Adventure games are the cornerstone of the video game industry. The genre has always been around, although there have been high points, most notably in the ‘90s. Thankfully the low points of the past decade have ended and we’ve seen the resurgence of high-quality adventure games. As we enjoy the present, let’s take a look back at the best adventure games of all time.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Although this game is heavy on the logic puzzles, it is even heavier on the fun and the reason it made it onto the best adventure game list. It’s the perfect game for take-on-the-go entertainment, which made it a natural for the Nintendo DS. It’s also incredibly addictive. You’ll find everything from riddles, to sliding puzzles to wordplay and even math (gasp!).
While engaging in some serious puzzle solving, you play your way through a beautifully crafted cartoon village as English professor and gentleman Layton and his young sidekick Luke. The goal is to locate a secret artifact. Along the way, you’ll meet eccentric villagers, collect objects and wish for more hints. Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a challenging adventure game that players will obsess over.
Heavy Rain
One of the newer games on this list, Heavy Rain debuted in 2005 to much critical acclaim. At that time, top adventure games had taken a back seat to the more popular first-person shooters and role playing games. Heavy Rain set out to be innovative by truly making the player’s action matter. Story paths would go in a number of directions depending on the player’s actions.
The game can be played following four storylines: a father grieving the loss of his son, a private eye, an FBI profiler and a journalist. All storylines centered on finding the identity of the Origami Killer. Although the main characters don’t interact, their storylines are affected by the actions of the other characters.
Each character is fully developed, immersing the gamer in their fate. Multiple playthroughs will yield very unique endings making the game extremely versatile. Players will feel like they are watching a suspenseful movie that gets better and better with each playthrough.
Still Life
For a dark tale, Still Life stacks up as one of the best adventure games for PC. It has a dual setting of modern-day Chicago, following FBI agent Victoria McPherson, and 1920s Prague, following her grandfather and private detective Gus McPherson. Both are entrenched in solving brutal homicides that have striking similarities. It’s a story of murder, seduction and family.
Still Life weaves a sinister tale visually, using gruesome crime scenes shown through stylish cinematics, as well as through sound, featuring a haunting musical score highlighting techno music in Chicago and carnival melodies in Prague. But the game play is the real winner. Puzzles and advancement are logical. You can only interact with a crime scene once you’ve earned forensic tools. Puzzles are only put in your path when and where they make sense to further the plot. Although the ending is a cliffhanger teasing a sequel that never happened, it is still an adventure game worth playing.
Myst
Although Myst has a lot of detractors, it has just as many fans. After its release in 1993, Myst become one of the best-selling PC adventure games ever. The game is set on an island where players must search for four books that are linked to other worlds. It seems to have no plot and very little direction to get players on their way, which is why some derided the game.
However, Myst was unique for its time in that the island looked real and also felt alive. What kept players moving along was the puzzles that led to the other worlds and to other related logical games. Because there are virtually no other characters and no linear story, some gamers may find frustration instead of fun. But for those who are up for a challenge, the game is complex and unique.
Syberia
Syberia is the story of lawyer Kate Walker who travels to a toy factory in France to represent her employer in the company’s take over. Once in the remote village, she finds that the person she needs to deal with has died and an heir needs to be found to complete the deal. That’s where the fun starts. Locating the heir turns into an adventure featuring talking robots, mechanized puzzles and a slew of mysterious characters.
Although the game was released in 2002, the visuals, story and game play can still stand up to today’s standards. As far as adventure PC games go, Syberia is one of the most immersive. The art direction and sound design brings the magic of Syberia to life. Throughout the game, players will marvel at the beauty of the visuals and the sense of wonder the fantastical storyline creates.
The Longest Journey
The Longest Journey is an intricate tale of two worlds: one of fantasy and one of science. Budding artist April Ryan is the main character who has a special gift – the ability to go between worlds. She must discover her power and also the worlds of Arcadia, where magic rules, and Stark, where science takes center stage.
On her journey of discovery, the game introduces the player to a vast array of characters. There are adult dialogues with these characters that are both intricate and lengthy. Conversation is a characteristic of all adventure games and the conversations in The Longest Journey will immerse you in the plot and develop rich depth to the characters.
When you aren’t talking, you’re solving puzzles in this epic tale. Along the way, you also get to explore artistic environments that are awe-inspiring, such as the sea ports and forests of Arcadia and the grittiness of Stark. With majestic cut scenes and high-quality voice acting, the worlds of The Longest Journey are brought to life and these are worlds you don’t want to leave.
Do you agree with what we think are the best adventure games of all time? Did we miss some of your favorite titles? Let us know in the comments below.
