The Adventure genre has slowly faded from the limelight as gaming has evolved.  Developers now focus on great graphics, wear-and-tear game play, and entertainment value to keep you coming back for more.  These titles, that oftentimes require no brain power, can easily be played by a trained monkey (taking into account that GameZone.com does not endorse animal testing).  You may say that the adventure genre was killed by the very hands that created it.  Jonathan Boakes attempt in revitalizing the point-and-click adventures, game play famous for Amber:  Journeys Beyond and the MYTH series, was brave but unfortunately fell short of his goal.

DARK FALL: The Journal is a supernatural themed graphic adventure game.  You receive a mysterious phone call from your brother, an architect renovating a run-down train station and hotel.  But something has gone wrong, and he asks for your help.  You board a train to meet him but when you arrive, the station and hotel are deserted.  With the help of mysterious people, you explore the haunting setting to uncover the spine-tingling truth.

There are two ways to review DARK FALL:  As a product competing in an extremely aggressive industry or as a new addition to a dying genre.  Though “point-and-click” doesn’t appease the general gamer, raised in a world of FPS and RTS titles, it finds its value in the hands of gamers who can still appreciate what many titles neglect nowadays, a strong storyline.  One thing that I particular enjoyed about this game was how non-linear it was.  Wherever you go exploring, there is some part of the story that is linked with everything else.  The author kept a very tight structure while still allowing for an open environment.  

However, there are many things that this game needs work on.  Moving about, picking up clues, and solving puzzles can be repetitious at times.  I found myself getting tired of continuously clicking my mouse in doing monotonous tasks.  The first-person perspective and interface is completely based on your cursor, which can act as a tool to move and take a closer look at certain areas.  Some may complain that it requires you to point too precisely, but it’s apart of the sleuthing you must do in order to progress through the game. 

To keep all your items nicely organized and collected, you can store them in an inventory.  I liked the simplicity of the inventory, but the fact that you cannot collect the papers and books you find means that you will need to take a lot of notes for future reference.  In turn, this improves the game play by enriching the investigation and problems that you must crack.  As far as puzzle challenges are concerned, though the originality was clever, the developer overemphasizes its part in the game.  The game could easily fit into the puzzle genre if it weren’t for the outstanding storyline.  

Ambiance is a huge part of game play, especially in Adventure games.  Luckily, DARK FALL brings with it an eeriness that is best experienced alone in a dark room with volume full blast.  At one point, I had the urge to shut it off and read my Bible.

Adventure-enthusiasts will find an enthralling game premise and environment that rivals the best horror titles while others will pass this up as a low-budget garage game.  The $20 price is a fair investment, but only a dedicated fan will thoroughly enjoy it.  

Gameplay: 6.5

DARK FALL: The Journal isn’t an average gamer’s cup of tea, but its original puzzles and investigative elements makes for a nice experience.  If you are in to “point-and-click” action, this game delivers.  Otherwise, it sometimes can be repetitious.

Graphics: 6.5
Game graphics are hardly ever as good as the engines capabilities.  Unfortunately, Macromedia Director offers little hope for quality graphics and Dark Fall suffers because of it.

Sound: 8
A strong suit for this game, the sound brings to life the voices of the dead.  With creepy noises all around you, it’s hard to go to sleep after playing.

Difficulty:  Medium
The puzzles make for interesting challenges, but it’s the clue finding, close observations, and detective work that draws you in.  Get out your pen and paper! 

Concept: 7.5
It brings an old-school interface that mixes gaming elements of MYTH with the haunting features of a good ghost story. 

Overall: 7
In all, DARK FALL does a great job in captivating its audience in a rich storyline and direful locales.  However, with its slow-paced game play and unpolished effects, it fails in its attempt to raise adventure PNCs from the grave.