Best Adventure Games for Beginners?

[Sarge]

I have no idea how legit it is, but I can see ISO images of it on archive.org.

[Exhuminator]

Blade Runner isn't supported. I don't see it on GOG but I did see it linked there for download on some other site I don't know if I trust. What's the best way to play this game?

Buy it off eBay or Amazon, and play it on actual Windows via compatibility mode.

I wouldn't get my hopes up for a GOG re-release:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Run ... Re-Release

[visual_death]

I've been playing on my Wii through SCUMMVM so far, but it looks like Blade Runner isn't supported. I don't see it on GOG but I did see it linked there for download on some other site I don't know if I trust. What's the best way to play this game? Does Gabriel Knight work with modern machines?

GK does work. They also have it available on gog:

https://www.gog.com/game/gabriel_knight ... he_fathers

If you're willing to throw a few bucks towards it (it's totally worth it). This is the original one too, they released a 20th anniversary edition one with beefed up visuals and stuff and some additions in game play, but I still love the original better.

Edit: I've never tried Blade Runner, but most LA games seem to work in SCUMM that I've tried/played.

[GSZX1337]

I think Telltale's Sam & Max games are better than Hit The Road in just about every way myself. I wanted to love Hit The Road but found it to be one of the weaker LucasArts games myself.

I'm in the same camp, though I think I enjoyed Hit the Road more than you did. The Telltale games are definitely a great Step 2.

[Sarge]

I hear good things about it (and have it on Steam), and I have no idea if it's beginner-friendly or not, but The Longest Journey is on sale on GOG this week.

http://www.gog.com/game/the_longest_journey

[marurun]

GK does work. They also have it available on gog:

https://www.gog.com/game/gabriel_knight ... he_fathers

If you're willing to throw a few bucks towards it (it's totally worth it). This is the original one too, they released a 20th anniversary edition one with beefed up visuals and stuff and some additions in game play, but I still love the original better.

If the GOG one is the one with recorded character dialogue, GET IT! The voice work is incredible. The legendary Tim Curry does the voice of GK and his N'awlins accent is AWESOME (as in pretty good, not awesomely bad). Leah Remini, Michael Dorn, and Mark Hamill provide voices as well.

Given that the original non-CD version shipped on 11 floppies, I'm guessing the almost 400 MB gog version is the CD version with the awesome voice acting.

[chuckster]

I finished Secret of Monkey Island last night, and after Day of the Tentacle, I was disappointed. I am glad I didn't start with it, because it would have really been a turn off. Most of the issues seemed to stem from the game being so short. The gags were thin and hardly ever exploited to their full effect, the characters were bland and again it seemed no time was spent on their developed besides an accent (though they were well done in the SE I played),

The environment was beautiful, but some objects you had to use (looking at you, loose plank in the SCUMM bar!), weren't even flagged when you moused over them. That just seems lazy and a plug for a helpline (the SE had a hint function, which I had to use there). To top it off, I had to revert to the old-school audio-visuals to complete the time-sensitive puzzles because the new system was so clunky. I wish I could have kept the new audio with the classic SCUMM system, it would have even been worth giving up the new visuals.

Despite all that, I am still riffing on the genre, I started Sam & Max Hit the Road, and it has been great so far. The gags are coming hot and heavy, and characters are clearly defined. You can really see the evolution in these games from SoMI to this, or maybe I'm just having Saturday morning flashbacks from the great cartoonish look and feel.

I also scored Beyond Time and Space Wii for $8 the other day. I tried it out but just due to the VO work and the look, I'm liking Hit The Road more so far, but admittedly I just tested the Wii game for a few to see if it worked.

I hope the new King's Quest is good, I'll likely get it at some point. Until then I plan on trying the sixth one and Quest for Glory 4 soon, but I worry they will be especially obtuse compared to the LucasArts games.

[alienjesus]

I finished Secret of Monkey Island last night, and after Day of the Tentacle, I was disappointed. I am glad I didn't start with it, because it would have really been a turn off. Most of the issues seemed to stem from the game being so short. The gags were thin and hardly ever exploited to their full effect, the characters were bland and again it seemed no time was spent on their developed besides an accent (though they were well done in the SE I played),

The environment was beautiful, but some objects you had to use (looking at you, loose plank in the SCUMM bar!), weren't even flagged when you moused over them. That just seems lazy and a plug for a helpline (the SE had a hint function, which I had to use there). To top it off, I had to revert to the old-school audio-visuals to complete the time-sensitive puzzles because the new system was so clunky. I wish I could have kept the new audio with the classic SCUMM system, it would have even been worth giving up the new visuals.

Despite all that, I am still riffing on the genre, I started Sam & Max Hit the Road, and it has been great so far. The gags are coming hot and heavy, and characters are clearly defined. You can really see the evolution in these games from SoMI to this, or maybe I'm just having Saturday morning flashbacks from the great cartoonish look and feel.

I also scored Beyond Time and Space Wii for $8 the other day. I tried it out but just due to the VO work and the look, I'm liking Hit The Road more so far, but admittedly I just tested the Wii game for a few to see if it worked.

I hope the new King's Quest is good, I'll likely get it at some point. Until then I plan on trying the sixth one and Quest for Glory 4 soon, but I worry they will be especially obtuse compared to the LucasArts games.

Don't let Secret of Monkey Island put you off trying later games in the series. I think 2 is a small improvement, but Curse of Monkey Island, the 3rd game in the series, is brilliant.

[Exhuminator]

Until then I plan on trying the sixth one and Quest for Glory 4 soon, but I worry they will be especially obtuse compared to the LucasArts games.

King's Quest VI is pretty good. It's not as good as King's Quest V though IMO.

The Quest for Glory series is mostly great. Personally I don't think QFG4 is all that good though, despite enjoying its atmosphere. If you want to start with the best QFG, go with this: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/qfg ... epage.html (It's a free remake of QFG2.)

If you're hung up on playing 90s adventure games, I recommend these:

Full Throttle
LOOM
The Legend of Kyrandia (series)
The Dig
Indian Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Simon the Sorceror
Space Quest IV

That's a good place to get started IMO. Great games that aren't overly obtuse.

If you want to play the greatest adventure game ever made, here's the ticket:

People will disagree with me, but that's only because they're wrong.

[Sarge]

I'll still never forget finding the red label version of Full Throttle and The Dig while I was in Bristol, England. Set me back a whole £1. That was $1.50 at the time.