dreamfall demo at gamershell
 

for those who are unfamilar with the longest journey and its sequel here is a chance for you to play the later. and if you download now it will be ready by new years! (its 2 gigs)

http://www.gamershell.com/download_17064.shtml

Interesting. A demo such a long time after release?

maybe the pc sales weren't as good as expected, i really have no idea though.
maybe the 3rd part will come out within a year or so and they're trying to build buzz (hopefullywe don't have to wait 6 years like from the first).
or maybe they are trying to generate buzz as they are going to release a 'special edition' like they did with the original. whatever the case i love both games and they make me proud to be part norwegian.

stronghold 2 had a demo(english) come out over a year after its release, probably to generate 'buzz' about stronghold:legends which despite me only being moderately disappointed with stronghold 2 (unlike many who loathe it) and firefly i never picked up; same with civcity rome. i would have no problem forking over cash however for a sequel to space colony which stands in its own genre/world along with startopia. and while we're(i'm) at it firaxis/sid meier please focus your next sequel/remake on alpha centauri!!!

I am a big fun of the first TLJ, but this sequel made me sick. After about 4 hours of play I uninstalled it.
They put in it everything that adventure gamers don't like (at least those who I know): mini games (stupid fighting scenes), 5 minutes long conversations and cut scenes after every 5 minutes of play, console-like controlling system and a totally unnecessary 3D camera controll.
An adventure game should be something like Secret Files: Tunguska was, not this 3D crap.

sorry for your sickness. you missed out on an amazing game though. i understand your comments about what normal adventure gamers want. i am not one of those people though and have always liked 3d adventure or action/adventure games far more. (tomb raider, darkened skye, anacronox, zanzarah, etc.) i find no immersion in games like myst and never have. i enjoyed both syberias though really its just one game with 75% being in the first. the longest journey though blew me away when it came out and i am not sure how you can like a game with that much story and dialogue and be upset with '5 minute long conversations'. i play adventure games or most games for that matter for the story much more than for figuring out some puzzle or mini-game. people complained about farenheit/indigo prophecy too and said the mini-games of button mashing didn't belong. another amazing story and game that has unecessary scorn from 'fans of the genre'.

creativity and evolution will not be stopped!

Right after starting the game I thought I'd have lots of trouble even getting the characters to walk where I want. I also hated the fights.
BUT
After struggling with the interface for some time, I discovered that it's a really great game in terms of story and dialogs. There are lots of things to think about here. Don't write this game off just because it has an interface incredibly stupid on a PC. Getting to the end of Dreamfall is totally worth it for anyone who played TLJ. And if you didn't, play it first.

(BTW, the soundtrack is great, too.)

One single line on the box would have changed my opinion of this game from loathing to loving and that line is: "To be continued" or "Part 2 of 3".

I can forgive the clunky and misplaced fighting sequences (I don't feel they should have been in the game in the first place but if you choose to do so anyway then at least do it properly) and I can live with the rather limited player interaction/puzzles or whatnot that is usually a lot more abundant in adventure games, but what I can NOT forgive is the fact that not once did Funcom bother to inform the consumer that the product said consumer has just bought is not finished. Don't get me wrong, I like series. Most of the books I read spans more than one volume but for every such book there is a small label indicating that this is a part of a series which then imparts the message that I shouldn't expect the story to end with this particular book.

Had I known that Dreamfall would simply stop just when the number of loose ends was at its all time high I would have played the game with a totally different mindset or perhaps not at all. What happened instead was that when I reached the "end" of the game I felt like I had just been slapped in the face by Funcom while they were laughing their asses off. I actually find it offending for Funcom to make a game with such careful detail to personality traits, background story, plot twists and dialogue richness and then just end the game so anticlimactic … the very least I, as a consumer, should be able to expect is that if a game company chooses to make an episodic game then they go ahead and say so. I mean, everyone knew that "Fellowship of the Ring" was the first of 3 movies. Everyone knew that "Matrix Reloaded" was part 2 of 3 and everyone knew that Kill Bill Vol 1 would be followed by a Kill Bill Vol 2.

TRUTH on game box blurbs!!??!! What an original concept. Actually it would make a fascinating thread as well. For example, what should Bradley have really written on the box of Dungeon Lords!! :)

Well, may I forgive those fight scenes and start it over some time. Probably I will wait for the 3. part to come out:)

While what you write is true in its own right, you need to approach this game differently. If you want a light (action) RPG, don't play Planescape: Torment, for example. Don't play Dreamfall hoping for a classical adventure with lots of complex and complicated puzzles. Think of it as a great - and I mean great - interactive story. The other elements like fighting or sneaking are there for some variety, just accept them as they are and go with the flow. I did and I had a blast all the way through.

This game doesn't challenge your motoric skills or even your brain cells. But it does stimulate your imagination and emotions.


I can see where you are coming from, lots of people felt the same way, but I don't really, well, not anymore. I did want to continue playing right then and there but couldn't, which was a bit tormenting… Anyway, the author of the game and story, Ragnar Tornquist, gave an explanation for the ending in Dreamfall:
(Warning: Don't follow the link if you haven't played the game yet. Heavy spoilers ahead. Go there only if you have finished Dreamfall and want to know more about the ending, the why's and why not's.)

About the ending (amongst other things)

His explanation at least made sense to me and put my mind at rest. :)

From the link provided by Arhu:

That is all I wanted to know BEFORE I played the game. In my opinion Funcom messed up big time with this issue and all the explanations is the world isn't going to change that fact. Don't get me wrong: If I didn't care about the game/world/charcters I wouldn't bother to complain but I do so I am.

One might say that Funcom "pulled a Molyneux" (hype one thing and deliver something entirely different).

Perhaps once the third game is out and the story properly ended I may let the matter go but until Tornquist & Co. delivers on the goods I'm going to be on the defensive.

still 30+ bucks.
I never buy games with zero replay value for full price. It looks interesting, but not touchin this one til it's 9.99!

How I wish $30 was full price here!! That's Bargain Bin pricing in OZ!!

Dreamfall has been released on Steam in mid January and seems to be doing quite well. The creator Ragnar Tornquist thinks they are "looking at another slow burning cult classic expanding over time - much like The Longest Journey before it."
Supposedly the game is at $30 on Steam, although it was at $39 just now when I checked. Strange..

That said, Amazon UK is offering it for £10 ($19.45).