Preview Dreamfall Developer: Funcom Publisher: TBD Release Date: 4th Qtr. 2005 Platform: , Console Preview by Ray Ivey June 3, 2004

We had an interesting interview at FunCom with Ragnar Tornquist and product manager Jorgen Tharaldsen. Though Dreamfall, the follow-up to their 2000 smash The Longest Journey, is still at least eighteen months from release, we were able to see a few of the game’s more interesting features.

Like all adventure game players, I’ve been watching all of the hand-wringing that’s been playing out on the internet over the action elements in this sequel. Adventure players are nothing if not consistent in their instant, shrill, and usually badly-spelled diatribes against any game in development that threatens to push the envelope of traditional point-and-click adventure gameplay. It seems many adventure players long to live in a time bubble located at around 1992.

Remember all the keyboard rattling about the “action elements” in Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon? It turns out the game was a terrific adventure, exploring a 3D world with various gameplay elements that, while perhaps not traditional, were certainly not the (evidently) dreaded reflex-oriented twitch-muscle moves from those Satanic action games.

After watching a short gameplay demo at FunCom, it appears that Ragnar and his talented team are attempting the same thing. In fact, some of the gameplay mechanics were quite reminiscent of The Sleeping Dragon. As our heroine Zoe would approach a ladder, or a ledge, or a box, there would simply be a choice to climb over it if such an action is possible at that moment. In short, it’s nothing for an adventure gamer to be afraid of.

Now, I’ll admit that we didn’t see any of Zoe’s reported martial arts abilities, but we’ll deal with those as the game gets further developed. (Note: According to Funcom, there will be an embargo on any further information regarding Dreamfall until next year – Randy)

For me the bottom line during the anxious vigil for the arrival of Dreamfall is pretty much what it was for The Sleeping Dragon. I ask myself, who’s the developer? With The Sleeping Dragon, it was the indefatigably creative Charles Cecil. With Dreamfall, it’s the guy behind freakin’ The Longest Journey. So, yeah, he’s got a certain amount of trust built up with me.

Naturally we will continue to update you on all things Dreamfall as we learn them. In the meantime, enjoy the wonderful screenshots.