Dreamfall: The Longest Journey [Xbox]

Although it's been over six years since Ragnar Tornquist's The Longest Journey was released, it's still remembered as one of the finest examples of the much-loved -- and much-missed -- adventure genre. In Dreamfall, Tornquist invites us back into his half-sci-fi, half-fantasy universe, and to say that it is a welcome return would be a major understatement. Dreamfall is a masterpiece of storytelling, and almost lives up to its illustrious predecessor.

Viewed in a familiar third-person perspective, Dreamfall doesn't look much like the point-and-click adventure games of the '90s. But the interface works much the same. By approaching an object or person, you'll see a blue highlight and a set of context-sensitive buttons on the screen. Your inventory is usually small, and can be pulled up on screen to combine objects or use them to interact with the world in some way -- this is how most of the game's puzzles are solved.

Being that this is such a story-driven game, we're not going to weigh into a major recap of the plot. Discovering it for yourself is the greatest part of Dreamfall's appeal. Suffice it to say that the game deftly twists sci-fi and fantasy themes, hopping between a future Earth and a fantasy world called Arcadia.

Zoe Castillo, a likable, pretty young woman from 23rd century Casablanca, stars for the bulk of the game, but you'll spend significant time playing as two other characters as well. In the interests of avoiding spoilers we won't name names, but one of them will probably ring a bell to fans of The Longest Journey.

Frankly, much of the game is spent watching them talk to each other. For adventure game aficionados this'll come as no surprise, but if you're more in tune with modern, fast-paced games, you might find it a bit of a shock. Yes, the conversations are lengthy, but kick back and enjoy them -- they're worth it.

It would all be for nothing if Dreamfall didn't succeed in making its characters interesting. Fortunately, Zoe is one of the most memorable and engaging video game leads we've seen for ages. While she's flawed and insecure, and not shy about pointing out her weak points, she's still resourceful, appealingly practical, and deeply likable. Her understated, matter-of-fact voice actress bears credit for these achievements.