Product Description

DARK FALL - THE JOURNAL (WIN 95,98,ME,2000,XP)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8227 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Dreamcatcher
• Model: 625904405517
• Released on: 2003-07-24
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platforms: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 95
• Format: CD-ROM
• Number of items: 1

Features

• PC Products
• ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
• Action/Adventure

From the Manufacturer
Returning from work you listen to a frightened and cryptic voice message from your brother, a talented architect redeveloping the old Dowerton station in Dorset, England. Boarding a train to meet him, you travel to Dowerton alone, wondering what adventure you may be embarking on...

When you arrive, the train is empty and the station is deserted. You begin to explore--the train tunnels, the station, the adjoining hotel, and the grounds--and discover that although no one is there, you are not alone. Finding artifacts, ancient documents, and a valuable journal, you realize that the area holds a history of disappearances and hauntings dating back centuries.

Customer Reviews

Not for me
Allow me to preface this by giving kudos to the programmer who put all his energy into designing a game that came solely from his heart. That alone is worth an added star.

That being said...

If you believe in the supernatural, then this game is for you.

If you like your supernature to be eerie, then this game is for you.

If you enjoy adventure games in which you interact with no one, then this game is for you.

If you like taking lots of notes, as well as hand-drawing cryptic designs, then this game is for you.

If you like open-ended unanswered questions at the conclusion, then this game is for you.

This game was not for me.

Don't get me wrong, those who appreciate a creepy atmosphere and worthy (albeit grainy) graphics will be quite satisfied. ...if that's all they want. But I wanted and expected more than that, and this game left me thoroughly frustrated to have spent all that time suspending disbelief only to be disappointed overall.

I'm sorry, but for me, the cons heavily outweighed the pros. I wish they didn't.

Quite Well Done
"Dark Fall: The Journal" is a ghost story. It is not a horror story. No dripping blood. No beasties popping out of the woodwork. If you like a good ghost story that you play slowly and carefully, take notes, make some sketches, then this is the game for you.

This is a first person, single character game with no dialog. There are some sounds, snatches of old songs, a character from the past may speak. The time is the present. You go to a rural train station and a small hotel in England that was abandoned in 1947. You are looking for your brother. This is not a time travel game. Rather, everything is exactly as it was on a certain night in that year. It is a game of immersion. Gradually, you find clues, and you learn what happened on that particular night.

The game has a few minor puzzles. The major puzzles form a sort of gauntlet at the end of the game. These puzzles can be solved with what you have learned during the game. No sliders, colors, or mazes. If you have not played the game carefully, you will not possess the information that you need to solve these puzzles and complete the game. In particular, you will find a number of mysterious symbols necessary to solve the final puzzle. You must find all of them.

The graphics are of the single-scene type with no panning. They are very detailed and very atmospheric. You will believe that you are there.

If you like a good ghost story, you will certainly enjoy this game.

Short, enjoyable, and creepy!
Dark Fall is creepy, but in a non-bloody way. Shadows and whispered voices along with a generally dark atmosphere set the tone for this very engaging game.

Most of the action takes place in a deserted hotel or the adjoining rooms of the train station platform. You cannot get lost, even with numerous rooms to explore. You cannot die, either, and there is a cleverly designed way to get hints during the game that does not detract from it at all.

Despite there being many pieces to find and put together, I did not find this game to be frustrating like others I've played recently. I think this is because the game is pretty straightforward. If you find a set of coordinates, there is only one place to use them, a row of 7 buttons corresponds to information set up in the same manner, etc.

Inventory is not hard to handle- a little wrench shape lets you know a tool is needed, and if you click on the right one, the tool simply does what it's supposed to. (The only exception is where to use the goggles- listen for the verbal clue) There is no pixel hunting, thankfully. A few areas are hidden just enough to make you look a bit harder, but everything makes sense and you don't have to go in circles looking for the cellar or attic, for example.

The voice work is excellently done. There's not a great deal of music, however some of the sound effects get annoying after a while if you stay in one spot thinking. This is a point and click game in the first person. There is no violence, however due to the creep factor I would not recommend this for kids under 13. (Just a note: one drawer contains several old-timey nude women, but not in close up) There is no foul language.

There's several different types of puzzles to keep you busy, but none are extremely hard. I solved a couple by randomly clicking. A few are audio-based and there is no captions to this game. There are no math problems. You save the game by saving it to a file you create and I found it quick and easy. There are no audio or settings controls.

Overall, this is a pleasant little game set in an interesting environment that will not overtax your brain.