History VideoGame / TheLongestJourney

''The Longest Journey'' is the first game of the ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourneySaga''. It is a 1999 AdventureGame written by Ragnar Tørnquist and developed by the Norwegian company Funcom for UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows. Famous for its expansive storyline, a lovable, GenreSavvy heroine, and flawless gameplay (as far as [[PointAndClickGame point-and-click]] gameplay goes), the game is commonly credited with resurrecting the AdventureGame genre after its crisis in the late '90s. In November 2014, '' The Longest Journey'' also received an iOS port.

The game is available on both UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and Website/GogDotCom, but notoriously difficult to get to run on some modern systems. It is, however, currently [[https://www.residualvm.org/compatibility/DEV/tlj/ fully playable]] in UsefulNotes/ScummVM.

* NPCAmnesia: April can change her answers without fearing any backlash.

* CerebusSyndrome: Initially the story does not take itself too seriously, being at some points an AffectionateParody of fantasy stories and even campy and comedic at times, with lots of LampshadeHanging. But the story starts to take a very dark turn when [[spoiler:the Tyren army invades Marcuria]] and [[spoiler: Emma is shot by the Vanguard]].

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

The game is available on both UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and Website/GogDotCom, but notoriously difficult to get to run on some modern systems. It is, however, currently [[https://www.residualvm.org/compatibility/DEV/tlj/ fully playable]] in the [[http://www.residualvm.org/ ResidualVM emulation engine]] (an offshoot of [=ScummVM=]), albeit with some glitches and missing features.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Wino, the man innocuously squatting with his back turned next to the steps to Warren Hughes' apartment, appears to be in the middle of doing this. Much to April's disgust.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Whenever Cortez discusses art with April.

* {{Diary}}: April keeps a diary throughout the game, which is an important source of her characterization. How she manages to update it even after being pulled into a parallel universe in just her underwear is never explained.

[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_longest_journey_cover_6124.jpg]]

* FantasticDrug: "Rapture" and "Amathin". The effects are never explained in detail.

* PhysicalGod: The Guardian, after the Changing of the Guard; outside their Tower, however, they are as helpless as normal humans.

* SlippingAMickey: While putting candy in ooze gives a rather obvious bad taste and only has the detective driven off because spitting out the candy hits Freddie. It's done more direct later by putting "Instant Heat" in coffee.

* UnfortunateNames: Abnaxus, who frankly is quite the opposite of obnoxious.

April Ryan is an [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent ordinary art student]] living in the Orwellian metropolis Newport and applying for the local Academy of Arts. She has her share of problems with her parents, insecurity about her future, and increasingly strange dreams, but she also has some great friends, a job, and a friendly landlady. Then a weird CoolOldGuy named Cortez appears and tells her that she is TheChosenOne who has to SaveBothWorlds -- and then he sends her to that [[AnotherDimension other world]], {{Arcadia}}, she is supposed to save. As her familiar world [[WhenDimensionsCollide crumbles around her]], April has to dive deeper into the secrets of the universe, fulfill cryptic prophecies, bring down an AncientConspiracy or two, save the [[PhysicalGod Guardian of the Balance]], and ultimately restore the harmony between the Twin Worlds of Stark and Arcadia. And that all in less than two weeks.

The game is available on both UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and Website/GogDotCom, but notoriously difficult to get to run on some modern systems. It is, however, currently [[http://wiki.residualvm.org/index.php/The_Longest_Journey fully playable]] in the [[http://www.residualvm.org/ ResidualVM emulation engine]] (an offshoot of [=ScummVM=]), albeit with some glitches and missing features.

* PercussiveMaintenance: The housekeeper at the Mercury theatre kicks the flickering neon sign with his broom in hope to get it to work again.

* NPCAmnesia: April can chance her answers without fearing any backlash.

* ThirteenIsUnlucky: Inverted. In this game, thirteen is a lucky number.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Wino, the man innocuously squatting with his back turned next to the steps to Warren Hughes' apartment, [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar appears to be in the middle of doing this]]. Much to April's disgust.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: It's heavily implied, visually and through April's dialogue, that the man standing with his back turned next to Building 87 on Hope Street is [[ADateWithRosiePalms masturbating]].
** There is a product called "Instant Heat" which is used to spike a guard's coffee to get him to move. From its description and the effects on the guard, it can be inferred that it is something akin to Viagra.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The conversation between Cortez and April about how in order for a painting to be "true art", the painting "must have a soul". Aside from April being a starving artist and the person she needs to see being the one who did the painting, the conversation is completely irrelevant to the game.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Every time Cortez talks about art. He seems to just ramble on about it, talking about how modern art or film is inferior to his opinion of "true" art or film. Then, he abruptly segues into what April really wants to talk about. Not truly irrelevant to the plot as with the film discussion they are at the Mercury Theatre and with the art discussion they are at the Roma Gallery.