The Longest Journey Review

By Gestalt Published 22 June, 2000

3D adventure game reviewed

Version tested: PC

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Comments (42) Latest comment 10 years ago

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  • UncleLou #1 10 years ago

    Hey, just wanted to know if anyone has heard something about a new adventure "Syberia" which is supposed to be out today. According to www.gamesdomain.com and www.fourfatchicks.com, it's the best point-and-click in years (well, not much competition) and it's said to be a lot like the Longest Journey, which can't be bad.

  • otto #2 10 years ago

    Wow, TLJ = best game ever, so that piece of news interests me greatly.

  • Nemesis #3 10 years ago

    Lou, there's a mention on the Game/EB site, but no release date. There's nothing on the HMV/Amazon sites, so happy searching!

  • UncleLou #4 10 years ago

    The mentioned sites have reviews out already and are quite enthused.

    One Review is here, the other here

    Beware of the pop-up at gamesdomain, otto. And I hope my html is good enough this time so one certain gestalt has no need to edit it :-)

    edit: Nemesis, it's out in Germany today, so I suspected it would be available in UK today, too!? Especially as UK sites have already reviewed it, while German sites haven't.

    edit2: shit, just saw it got pushed back to the 8th (for the US/UK version) and the 15th (for the German version)
    Edited by 3 at 05/07/02 @ 10:08

  • Nemesis #5 10 years ago

    Gah, I keep thinking of Cyberia....!

  • otto #6 10 years ago

    Hey, thanks for the links, sounds really good! I'll definitely pick this one up, may even give the French version a spin seeing as I guess it's the original, plus I'll get to miss out on the inevitable American accents.

    Thanks for the warning about the pop-ups - *shudder*

  • Nemesis #7 10 years ago

    Just be sure you don't pick up Cyberia by mistake. Ahhhh, game on rails!

  • otto #8 10 years ago

    Cyberia - God that was ages ago, my mate had a copy of that, it was the shallow tech demo of its day.

  • Nemesis #9 10 years ago

    Odd, I borrowed it off my mate also!

    It was a on-rails type thing IIRC. Looked good for it's time, but very FMV.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/02 @ 11:12

  • UncleLou #10 10 years ago

    Hehe, spent part of my lunch break in a big consumer electronics market and can now confirm that Syberia was (in Germany at least) released today. It's in a bag in my desk drawer and I want to go home NOW.

  • otto #11 10 years ago

    Ooh looking forward to hearing your impressions! :)

  • UncleLou #12 10 years ago

    I'll post some tomorrow afternoon, if my missus let's me play the game a bit today. (It's not that she doesn't like games or me playing them, but I bet she'll want to play it herself. Well, it's kind of a present for her anyhow. Anyway, I'll post HER impressions then).

  • UncleLou #13 10 years ago

    Btw, there's a massive amount of screenshots right here

  • skalmanxl #14 10 years ago

    I heard it's good, albeit short. AG's forum is filled with impressions otto.

  • otto #15 10 years ago

    Good but short. My kinda game.

  • skalmanxl #16 10 years ago

    You'd like REZ then, but it's fast and furious...

  • UncleLou #17 10 years ago

    REZ is great. Just unlocked a new color mode a few days ago. But somehow, "she still lies trapped in the system". I seem to suck a bit at REZ, I just can't beat the last boss properly.

  • skalmanxl #18 10 years ago

    I just can't beat the last boss properly

    I'm stuck at her now, I always seem to waste my overdrives before I meet her the second time, with all the little bastards flying towards me.

  • UncleLou #19 10 years ago

    Exaxtly. I don't think you can beat those bastards without overdrives, but I never have enough. I got her almost completed (only hands and feet missing, I think), but I ALWAYS die before the end.

    edit: some of those bigger flying objects that make that strange *clong* sound when hit seem to spit out more overdrives when you hit them often enough, but I am not sure about that.
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/02 @ 16:03

  • skalmanxl #20 10 years ago

    I got her almost completed (only hands and feet missing, I think), but I ALWAYS die before the end.

    Sounds like there are more versions of her then... I only got the second one this far. Where the letters spell out "don't come any closer".

  • UncleLou #21 10 years ago

    I see! So the main experience still lies ahead for you. Sorry, didn't want to spoil anything.

  • skalmanxl #22 10 years ago

    It was expected, those mean endbosses never change shape just once.

  • UncleLou #23 10 years ago

    I loved the boss of the 3rd? 4th? level the most, who in the end runs ahead of and around you in shape of a man. Disturbing guy, somehow.

  • skalmanxl #24 10 years ago

    I just got to the phase where she runs around the walls and fires missiles at me...I'm getting there...

  • UncleLou #25 10 years ago

    Now I am not sure if you are further than me or if I am further than you? I can't remember the level 5 boss running around?

  • skalmanxl #26 10 years ago

    Um...I've met 4 phases the last one spelled out "Aren't you afraid" before I entered...sorry if I spoiled anything for you then...

  • UncleLou #27 10 years ago

    Ok, no, it's clear now. I've entered a few times now, but utterly failed there. Will be grateful for some help how to defeat it finally as soon as you made it.

  • skalmanxl #28 10 years ago

    I've turned it off for the day, been playing it off and on since 11 o'clock today...I feel...exhausted.

  • otto #29 10 years ago

    Much as I like the sound of Rez which I've not played but which looks like a fantastic game, I will not forgive you two for turning the thread for the BEST. GAME. EVER. into a Rez faq. *sniff*

  • skalmanxl #30 10 years ago

    otto, you're grown up. Cope with it.

  • benjamin #31 10 years ago

    *wakes up*

    The Longest Journey? The Longest Journey!! The LONGEST J - whoa, time for my pills.

  • UncleLou #32 10 years ago

    Finally some Syberia impressions. Maybe I am a bit biased against the game cause I spent several hours fixing the st-st-stuttering sound. Have played it yesterday for a few hours finally, and I am not THAT impressed.
    The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, better than I had expected even, and obviously a lot of effort went into the game. Music, also, is very good, as is the opening video, and there are nice little touches like letters you can find which are several pages long etc. However, the game feels very "empty". Sometimes you walk through several beautiful locations without having to do or finding anything there. While the game at first feels like classic point and click stuff, the puzzles, of which there are the following two different kinds, are disappointing: 1. find keys in implausible locations; 2. clock-work puzzles like in MYST, but way too simple.
    It doesn't help that you can't combine items in your inventory. Furthermore, there aren't many persons you can talk to. Before I knew what happened, I had already left the first "big" location (Valadilene) and headed to the next.
    What's nice is the mood the games sets, however. It has a subtly menacing, surreal atmosphere which is excellently supported by the art style (strange ArtDeco/Art Nouveau architecture etc.)
    For now (having played only a few hours), I'd give it a score of 6 or 7, and it certainly is NO threat for TLJ.

    P.S.: The back of the package says there are "cinematic camera movements". Hm? Maybe in the (rare) cut-scenes, but not in-game till now, that's for sure!
    Edited by 1 at 22/07/02 @ 09:41

  • otto #33 10 years ago

    Hmm, interesting. Thanks UncleLou! I had a feeling that this was not going to be all it was cracked up to be, but I thought that was just my innate cynicism talking. Well I'll keep my eyes open for it anyway.

  • skalmanxl #34 10 years ago

    otto, I read today that Funcom is actually considering a sequel to TLJ. No promised, but they are still impressed by sales across the globe.

  • otto #35 10 years ago

    Ooh goodie!! Got a link? Not news as such that they're thinking of a sequel, I'd heard as much before and I'd have been surprised if they weren't given TLJ's reception (and sales), but nice to hear something more concrete!

  • skalmanxl #36 10 years ago

    I found it in the AG news section. I thought you visited there...

  • otto #37 10 years ago

    Not very often

  • skalmanxl #38 10 years ago

    Please do so. They really are quite excellent.

  • hulahoops #39 10 years ago

    I'm probably going to get blasted, but who are AG?

    Res Evil at home, me at work, something wrong with this picture.

  • skalmanxl #40 10 years ago

    AG is Adventuregamers.com

  • otto #41 10 years ago

    BoB, at work on Sunday?? Tut. Deadlines eh? ;)

    Anyway, here's a link to that TLJ story, it's not much to go on though. TLJ is already, what, three years old? And they're still only at the "seriously considering" stage?? *sigh*

  • hulahoops #42 10 years ago

    otto - tell me about it. didn't get home until the small hours on either saturday, or sunday. Thursday I got home at 6am.

    It's great fun, though, oddly enough.

    Oh, cheers, Skalman.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/02 @ 13:26