I had a great time with this game, though I admit I had to consult a walkthrough to get past certain obstacles, but that just meant it was challenging to me, and that's what I want. The graphics were good but not the greatest and the amount of dialogue is tremendous. The story is a bit convoluted but to me it made it all the more immersive, interesting.

The game has a "Mature" rating, so it puzzles me why I read so many negative reviews about the game being "obscene" or that it had a "hidden agenda" since there were lesbian (minor) characters and mix race couples featured. Personally I found that feedback more offensive than the occasional f*** I heard on the game...

One of the best inventory based games I've played, and overall probably the best game I've played in years. Very creative and engaging.

I'm currently an Interactive Design graduate student, and my school often bundles Interactive Design students with Game Development students. As such, several of my professors are game designers, and many have decades of experience.

I wanted to "speak their language" and sought out some of the titles they seemed to respect and recommend. "The Longest Journey" was frequently mentioned as a stellar game: the storytelling, characterization, world-building, game engine and graphics were all cited as being top-notch. It is an older title, so the graphics are not comparable to new 3D games. Consider the difference between the original Sims series and Sims 2 for an idea of what I am talking about. (TLJ has superior graphics to the original Sims games, however.)

I am not a "gamer," per se. I rarely have much free time to play! That said, I was captivated by TLJ and enjoyed working my way through it.

It is dialogue-driven, you can play most if not all of the game via your mouse, and most of the puzzles use "Earth logic," a term I use for a common sense approach to problem-solving. There are a few exceptions, but not so many that the frustration will outweigh the fun. Other plusses: no pixel-hunting, no timed puzzles, no "twitchy" gameplay.

I also liked the "ordinary woman" main character, who used ingenuity and her unique strengths to resolve issues. She is realistically flawed but ultimately sympathetic and likable.

The worlds the player discovers during gameplay are well-crafted and intriguing, and the variety of characters are entertaining.

Advice: pick up everything you can, try to combine inventory objects if you get stumped, talk to everyone you can, don't be in a hurry to progress (the journey is, after all, most of the fun), think outside the box, and prepare to think fondly about the game once you finish it.

Warning: it ends on a (slight) cliffhanger, which is partially resolved in the sequel to TLJ. This won't spoil the fun, and you can play TLJ with or without trying the sequel, if you choose. The sequel is visually stunning (uses 3D) and has incorporated a different navigation system and "fight" and "sneak" combat gameplay.

Is it kid friendly? Yes and no. There are some instances of adult language, and a few characters are fairly scary and thus probably not appropriate for little folks. There are no gratuitously violent or bloody scenes, however, and there is no graphic sexuality. The puzzles would also probably be too difficult for smaller kiddies. Older kids and younger teens would probably be fine, but as with all media you may wish to share with your kids, it is smart and responsible for a parent to preview the material and to decide if it is appropriate, and to take his / her child's maturity level into account. (Compared to, say, a hyper-sexualized Bratz doll or many of the popular but bloody FPS (First Person Shooter) games, TLJ is, in my humble opinion, a more safe and wholesome gift idea!)

I loved the story. I tell you right now it has a lot of information to follow and understand the story and game. April ( the main character) has to listen from a lot of wise people to get the puzzles and the situation solved. I didn't have a problem with that. If you played Myst saga, you learned how to be patient and take advantage of everything. And listen. And read a lot. This is a game of patient. The puzzles are not difficult but you won't solve fast. It's about the story and the solution. So be patient. Although I mentioned Myst, it's not like it all the way. But as in Myst, you have to listen to get the clues, to know where to go. You have to read information. So if you thought Myst was boring, don't get this one. April is a student who finds she's a shifter between worlds. This one and another one. And she will find out her destiny because of her gift.

I was under a spell when I played this game the first time, I was so focused on this unusual game, that I almost did not get any sleep.

April Ryan is the main character, and she will lead you into two different worlds, the firs is our world (and this is far into the future) the reality, the tecnology world, the second is the magic world.
And April need to save them both.
The two worlds are melting together, this must not heppand.

You need to use your head if you want to win this game, it is a *back and forth* game and different from anything else you might have played.

Good luck!!!

Wonderful storyline, wonderful characters, wonderful acting. Get the picture? You can't go wrong with this one. Even better, there's a sequel. Visually this is so impressive I don't know where to start. I play it again for the imagery every once in a while.