Nov 28 2007
Good Games for Girls, Part 2
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.