14 DAY TRIAL // Xbox Originals is one of the most interesting moves that Microsoft has launched as part of its Xbox Marketplace initiative. Launched in December 2007, the service promises to offer those games that really changed gaming at lower prices for direct download to the hard drive by Xbox users.
The initial line-up consisted of games such as Fable, cult hit Psychonauts and gaming classic Halo. The subsequent releases were originally planned to be weekly, but Microsoft really didn't manage to keep up the release rhythm (maybe they need to play some Rock Band).
Now, another classic game is becoming available on the Xbox Originals service. We're talking about Funcom's Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, a game originally released in 2006 for both the PC and the Xbox consoles. The game is the direct successor of Funcom's The Longest Journey, one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2000.
Both games are set in the parallel yet complementary worlds of Stark, which is like a hyper technologically advanced Earth, and Arcadia, a world where magic rules supreme. Both games are point and click adventures in which the story plays the most important part. The game does feature confrontation and combat, but most of the game experience is heavily dependent on dialog and exploring the options provided to the player.
An episodic content expansion for the universe, named Dreamfall Chapters, was announced in 2007 by Funcom, but no details have emerged since then. There's also talk about a persistent MMO which will be developed based on the Stark/Arcadia universe.
Funcom is currently very busy working on the Age of Conan MMO, which should ship in late spring despite a string of delays. An announcement regarding the future of Dreamfall could come after that launch. Until then, you can get Dreamfall on your Xbox.