Game #2: Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
In between the first person shooters and role-playing games, there is a serious shortage of adventure games these days. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is the first adventure game in years to break free of this stranglehold on the industry — it goes without saying that it is, bar none, one of the best games of 2006 — and I’m not the only one to say so.
You play Zoe Castillo, a free-spirited twenty-something who lives in Casablanca in the year 2199. After experiencing some seriously creepy nightmares — of which there is no explanation given for until near the end of the game — she quickly falls into a web of mystery that is sparked by an errand that her boyfriend asks her to do. What follows is a dimension-hopping adventure where she has to solve two world’s problems at the same time.
You also play other, minor characters throughout the game, though not for long periods; however, their impact on the story is significant.
While the game stands out for its brilliant narrative, which plays like a well-written novel, Zoe is portrayed in an extremely positive light — an independent, strong-willed woman who, over the course of the game, discovers inner strength and the will to fight against a corrupt organization bent on world domination.
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is available in stores and on Steam for the PC, and is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.
Dreamfall (Official Site)
Nintendo has most definitely done something right when their latest Mario adventure on the Wii turns out to be the highest rated game ever made. I couldn’t agree more with the reviewers.
Super Mario Galaxy plants you onto a cosmic universe that is by far the most expanse ever featured in a Mario game. Each stage — referred to as galaxies in the game — offers a completely unique world with multiple challenges. This is definitely not Super Mario Sunshine, which comparatively was a huge disappointment.
The two features of the game that stand out the most are the fantastic level design and the equally fantastic sound design — this time, with a full orchestral score that is a joy to listen to while playing. Additionally, Shigeru Miyamoto, the game’s designer, says that this is the first time he’s implemented a satisfactory co-op mode into a Mario game; the second player can help (or hinder!) the first player’s progress throughout the adventure.
The controls feel fluid and work as well as the game does. The entire game, save for one or two challenges, offer an incredibly satisfying experience from start to end.
The recent release of Assassin’s Creed, a highly-anticipated game from Ubisoft this holiday season, was recently marred by the release of a modified pornographic image depicting Jade Raymond, the game’s producer. The image surfaced on the popular web site Something Awful’s forums, though they claim that neither was it created or hosted by any of their members.
The fact that somebody had gone out of their way in an attempt to defame Ms. Raymond is worrisome, but it speaks volumes to how women are being treated in leadership roles in the video games industry. It appears that women pursuing leadership jobs in the industry have two choices: either accept a lesser position or be the target of a smear campaign that targets them personally.
It is sad indeed that this sort of attack is even tolerated at all.
In Ubisoft’s defence, they launched a cease-and-desist order against Something Awful in order to remove the content from the site. But as we all know, the Internet never forgets — the damage is already done.
