Is "Dreamfall: The Longest Journey" a game?

[Soulforged]

I played the sequel to "The Longest Journey" and finished it today. Perhaps you've played it too. Can you tell me then if you think it's really a game? And please post your reasons for your answer.

This is not only about Dreamfall, but I think that many people are confused on the topic of gaming and what makes a thing a game, particularily a video game.

[Cronos Impera]

If it quacks like a duck and it eats like a duck, than its probably a duck/

[Soulforged]

If it quacks like a duck and it eats like a duck, than its probably a duck/

This is really funny. Many people have entered and voted without exposing any reasons and the first one who does so well, let's see...

If I said to you that a supposed game is a series of animated sequences in wich your only interaction consists on moving an object from point A to B, with no serious obstacles between those points, and even more, that those animated sequences are a % 90 of the whole affair and that your interaction during those sequences has no bearing on the outcome. Would you call that a game? Or maybe an interactive movie?

[Navaros]

I heard that Dreamfall is infested with Starforce.

Therefore no, it is not a game. It's malware.

[Bijo]

Dreamfall. From what I read it appears to be a game. I have never played it, however.

[Geoffrey S]

That's because you can't play it, you watch it.

[Bijo]

Then are there any good links to precisely show its nature?

[Soulforged]

Then are there any good links to precisely show its nature?

Try the reviews. Specially the one on IGN and 1up.

Don't get me wrong. This doesn't say anything about its value. The story will suck you deep in, even if the dialogue is sometimes cheap, too long or even tedious, you just can't help it, you'll always want to play a little more and see what's next.

My problem with this was caused because I was mostly guided to play this game because GameSpy gave it the Adventure Game of the Year Award. I thought it should a at least be a game. But then again perhaps what makes a game an actual game has to be redifined at least for the Adventure genre, unless of course its lifespan has really come to an end.

[Whacker]

I heard that Dreamfall is infested with Starforce.

Therefore no, it is not a game. It's malware.

Emphasis mine.

This is all that need be stated.

[Bijo]

Try the reviews. Specially the one on IGN and 1up.

Don't get me wrong. This doesn't say anything about its value. The story will suck you deep in, even if the dialogue is sometimes cheap, too long or even tedious, you just can't help it, you'll always want to play a little more and see what's next.

My problem with this was caused because I was mostly guided to play this game because GameSpy gave it the Adventure Game of the Year Award. I thought it should a at least be a game. But then again perhaps what makes a game an actual game has to be redifined at least for the Adventure genre, unless of course its lifespan has really come to an end.

Hmm, I understand.

To answer your question Is "Dreamfall: The Longest Journey" a game? I would have to say 'yes'. It is developed, it is software, it is playable, etc.: it is a game. The quality in gameplay -- which seems to lack -- and other factors are another story.

IGN's review and your explanation remind me of how people said that the Metal Gear Solid series was heading (or was already) in the direction of "movie-like story-telling natures" as if to seek a balance between video games and films. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey -- at least to me -- appears to have this kind of nature, but only emphasized -- by its supposed "adventure genre" -- and quite possibly far-fetched (and made worse by its bad gameplay quality).

It is quite reasonable to call this game -- if what I think is true -- some sort of... "evolution" of games or an attempt at it. But really, I have never played it or any of its foregoers.

[Soulforged]

Hmm, I understand.

To answer your question Is "Dreamfall: The Longest Journey" a game? I would have to say 'yes'. It is developed, it is software, it is playable, etc.: it is a game. The quality in gameplay -- which seems to lack -- and other factors are another story.

IGN's review and your explanation remind me of how people said that the Metal Gear Solid series was heading (or was already) in the direction of "movie-like story-telling natures" as if to seek a balance between video games and films. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey -- at least to me -- appears to have this kind of nature, but only emphasized -- by its supposed "adventure genre" -- and quite possibly far-fetched (and made worse by its bad gameplay quality).

It is quite reasonable to call this game -- if what I think is true -- some sort of... "evolution" of games or an attempt at it. But really, I have never played it or any of its foregoers.

Fair enough, I just hope this isn't the evolution on the gaming industry. By all standards observed in reality the evolution seems to be more like fluent interactive gameplay, intuitivity and syntesis. Nothing like Dreamfall, you might differ with me in its definition as a game, but let me explain. To me, though the gameplay elements are there, they're more like accidents deniable parts of the whole wich could have been non-existent. You even have fans of the series asking for a complete removal of stealth and combat sections, and the puzzles, wich is the only interesting part of adventure games, are also deniable for its lack of difficulty. Then what's left of the gameplay, nothing really.

However defining what a game is, is pretty difficult, that's why I reduced my options to video games only wich should be easier, but sadly it suffers from the same vagueness. I mean there's nothing really essential to games...

[TinCow]

Fair enough, I just hope this isn't the evolution on the gaming industry.

Evolution requires that something has changed. I don't think Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is any different in its fundamental gameplay than the classic adventure games, like King's Quest, were and it's even more interactive than Dragon's Lair and Space Ace. If the puzzles in the game are too easy, that's a valid complaint, but it doesn't change the actual game itself. Call it a bad game (in the entertainment sense), if you want to, but I think you're way off the mark if you see any trend in it at all.

[edit] Shouldn't this be in the Arena?

[Ronin]

I heard that Dreamfall is infested with Starforce.

Therefore no, it is not a game. It's malware.

agreed....

Starforce is like pure evil condensed and put into a software format......that crap isn´t coming anywhere near my computer ever again!

[Whacker]

agreed....

Starforce is like pure evil condensed and put into a software format......that crap isn´t coming anywhere near my computer ever again!

Indeed, I found out the hard way. My burner is on it's last legs... only makes coasters now, and there are some DVDs that it can't read anymore that it used to read fine. I even swapped it out into another "clean" PC to see if that'd help, it sure didn't. Bleh.