Despite being one of the biggest adventure game fans I know I will admit that there have been a number of classics that have escaped my gaze until recently. And among that list was The Longest Journey and Dreamfall. I had known about the first game through a demo that I discovered years ago but I never picked up the full release until 2012. When Dreamfall Chapters took the leap to Kickstarter, and as I wont to do, I played the previous titles in this series to see how this one might play out. And I won’t hesitate to say that I was hooked by the stories of April and Zoe.
We have covered the previous “books” in Dreamfall Chapters before but the final chapter, Redux, has just been released and I wanted to see how this finale fared against the rest of this epic tale. And I will state for the record that I haven’t been disappointed in said experience. There are some things that I didn’t quite care for, but overall this is one worth playing through to the end.
A year ago I had written up a “top 10 crowdfunded adventures” piece and I had listed Dreamfall Chapters as an honorable mention due to it not being finished then. If I were to make a new one now, this would definitely make the cut and I have to say that it’s one of the best examples of a crowdfunded game that I can think of. The production quality is one of the highest that I’ve seen in the genre. That said, it’s not perfect. But what game is?
Throughout the game as a whole we’ve been treated to some questions answered and plenty more were made during our time in both Stark and Arcadia. Redux continues our journey to a mostly satisfying conclusion. Mostly meaning that there’s plenty left unanswered, or at least only barely hinted at. Which means that fans will be begging for another game set in this universe. Something that Ragnar Tørnquist himself has said isn’t going to happen any time soon. The Longest Journey Home has been shelved. For now at least.
Zoe Castillo’s story is pretty much wrapped up now and I’m certain that April Ryan’s journey is complete as well, despite both having some questions left unanswered. However, there is still a lot left to tell, particularly in regards to Kian Alvane and Saga as the epilogue doesn’t do much to tie all the loose ends together. There is also a lot more hinted at that could easily become another chapter in the Dreamfall saga.
Whatever the future holds for Red Thread Games and their flagship series I know this. They’ve left a lasting legacy in these three games and I’m sure that I speak for a large portion of the adventure community that Dreamfall Chapters is a worthy inclusion in any fan’s collection. And hopefully we will eventually get to play the often teased The Longest Journey Home. I just hope that it isn’t that long of a journey.
