Review for Dreamfall Chapters. Game for PC, Steam, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Linux, the video game was released on 21/10/2014 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 05/05/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 05/05/2017
More than ten years ago it came out Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, sequel to Funcom's great graphic adventure The Longest Journey. The game convinced audiences and critics alike, but the presence of cliffhangers and plot holes necessitated a sequel, announced in 2007 with the name of Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey but remained in the pits until 2012, when numerous elements of Funcom merged into the newborn studio Red Thread Games and began the pre-production phase. The following year a campaign was launched on Kickstarter, which ended in a triumphant way, allowing the developers to make the game, which came out in an episodic form between 2014 and 2016.
From today Dreamfall Chapters (this is the definitive title of the work) is available even on PlayStation 4 (tested version) and Xbox One thanks to Deep Silver, who edited the publication ofFinal Cut edition, soon also available on PC.
The end of a trilogy?
The first work of Red Thread Games could be the final chapter of the saga, since the Kickstarter campaign has not even financed The Longest Journey Home, whose realization is less and less likely, according to the statements of the developers themselves. The game is connected to both previous episodes, in particular to Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (while The Longest Journey Home should have followed the events of April, the only protagonist of The Longest Journey), as we anticipated at the beginning, so it is highly it is advisable to have completed the latter at least before approaching Dreamfall Chapters, which anyway offers any beginners a succinct account of the main facts of the saga.
Having carried out these considerations, it does not make much sense to dwell further on the plot, since it is quite intricate (also by virtue of the choices that the player will be called to make) and it is difficult not to incur in some spoilers, not to mention the fact that the game is mainly addressed to fans, who will certainly not miss this epilogue. Perhaps not every question has been closed - the task probably would have fallen to The Longest Journey Home, which should have also covered a time frame after Dreamfall Chapters - and not all five "books" enjoy the same intensity, but overall the game from Red Thread Games convinces from this point of view.
Kind?
The Longest Journey is a graphic adventure; the sequel had added questionable combat and stealth sequences. Dreamfall Chapters develops in a way similar to that of the graphic adventures of Telltale Games, not only because of its episodic structure (of less impact in this Final Cut version), but also because of the weight they take on the choices: they they do not affect the ending, but on many other points, with considerable consequences, especially since Book Three: Realms. The puzzles are still present, but will disappoint veterans for their simplicity, and the dialogues are certainly preponderant. Stealth also somehow peeps out, which again leaves a bad taste in the mouth, while the fights were not included.
Compared to the works of Telltale Games, there is a greater focus on the exploration of the environments, which can reach generous dimensions - perhaps you walk too much ... - and the average duration of the chapters (called Books) is higher, for a overall longevity that exceeds twenty hours. The mechanics related to the dialogues appear similar, but, in the opinion of the writer, Dreamfall Chapters invites the player to think more.
Suggestions
As we have just seen, the gameplay does not play the lion's share, indeed, we could consider it the most sacrificed component, unless you want to enhance it within it the dialogues, that they shine for the quality of both writing and dubbing. We point out that not only is there no dubbing (perhaps not even desirable ..., Ed), but not even the subtitles are in the language of the Bel Paese; since the game relies heavily on plot and dialogue to engage, more than one would have benefited from a translation.
But Dreamfall Chapters is an evocative work not only thanks to its plot, lore and characters: graphics and soundtrack also contribute. The first is not monstrous from a technical point of view, also because the game is no longer a first: it, even, was born on Unity 4, to be ported to Unity 5 only later. This does not detract from the character design, settings, chromatic choices and to one Artistic direction and they know how to fascinate. The picture is completed by an excellent soundtrack, lasting a couple of hours overall, able to combine with dreamlike atmospheres and dramatic moments, without ever becoming too intrusive. Perhaps it flaws precisely in this, counting fewer songs of impact than the OST of previous games.
Fans of The Longest Journey series have been waiting for him since 2006, and eventually he has arrived. Dreamfall Chapters manages to worthily conclude a complex and fascinating saga, despite Dreamfall: The Longest Journey had left several chestnuts on the fire. The structure and gameplay are close to the styles dictated by modern graphic adventures: a choice that could disappoint some fans, who will find most of the puzzles simplistic, but which does not penalize the work of Red Thread Games too much.
► Dreamfall Chapters is a game for PC, Steam, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Linux, the video game was released on 21/10/2014 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 05/05/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 05/05/2017
