A Sentimental Favorite

I love “The Longest Journey.” I played through it several times back when it was relatively new. It’s quite extensive, so, you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Finding it available for iOS was kind of exciting. After all, the original was always mired in the PC world; as a Mac user, I was forced to use my work PC to play the game. Now, it was available on my iPad.

Here is the problem: games do not automatically transfer between platforms, particularly when user input options differ between the platforms. For example, you cannot “hover” on an iOS device. When playing the game on a PC, you can swipe the mouse around the screen and view feedback that indicates that particular objects can be viewed/manipulated. The analog on a touch device is to tap tap tap all around the screen, looking for a response.

The problem with the UI comes to a head in the middle of chapter two, when presented with a number of statements to say to a character, while the correct option does not appear on the screen. There is no clue that there are additional options or of how to bring them into play, other than a couple of baffling tiny icons at the bottom of the screen.

In the end, the problem is that the software company didn’t actively adapt the program for the new platform.

It’s sad, because this game was really a masterpiece, and it has such potential. Apparently, to the software company, it is nothing more than a cash cow, meriting minimal maintenance or improvement. Too bad.

Though I’d always recommend someone check this title out.

Steve in DE. about The Longest Journey Remastered