[diego]

It's hard to come up with the list and be objective, and everyone prefers different games for various reasons. Beside the quality of games, loving a game can also be on a more emotional note - it may be the very first adventure you played, adventure game you've played in a specific time period, game that made you cry and laugh the most...

But it's not coincidence that some games are often mentioned and they are not classics without a reason. Also, it's hard to come up with definite number of top 5, 10... since you'll always left out some which could easily be in place of those who are mentioned. In no particular order:


1. The Curse of Monkey Island

What had always impressed me the most about this game is that three masterminds of Monkey Island (Gilbert, Schafer and Grossman) weren't involved but it still came up to be one of the best adventure game of all time. I can understand those who grew up on MI 1 and 2 and that they are not too fond of this title but it's hard to object that it's a very well crafted game, with some unforgettable music numbers and dialogs that we haven't seen since, along with incredible and vivid Tiller's art. El Pollo Diablo, A Pirate I Was Meant To Be, Ventriloquism Book - that's... classic.

2. Monkey Island 2

This is probably even better than the third one, and one of all-around best adventure game. One of many strong sides of this game is the unique art between cartoon and realism and choice of different locations, along with the puzzles design. You start on dark island, then go to to more brighter locations... and on the way you have a sense of the wide Caribbean area with the possibility to travel between the islands. They don't make like them anymore.

3. Gabriel Knight 2

As for me, i'll go with the second one although every one in the series could be in the list. Gabriel Knight 2 is a rare gem that turned FMV trend into favor of pure adventure gaming and stands now as classic. No, i was never bothered by Ericson's acting, but then again, it's just a matter of taste and if you played GK1 before GK2 you would probably mind the change. Since i played GK2 first, later when i played GK1 i imagined Gabriel as i know him from The Beast Within. "Out of sight, out of mind" i guess. Anyway, GK2 is strong in it's production on Sierra's peak and has everything that good adventure game needs to have.

4. The Longest Journey

This is a game out of radars and time. It was released after the golden age and at the dawn of "new age" and combines everything best that we've seen before and after it. I think it's one of those games that showed that you won't be able to kill adventure games - you can't beat interactive storytelling as long as there is one man who will make it and one who will play it.

5. Journeyman Project 2 and 3

I'm sorry to all JP fans but i've never played the first one. What is unique about this series is that it took the best elements of the Myst-like games (paradox to say it since JP was released before Myst) and classic 3rd person adventures since it doesn't rely blindly on "unknown person doing strange puzzles" ground, but also included characters, sidekicks and tounge-in-cheek humor. Cheesy sci-fi story and acting couldn't hurt it. It also introduced the concept of travelling to different geographically and historically exotic locations that many will follow later.

6. Phantasmagoria

In all it's deja-vu and cheesy glory, this is classic horror adventure. It finaly proved that an adventure game can pull you in, chew out and spit you like you'were watching Hollywood movie. It's not the great writing, acting... which is important here - it was the pure intention to make something "big" using classic adventure game elements. Phantasmagoria never fell into trap of being movie first, game second, regardless of lot of in-game movies and easier difficulty.

7. Day of the Tentacle

One of the best adventure games of all time. If someone asked me about cartoony graphics i would tell Day of the Tentacle, if their question is about ingenious puzzles i'd tell Day of the Tentacle, if it's about original idea and design - Day of the Tentacle. I play this game over and over asking what happened to game designers and when will someone try do something similar - something... fun.

8. The Whispered World

If someone told me i'd get to play "Curse" in 2010. i'd think he is crazy. Indeed, TWW lacks polishing and general quality of Curse of the Monkey Island, but it tried to do something "epic" in a "golden-age" style and one must respect that. It introduced one of the most beatiful graphics in history of 2D adventure gaming, and wasn't scare to take the road of "harder puzzles" just like those classics did despite the winds of making games slightly easier on which games sail nowadays. Add to that two memorable main characters in style of classics with protagonists and their sidekicks.

9. Al Emmo and The Lost Dutchman's Mine

Yes, main character's voice is the worst since the dawn of video games, animations are awful... but this game has a lot going for it. Al Emmo is tip of the iceberg that started in post-golden age era with the boom of independent and AGS production. I've never witnessed such "freedom" with interaction with the game-world like here, but still it looked like a classic adventure. If you look at sky you'll get different response on each screen, you'll even get different responses when you try too look at the same thing more than once. But the most important thing - it didn't feel "forced", it's just that i enjoyed the settings. Narrator making jokes of you along the game is not ground-breaking idea, story is so-so, humor might not be everyone's cup of tea... but Al Emmo is just a simple tribute to classics, and somehow looking fresh and original on the way.

10. The Last Express

You get to listen different natively spoken languages throughout the game in order of authenticity and that player feels more immersed into game. I'll repeat - you get to listen different spoken languages. That alone might give you an idea with what care authors did the game, and it shows. Also, i'm the biggest puzzle lover but The Last Express managed to work without them - "what the hell is going on" is the biggest puzzle here, and many mystery and detective games should had taken note from here, when it comes to suspense, figuring characters and their motives, trying to tie things up... Add to that romance and movie-like experience and not even rewinds and dead-ends can spoil it.


I knew i'll run out of space. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Toonstruck, Keepsake, Ankh... - i promise to put you in next top 10 list.