Publisher: Red Thread Games Developer: Red Thread Games Year: 2014, though released episodically through 2016 Platform: PS4, XBox One, Mac, Linux
After waiting six years for the second game in the series, fans of the epic The Longest Journey series waited eight years (and through a massive Kickstarter campaign) to play the final entry into the saga. The first is one of my favorite games ever and I feel similarly about Dreamfall, though in my review I compared it to The Empire Strikes Back: exciting and dark, but ending abruptly with many unanswered loose threads. And I must say Ragnar Tornquist did an excellent job tying up those threads; while Dreamfall Chapters is not always satisfying on a game level, the story itself resonates so broadly that it retroactively makes the first two games more satisfying as well.
The second installment in this landmark text series is a definite improvement over the original, though still has some maddening features that would never be tolerated today.
Yes, Zork was the most important computer game of the early 1980’s. Perhaps even more important than King’s Quest. You are standing in an open field, west of a white house, is quite possibly the most well-known line in adventure games. It laid the foundation for many wonderful things to come. And it was an incredibly impressive, engaging adventure when it was released. But other than nostalgia, it has little going for it after all these years.
It took a few years after Martian Memorandum for Chris Jones to release another sequel in the Tex Murphy series, but considering he had to figure out how to utilize that new-fangled CD-ROM thingy, it is no surprise. The series has championed, or at least further developed, new software to enhance the gaming experience, and things are no different in this incarnation. Being released on four CD’s, Under A Killing Moon was the largest computer game in history at the time, while also sidestepping pitfalls seen in future FMV games (e.g. Phantasmagoria). Sadly, however, the innovations weren’t enough to elevate the game quality above the previous offerings.
Publisher: Microids Developer: Microids Year: 2005 Platform: Windows, Xbox
These days I have little worry that when I pick up an adventure game that the production values are going to be fantastic. Sure, there’s going to be the occasional lemon, but with the glutton of previews to be found on the internet, you pretty much know what you’re getting into. Most people seem to agree on what constitutes passable visuals and I can shop accordingly. Unfortunately, the standards for character development do not seem to be so widely agreed upon. In a game where the focus in on the interactivity between the characters, those playing the parts must be charming, engaging, and memorable. Just like when I read a book of fiction, if I don’t care about who I’m watching, little of what’s left is going to affect me. Needless to say, I felt Victoria and the rest of the cast in Still Life left me wanting.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Developer: Simon & Schuster Year: 1996 Platform: Windows, Mac
This FMV Adventure by Simon & Schuster touts itself as an interactive movie, and that’s more or less what you get. With less than three hours of gameplay, the game works sufficiently with what it offers. Sadly, it offers very little.
Publisher: Legend Developer: Legend Year: 1991 Platform: DOS
While a technical improvement in every area over the first game in the series, including graphics, sound, and breadth, I just couldn’t put my heart into Spellcasting 201.
Publisher: Legend Developer: Legend Year: 1990 Platform: DOS
When Infocom disbanded, Steve Meretzky was hired by up-and-coming Legend Entertainment to continue text adventures and compete with Sierra in the adventure game industry. While Legend’s first offering wasn’t entirely polished, and did not have very good sound support, Meretzky certainly did his job to jump start the company and this series.
Publisher: Sierra Developer: Dynamix Year: 1993 Platform: DOS
The two guys from Andromeda split up before this game, leaving Mark Crowe as primary designer while Scott Murphy pursued other interests. Whether or not this development led to a much improved sequel is debatable, as besting Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers did not come with a high bar. Nevertheless, Space Quest V is a playable, albeit short, adventure back in the spirit of the first three games.
Death By Troggles 
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