-gut score of 3.5/10 from Play Magazine. (Personal opinions aside, I honestly think those scores were too low – regardless of the reviewer’s thoughts about the gameplay or the story. There are, after all, plenty of things in the game that are unquestionably well put together, and there are lots of lazy, ugly, cookie cutter games that get a higher score than that.)
From most other websites and magazines, we were handed sevens and eights. We received quite a few nines and a couple of tens, but as things evened out, we were left with an average review score in the high 70s for both Xbox and PC. Which isn’t bad. In fact, it’s pretty good. But it certainly wasn’t the massive critical success of The Longest Journey, and to be honest, we were expecting – or at least hoping for – more.
Here’s the thing, though: I can’t recall any other recent game with as many diverging review scores as Dreamfall – from 35% to 100% – and it all seemed to boil down to whether or not the reviewer was engrossed by the story and the world, and found the (perhaps simplistic or too-easy) adventure gameplay to be interesting enough to propel him or her through the game. Most did – some obviously didn’t.
There were some reviews that mattered more to me than others. Greg Kasavin’s write-up in GameSpot was the first to really warm my heart. The timing was perfect, coming off the almost-pan in IGN (as far as you can call 7.5 an ‘almost-pan’), and his review was thoughtful, personal, and well-written. He obviously had a hard time nailing down a score, and felt bad that he could ‘only’ give it an 8.1. I think his opinion summed up that of a lot of reviewers: Dreamfall was a tough game to rate.
There was a very late write-up – and essay on the role of narrative in computer games; it was more than ‘just’ a review – in the July issue of Computer Gaming World, which was very, very positive. Seeing as that came from the same publisher as 1up and EGM, not to mention that this was CGW, the classic PC gaming magazine that I read cover to cover back in the 80s and 90s, it felt like a vindication of sorts. Unfortunately, the review arrived without a score (why, CGW? Why?), and while I don’t necessarily see numeric scores as the be-all and end-all of reviews, they are important to people making buying choices – I base most of my purchases on the average review score – and the positive criticism didn’t do anything to increase our average.
The Edge review wasn’t by any measure gushing – they gave it a 7 out of 10 – but addressed the issues they had with the game in an intelligent and articulate manner…and besides, a seven from Edge is like a nine from most others: they work on a different scale, and they’re a whole lot pickier than most. The same went for John Walker’s PC Gamer UK review, where John was almost apologetic for having to give it 77% (and he emphasised that by saying that Dreamfall was the best 77% game he’d ever reviewed). Neither review was a straight-up rave, but they highlighted the positives and explained the negatives in a way that made me nod my head and say, yup, I get why they write that. Not that I agree with all of their opinions, but I respect them.
The Eurogamer review was also one I was looking forward to, because I think that, for the most part, their reviews are more intelligently written than anything else online – and again, I respect their opinions – but their review was pretty much a straight pan, with 5 points out of 10, and the use of the phrase “complete failure”. Again, I felt it was too harsh, all things considered, but that review still broke my heart a little – like getting a failing grade from one of your favourite teachers for writing an essay you were proud of.
Of course, the reviews from established adventure gaming sites like Adventure Gamers, Just Adventure, and Quandary – to mention a couple – were very important to me, although I also knew that those critics were more inclined to understand, approve of, and enjoy what we were trying to do. Not that their opinions mattered less, but I really did want people beyond the core adventure segment to discover Dreamfall and enjoy it, and those players don’t necessarily read the specialist sites. That said, I was ecstatic to receive an ‘A’ from Just Adventure based on their earlier misgivings about the title, and the 4/5 from Adventure Gamers and 5/5 from Quandary were certainly uplifting.
Finally, a few of the more mainstream write-ups from papers like Chicago Sun-Times, The Guardian, and the Sydney Morning Herald – and sites like CNN, The Onion, and Yahoo! Games – were important to me because they fell outside of the traditional gaming channels, and were more inclined to appreciate the focus on story and characters. All of these had plenty of positive things to say, without getting too hung up on the perceived lack of ‘gameness’. Particularly the Sun-Times review, which concluded that Roger Ebert really needed to take the game for a whirl, was one that I took pleasure in reading.
As for the rest of the reviews – I read most of them. Almost all of them. Twice. I’m obsessive like that, and critical opinion matters to me. If it’s one person’s personal grudge against the game, then it’s easy to ignore it – but the more people point something out, the more likely it’s something we need to think about and take a serious look at. Game reviewers play a lot of games, and they know how articulate their opinions about why something works or doesn’t work. And based on what the reviews say, there are things we would want to take a look at and do differently when making a sequel.
Yes, Dreamfall had its flaws. Obviously. Yes, the combat and stealth elements were somewhat lacking. Yes, the story did end abruptly. Yes, the game was too easy for some. And yes, those choices were intentional, and I will defend them. We were going for something different, we wanted to move the traditional adventure into a new era without the gameplay and interface complexity of non-adventures, and we were focusing on story in a way that few games have ever tried to do. And we did that latter part quite well. The reviews I respected weren’t afraid to criticise the things they felt didn’t work, while at the same time praising those that did work – and acknowledging the fact that a game doesn’t have to fall squarely within a preexisting category to be considered a game.
So what about the feedback from players? That is, after all, the most important measure of success. Reviewers… Well, they review lots of games. They play everything. They play everything quickly, for money. And sometimes they have to review games that they really don’t want to play or aren’t inclined to like. Players buy the games they want to play, and their opinions are entirely subjective and heartfelt. If they hate it, they really hate it – after all, they’ve spent $40-50 on it, and hours of their leisure time. If they love it, they often love it to death, warts and pimples and all. Even the ones who land in the middle are outspoken about it, and they often find things to both love and hate. They’re rarely, if ever, ambivalent about a game. And anyway, if that was the case, they wouldn’t go online to post their opinions.
Funny thing with the player feedback for Dreamfall was – still is – how passionate the comments were. There were lovers and there were haters, and there were people on the fence, but common to all the comments I’ve read and the mails I’ve received was the passion. The game obviously made people feel something, and that, to me, was the best response I could have asked for. I remember reading about this one woman who turned to religion because of the story – because of the theme, about how important it is to believe in something, to have faith. Whatever she felt about the mechanics, the game touched her in some deep and profound way, enough to actually change her life. How many times do you hear a story like that? How often does that happen?
The haters were equally passionate, and some people have been very outspoken about how disappointed they were, and how Dreamfall didn’t live up to their expectations after playing TLJ and waiting six years for a continuation or conclusion to the story. Because in a majority of cases, the players who felt really let down and disappointed by Dreamfall were those who were big fans of the first game. This is a thorny subject, because obviously we weren’t making a direct sequel – story- or gameplay-wise – and you could argue that some people were destined to hate it, regardless. But that’s a subject for a subsequent post in the series.
Like I said, however, the passionate response to the game from players is what made the three years we spent working on this game worthwhile. There are still lengthy discussions going on in the official forums, talking about everything from the plot – and the theories are numerous; some have gotten pretty damn close to the truth – to what people liked and disliked, lists of all dialogues, locations, and characters, analysis of names, dissection of themes, and so on. If I ever feel down about the game, a quick trip to the forums gets my spirits back up, because it’s obvious to me that we’ve created something of value, something lasting and living and deep. Not perfect, not to everyone’s taste, but something that has sparked discussions and, most importantly, passion.
Would I have liked it if everyone had loved the game? Well, yeah. But it doesn’t happen that often. There are only a handful of games every year that are universally loved by critics and players, and although I have to admit that I was a bit spoiled by TLJ, not everyone loved that game, either. There were haters – there are still haters – and they’re definitely entitled to their opinions. TLJ wasn’t perfect, and neither is Dreamfall, but on the whole the response to the latter was satisfying. And the criticisms – at least those that I respect – will help us make a better sequel.
If, you know, that ever happens.
Next time – at some point in the coming week – I’ll talk about the genesis of Dreamfall; how we first decided to make a ’spiritual successor’ to TLJ, how the design came together, and what our vision was. In the following post, I’ll talk about the actual development of the game – the ups and downs and pitfalls of using new technology and doing PC and console cross-development. And in the final (?) two postmortem articles, I’ll talk about my personal thoughts regarding the game – in response to specific criticisms – and the future of Dreamfall and the TLJ universe.
Loved the story and atmosphere of the game, but found it dishonest not to put Part 1, or Sequel 1 on the cover.. a novel or movie would not get away with that ending..
Ragnar, I must say that you have made me a very happy man by making this game. I picked it up on a whim after a friend recommended it to me months ago, and I just now finished it. I haven’t been so entertained and moved by any entertainment medium in a long, long time. The story was absolutely fantastic. I am left with a feeling of NEEDING to know what happens next! With Westhouse, Reza, Kian, the rebels….AUGH! PLEASE MAKE A SEQUEL TO DREAMFALL! MY SANITY REQUIRES IT!
You are to be commended, sir. This is a classic in every sense of the word.
I’m not a game-reviewer, or criticist (is there such a word in Eglish?
I just like good games. To me Dreamfall made 10 out of 10. The fighting parts are good, I don’t see why people don’t like it. The only -but it is a very big- mistake is in the ending. Good girls die, bad guys have total victory – It’s so not good. If the official Dreamfall forums right, maybe Zoe will change the story in Storytime? I hope.
Thank You Ragnar Tørnqist
I appreciate Mr. Tørnqist opening up his blog for comments, but he’s asking for it, so here it comes: Dreamfall is the most aggravating adventure game I’ve ever played.
Mr Tørnqist has said that he deliberately opted for mediocre gameplay in order to emphasize the storyline. Okay. I could live with that… if the story wasn’t so dreadful: a familiar science fiction/fantasy mishmash with no coherent plot threads and an overheated tear-jerker ending that completely fails to resonate. Honestly, an evil corporation? What is this, “Rollerball”? Do *all* Norwegians hate happy endings? Did *everyone* have to die? And Zoe’s big triumph is persuading a 7 year old to kill herself? Ouch.
The story has the classic “puzzle” setup: strange things are happening, what could possibly be going on? Well, for a puzzle story to be satisfying, there has to be a good answer, one that ties up the various threads. It’s easy to come up with a cool, mysterious opening. What makes good writing, however, is a satisfying end. When writers can’t find a satisfying end, especially in science fiction, they often try to compensate by throwing in more and more random ideas, hoping that it’ll somehow add up to something. It happened on “The X Files”, it happened on “Lost” it happened here.
Mr. Tørnqist apparently wanted a few big emotional moments. But as we say in the business, you have to “earn” those moments — by making us love the characters, and making the sad ending seem somehow inevitable. None of that happens here. We barely get to meet the little girl before she’s dead, and Zoe’s coma seems entirely capricious.
Now, Dreamfall isn’t any worse in the story department than any other adventure game. They’re all terrible. But there’s an understood compact between player and author — the player has to read or listen to a bunch of “story”-based drivel to find clues that will help solve the adventure puzzles. The problem is that in this game, all you get is the drivel. You violated my compact!
Hello…
First, i’d like to say that i’m not a big fan for this style of games.
However, Dreamfall was different. About the bad reviews spread across the globe, i think they’re mostly explained because this game isn’t too fashionable at the moment. Fashion’s at this time, are turned to FPS, and online multiplayer games, and especialy to MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game). I’ve even read an opinion in a forum, that said the game lacked nukes (wich i believe it would be explosions). I believe this to be nonsense, as it would wreck the game enviroment and equilibrium. Also, i still don’t know what coul be blown up in the game. So, i believe, you shouldn’t be very downhearted with the bad reviews. On what concerns the bad things about the game, well… they all have them.
As i said, i’m not usually a fan for this game style, i played it following a recomendation from a friend, and now that i got to the end… well, i’m very surprised, and delighted at it. I think the story, is one of the best i’ve ever seen. The plot, the characters, the way how this caracters interact with each other and their unique influence in the story, and the variety of behaviors trough out the game are really goog. Another thing that i was delighted at, was the scenario sets. They are very diverse trough out the game, wich is quite refreshing, because we always feel the need to explore the sets, once and again. One of the caracters i most enjoyed was the crow. I love it’s lightned up spirit.
And those flash apearances in the dreamworld, in the doll house… i just adore them.
However, there are a few things that i think that can be improved. The difficulty of the game. I know it was an option, but still, i think it could be more hard, with more puzzles, without being a crack up for the mind. Facial expressions could be more… expressing. Sory, i lack a better word at the moment.
A word of apreciation… The graphic engine, is very good. Even in a low-end computer, even with the great and complex scenarios, the game is very fluid. Nowadays, that is a very rare thing.
About the ending… well, i didn’t find it abrupt at all. It left me with unger for more. And i think that was the goal there.
Basically, i loved the game, and i’m looking forward for more.
I’m also curious to know you’re personal thoughts about the game.
And i also look forward to youur new project, that isn’t dreamfall 2. You’ve made me a believer to adventure games.
Keep it up.
Congratulations to you, and to the whole Dreamfall team.
A portuguese player…
Well, i consider TLJ the best ever-made adventure; i even consider TLJ in my personal all-time top 3 games. I will not question the quest side of the game – after all, a good story is good no matter how is it told. But the game suffers from “The Empire strikes back” syndrom, terminal phase, AND THIS IS ANNOYING!!!
Maybe a “how-Dreamfall-was-made” story will change my perspective on this game, but i think a “how-TLJ-was-made” story will be interesting too – maybe it was already written and i dont know, but then i`ll be very interested to know where to find it.
To Rafael Candelas: Word.
After 109 comments, I don’t have anything much to bring to the table. Just another opinion for the pile, I guess. If it’s even found, who knows…
But I felt that Dreamfall was perfectly fine. A brilliant story. It could’ve been a film, a book, anything, but making it a game just made it even better. The only reason people didn’t like it, is because they’re too used to games as being, well, games. Don’t get me wrong, I play a lot of games too, and I enjoy some good gameplay, but I think of Dreamfall as a new type of game. Like an interactive story. Which is why the elements people felt lacking should be like they are.
The lame combat and stealth didn’t matter, because it was barely combat or stealth, and if the combat or stealth was done PROPERLY, I think it would have damaged some things. I liked Dreamfall because it felt like a movie – no, a story – that you could walk around in, and explore at your leisure. Maybe there wasn’t as much to find as people would like, but there was still a lot more than a movie on its own.
Complex stealth, combat and action is just too… complicated for an adventure game. When you’re just about to reach a tense point in the story, you don’t want some hard boss to pop up and interupt the flow with a complex and difficult fight. If we want stealth and combat, we can play Metal Gear Solid or something.
And TLJ was great, but we can’t stay in that world forever. Dreamfall was a new and exciting spin on an old story. (Well, 7 years is pretty long in the gaming world)
Mr. Tornquist: I LOVED TLJ and was very anxious for Dreamfall to be released. However, I haven’t purchased Dreamfall because I can’t run it on my computer, which only has 256 MB RAM. TLJ was a stunning game and it only required 32 MB RAM. Is a lower RAM version of Dreamfall available?
To Patsina: on the cover of my copy of the game, it says shat the minimum IS 256MB. I dont know if the game would run wery well but it think it would at least work.
To the emerald fool, you are so right.
I’ve just finished playing Dreamfall…it’s a strange game…if it can be considered a game!
Characters are wonderful. Ragnar has done even a better job if compared with TLJ. Now the player really empathise with the characters and it’s really difficult not to feel worried for their destinies.
The plot is excellent, also. In my opinion, it’s better than Still Life’s one and at least as well-written as Syberia’s. The sad open ending, very ‘European’, is also a proof of the great job that Ragnar has done. But Dreamfall’s review have not been all positive. Why?
Oh yes, the interface. 3D adventure are not common. We’ve seen 3D role-games, but they are not exactly the same stuff. Stealth and arcade sequences are also weak. But I honestly believe that the easy and sequential puzzles are the main cause of the reviewers’ disorientation. In fact, Dreamfall is much deeper than an arcade/adventure like Half Life 2 but also less hard and more deterministic than a traditional adventure. That’s because Dreamfall is just an “interactive movie” (I remember that this was the slogan of a software house, the Cinemaware, that used to produce games that are still exceptionally beautiful more than 20 years ago).
Therefore, this game is really polarising. Dreamfall is a masterpiece for everyone who appreciates the most expressive characters ever represented on a PC, who likes a deep plot and superb dialogues, who dreams watching to the fantastic landscapes. But Dreamfall is a poor game for everyone who seeks either hard puzzle or, on the contrary, the adrenaline of a 3D shooter of the freedom of a role-game.
As I conclusion, I think that a piece of art should be judged on the emotions it is able to transmit and on its influence on the future artistic production. Under this point of view, I think Dreamfall is one of the best things ever created on a PC.
Simone
Just finish reading the post-mortem from Ragnar and like to add my 2-cents here. The story is great (my conclusion after finally digest the conlusion of the game!) but like a lot of people not a great Adventure Game. And it’s probably not because of the same reasons as others tough so let me explain. What I like about Adventure game is the interaction concept, the characters interactions but also the environment interactions. The main problem with Dreamfall is even tough the characters interactions are great, there’s just not enough environment interactions to make Dreamfall a great adventure game. The lack of environment interactions have huge repercussions in the overall appreciations of the game. The main one is in my opinion a lak of interest in the great locations available in the games! Those locations are great, but you d’ont have to appreciate that much since you D’ont spend a lot of time there doing stuff. In TLJ you did have a lot more environment interactions in great locations, you had time to admire the arts while working your brain around the puzzle, but in dreamfall in doesn’t happen. The Guardian Realm is the best example of that, would have like some great environment interactiosn there to fully appreciate it insted of just running over that bridge! (I did stop and made a full 360 to appreciate the arts, but it’s not the same!)
If you are affraid of people not diving into the game because of the difficulty of the puzzles why not do like Monkey Island 2? (best game ever in my opinion!) Making 2 versions of the game, a tough one and an easy one! It works for me, 1st played Monkey Island in easy mode (was pretty young at the time) find it fun that’S all. Did played it in tough mode when I was older and it really changes the perspective and the gameplay experience, you did spend a lot more time finishing the game but you immerse yourself in the world and the locations became more familliar.
I loved TLJ. I literally jumped with surprise when Cortez and his adversary revealed their true identities. The world of Arcadia and its inhabitants were creative, colorful, and fun. That said, I waited anxiously for the release of Dreamfall.
Dreamfall was a fine game as well. But, I must say I was a bit disappointed, not in the puzzles or the swordplay. I prefer the story game to action. Easy puzzles and little swordplay are fine with me. Its the story for me.
What I was disappointed in was the fate of April and Zoe. Both characters deserve better. There just has to be a sequel in the works! Things can’t be left as they are. And, please, please, more of the wonder of the fantasy world of Arcadia in that sequel. Hated the Azadis. There wasn’t enough of that magical world in Dreamfall for me. I know the magicals were under wraps. But, there is a world outside of Marcuria and the Azadi Empire that still contains magicals waiting to eject the Azadis from Marcuria.
Well, I loved this game (apart from the unnecessary fighting). And would love to know properly how it ends, because I am not going to get there. I’ve given up. I’ve spent a week running round those caves, getting hung up on every rock and curved ceiling, and getting killed. Time after time after time. I got so I was dreading putting the disc in to have another go. If it was just the puzzle, it would be fine, but I’ve never even got close to thinking about the puzzle before that monster catches me. I’m actually quite upset. Please re-release it with an option to either miss the darn caves or do it without the darn monster! Oh, and someone please tell me how it ends! I was so excited when I got this and now I’m just really disappointed…
Update: my teenage son got me through the caves. Five minutes of play (and a few cut scenes later) and I’m dead again: several times. You need to think about the market you’re aiming for: if I’d wanted Tomb Raider, I’d have bought it. I bought the sequel to the Longest Journey. I didn’t buy Tomb Raider #whatever it is now. You can’t please both the point-and-click gamers and the people who like ‘now you’re dead’ games. It has to be one or the other. And now I really am disappointed….Please when you do the next one,make it clear on the sleeve just which one of the options you have chosen. so that I’m not another £30 out of pocket.
Really loved the game…was easy to get into even tho I haven’t played TLJ. Characters were well developed and interesting. I think this would also have made a great movie. I was extremely excited when Microsoft made this bacwards compatible for the xbox 360, since I am a huge adventure fan and this game fit the bill. I still listen to the soundtrack from time to time so I can reexperience moments of the game. I would have given it at least a 9.0 if not higher. Hopefully the series will continue because I am dying for all those questions left over from Dreamfall to be answered.
Greetings and an Honor Mr. Tornquist. I know you get tons of comments like this so I’ll t r y to keep it brief. I just finished playing Dreamfall a few days ago. I of course began with The Longest Journey which was borrowed from a friend. I am absolutely in love with both of the games (and your very unique name… just your name though, not you.. -snicker snicker-) Anywho, about Dreamfall. The ending. Oh lord the ending. Never before has a game left me so desperate to know more. Zelda always had a way of making me want to delve deeper, but I never felt a void like the one Dreamfall has – for lack of a better term – carved into my soul. It really grabbed me and hasn’t let me go. I have a million questions about the ending I’m sure you intend to keep the answers to privy to yourself and others who worked on Dreamfall, so I’ll only ask one. Please please please, make a third and make it fast! Or at least make it. Ever. April, Zoe, and Kian deserve it. Your team and yourself are all awesome, Mr. Tornquist. I have the utmost faith in that whatever becomes of this amazing adventure, I will not be disappointed. So there is my fanatical rant and I apologize if this was an inappropriate place to say all of that. I figured it was the best chance I had of you actually reading it. -smile smile-
Break a foot!
I loved about everthing with Dreamfall, except the stealth-parts and the lack of “real” puzzles like them in TLJ. What I hated about the game was that it ended.
Give us more TLJ-games!!! Please.
Speaking of cross-platforming, is there any chance you could talk to your guys about making the next project linux-compatible? A number of games release patches specifically to allow heir sofware to run on any platform, which helps guys like me greatly.
I wish dreamfall would run on my linux box.
I’d like to throw my .02c in regarding the game ending.
I don’t know if I was the only one who did this, but after finishing thing game, I immediately went to GameFAQs.com and tried to find out if I missed something for the ‘good’ ending. You know– the one where at least *something* is resolved for *any* of the main characters?
I was just aghast that the game only had one ending. I still can’t get over it. I also can’t believe people consider the ending to be a ‘cliffhanger’, either. Cliffhangers are abrupt twists that happen at the end– something to make you tune in next week. They usually happen in the last five minutes…. AFTER the primary ending is complete.
Trilogies are trilogies– fine. Most people understand this. But the game doesn’t exactly start out saying “Part 1 of 2.” People purchase a game expecting some sort of resolution.
And I really am trying to think of one area that is truly resolved by the end of the game– and I can’t think of one.
Every good person in the story could possibly be DEAD!
Faith could be dead– but, remember, it was never confirmed if Static went away.
The white dragon could be dead– but we’re not really sure.
April Ryan could be dead– but we’re not really sure.
Zoe is in a coma– but we already knew that, didn’t we?
Kian could be dead– (and that epiphany was sure rushed, wasn’t it?)
Reza could be dead– who knows at this point?
And the evil people are sti (except for Yeats)
The twins are still running around– and we don’t know anything about them.
WATICorp is still around (after all that time fighting it)– and we still don’t have answers to the central questions.
The Prophet is still around (after all that time chasing him)– and we don’t know who he is.
Helena Chang is still around– and her role as mother was never clarified.
Brian Westhouse is hanging out in a library and may or may not be evil.
For a game that was so entertaining for the first 10 hours with the assumption that it would have an END, the fact that literally every plot element introduced at some point in the story had NO resolution whatsoever…
It, well, bothers me.
Just because a game has a lot of back story does not give it a license to ignore a sense of closure. Throw in a denouement and THEN ask a few questions/put in a cliffhanger. Don’t SKIP the denoument. That isn’t a game!
Aaah– I gotta stop. I’m just so amazingly disappointed by the lack of closure. Heck, even the second Matrix movie (which was TERRIBLE) had a better ending than Dreamfall (which was, until the end, GREAT).
Well, the ending was a surprise and I also immediately went to a website to find out what was up. No news. Was there a third game in the works that would answer all my questions? Would I have to wait six years to find out what happened to the characters that so utterly engrossed me? What a depressing thought. I had waited out the Myst series from its inception in 1992, patiently, and had such a sense of loss when Cyan wrapped up its final offering, so I am capable of suspending narrative conclusions for a long, long time, but… Now here was Dreamfall, another wonderful game based in story and character development, and I was going to have to practice patience again! I was luckier than many – I hadn’t played TLJ – never heard of it – when I picked up Dreamfall. I managed to kill a few days of the long wait for the sequel backtracking and playing the first game. Still, at the end, I just wanted to know how long!!!???!!! Or even, is there a sequel to Dreamfall?
Anyway, all that aside, and in response to the postmortem comments, I am really pretty shocked that the response to Dreamfall was so up and down and all over the place. Although not perfect, Dreamfall is absolutely a terrific follow-up to TLJ. The immersive locations, the gripping story, the great voice-acting, but most especially, the attention to detail make it very much the best game released in 2006. (I play just about every adventure game released for PC so I know the field). This game satisfied the visual/sensual aspects of my gaming personality in a way very few other games ever have. And the story…when an author/director with such strong narrative talents cares enough to remember story matters throughout a game, or a series, Dreamfall is the result. If you read this, RT, I want you to know that your emphasis on story made this game soar. You are a really strong writer and have an amazing cinematic eye. Critics are critics. I am a player. I can’t wait for your next release and I will put my money where my mouth is. Cyrix
RagnarTornquist you are a butiful man
great idea with publishing demo(i dont have time to read game mags, but i check out new demos and if screenshots look good i download it). The movement was weird at the beginning but i get use to it, i dont care about puzzles so great idea of not making them too hard
great storyline, i just finished the game, but i felt it ended too soon(sad ending are more realistic, but you would also like to kill/beat all the bad guys 
). Now ill search for the first The Longest Journey and hope puzzles wont ruin this game for me 
I hope i wont have to wait 6 years for next sequel
Ragnar, passionate hardly describes how I feel about TLJ, DF, the characters and the worlds. I HAVE to know what happens next, and have no idea how I am going to make it an unknown number of years for some kind of conclusion. You have absolutely created a masterpiece bridging the worlds of gaming and movies in a way never seen before. I truly think you have created a “next generation game.”
When (not if(perhaps I’m deluded)) a sequel is a reality, I will pre-order it as soon as humanly possible. Please don’t disappoint the many fans literally waiting on the edge of their seats(this might get uncomfortable after a few months).
Kindzmarauli vs conyaq, or some…
I have just found out about your blog, Mr. Ragnar. I’m a video gamer that plays a lot of adventure/strategy/action games. I don’t really care about others’ opinions of a game before I buy and play it.
I liked The Longuest Journey. Even though the actual game was a little bit lacking in actions (the fact that April couldn’t die when you made a deadly mistake like the shark in the ship), I though that the reflexion side of the game was fun. Besides, the story was really interesting. I bought Dreamfall as soon as it was in stores. The action in this game was better then the first one, the reflexion as good as The Longuest Journey.
As for the story, it was perfectly obvious for me that it was mainly about Zoé. True, she had to save April and we learned a little bit more about what happened to her but still for me The Longuest Journey and Dreamfall are, storywise, too different games. It’s true that the end was too sudden (sorry for any mistakes but I’m French and I have some lacking in vocabulary). I like the characters, they are ‘humans’ and I can’t help but want to know what will happened to them. Will Zoé stay in a coma? Is April really dead? (I hope not because then who is Lady Alvane?) Who killed the White? And what about Kian?
I’m sure that I’m not the only one waitting for a 3rd episode (or, truth be told, more than 3). And I will be sure to buy it once they are in stores.
Your games weren’t as good as some games but I don’t think you can compare them. Those games are mostly online ones and yours were good for 3rd person adventure games (the graphisms were better than some I saw). Some video games magazines tend to forget that.
Anyway, I too hope the sequel wont take 6 years.
Yours truly,
Adrastea W.
I just wanted to say that I as well as many other people really enjoyed the hard work you and your team put into this game. Never before have I been this emotionally invested in characters in a video game or this drawn into a story. I am so hungry for more that I have ordered The Longest Journey from amazon so that I may experience April’s part of the story.
I am doing everything I can to get others to experience this game and you can read more of my thoughts if you have the time here: http://forums.xbox.com/10350251/ShowPost.aspx
Please bring us another chapter in this epic. I’m hoping that part three will focus on Brian Westhouse’s story. Regardless please do not let this facinating and thought-provking world come to a close. I just wanted to let you know that people are still discovering this amazing piece of entertainment.
Well, you wanted the view of the “common” player. The public’s view on the game play. Those that paid for the game instead of those that got paid to play the game.
I do believe that after reading most of the reviews both at the forum and on this particular page, the majority view is that the ending is left hanging and some even begged for a sequel or trequel if u could call it that.
I played TLJ long time ago… not expecting or never wondering if there was a sequel until Df came along. By then, I’ve got no idea what had happened in TLJ. I loved Df… very much in fact. But the ending spoilt it for me. I mean, com’on, you don’t expect a girl to just walk off after you put on a condom, do you? metaphorically speaking.
So, please please please… make another. Complete the game, tell us what happen, either good or bad. Most of us just wants a “closure”. The full story… Ask funcom to make a poll to see how many players actually wants a 3rd game, just to give the story an end… then you’ll see that you’ll have to make the game by public demand.
We’ve been fans… don’t let us down.
Nice site. Thanks.
I have to agree with some of the reviewers, the game has flaws. The abrupt ending being the biggest issue, but that mostly depends on how, and if (!?) the story continues. Right now I see it as a clifhanger à la US TV series-end-of-season. But if that is not the case, well, then it would make things very disapoiting…
(Now, as a fan I want the mystery to remain so I don’t dig up all the facts I can find about the things I like. So the answer to how the story continues might already be out there, I dunno. I just poiting out the flaw, as I see it, in the game.)
That said, Dreamfall is one of the best games I have played, ever! There where moments playing this game that moved me quiet a lot. I can easily compare it with some of the most emotional movies I’ve seen, or, thinking of other games, Aeris death scene from FF7, the for me most shocking and moving game experience to date.
Oh, just to add one more thing. Joss Whedon once said in a comentary that “I’d rather make a series 100 people HAVE to see, than a series 1000 want to see.” A comment that I can really relate to and for which I respect him a lot.
It seems to me that you may have fallen into the first category with Dreamfall, which to me, is not a bad thing.
I just want to say here that I loved the game till the end but there I only did find nothing. All the open questions and the discomfort that came with them and none of them left since then. Great touching game with more questions than answers but I like answers. And I need a sequel to get answers, BUT Ragnar, I beg you to do a sequel just if you can do a good one, storywise. Storywise is the important thing here. I can stand gameplay obstacles as long as the game is somehow playable to the end. If you are unable to finish this outstanding, catching, touching, deep story in a good, matching way, then dont do a sequel. Leave the trilogy open and unfinished instead of mess it all up, like Matrix, and other movies, games and even books, did.
And for the future what ever you do never make a open ended game you will never know if the selling is good enough to complete it. Dreamfalls open end and its uncertainty if there will be a third game in the journey row, made me not buy runaway2 because I heard of its open end and again this uncertainty if there will be a real end.I wont ever buy a open end game if I cannot be sure to get an end, I can wait but it has to there and good.
Thanks to all who spend their time reading.