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Very Enjoyable

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: May 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I was looking for a puzzle game and spooky atmosphere when I came across this game. I wasn't disappointed. With a set of headphones and the lights down I had a lot of fun letting myself get caught up in the game. The puzzles aren't super hard. I only got stuck once. Some of the puzzles seemed a little dependent on how well you clicked your mouse instead of whether you actually could figure out the logic behind them which could get aggravating. I do wish the plot had been a bit more interactive. I finished the game without really being sure just what had happened to some of the characters.

All in all I would recommend this game. I find my biggest criticism is that it was really too short. I would have enjoyed playing it longer and exploring more of the setting.

Ghost Story set in creepy Victorian train station.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Fans of the classic ghost story, old abandoned buildings and dark tales will enjoy wandering the derelict hallways and haunted hotel rooms. It's a classic point and click adventure, with easy mouse controls. Great for cold winter nights, or Halloween.

Perfect

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I REALLY enjoyed this game. It is a first person exploration adventure where you come to know the 'ghosts' through the items that they have left behind - the same feel as AMBER. There is little direct interaction with characters. BUT, you do feel that you know them by the end of the game. The puzzles are well interwoven into the story and are challenging. There are LOTS of clues scattered around and I found note taking to be necessary. This game is so immersive that I even looked at my notes when I wasn't playing. The background sounds are EERIE and add to the suspense. I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys mysteries and suspense.

Most enjoyable

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I really enjoyed this game because it is not linear in the strict sense that some games are. You can look all around and collect information and clues out of any particular sequence. I get really frustrated with games that require clues to be collected in a specific order. That is not the case with this game. There is also a character who "helps" out from time to time. When I got really stuck, there was a way of getting that help and the how of it was also a clue to be found. Great game.

Run to your computer to play this game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: June 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game grabbed me from the very moment it started. Have you ever wanted to explore an old, historical, abandoned building? Is it haunted? Does that make it more of a challenge - a fun, but scary challenge? In Dark Fall (The Journal), while you are walking around the old hotel and train station, you hear voices, you hear people knocking on doors, footsteps, creaking, singing, etc. It's very spooky, without being too spooky. The storyline is interesting, and the sound effects really add to the experience, especially if you are brave enough to turn the lights way down...

It's fun to explore the hotel wherever you want, without being pushed to one area or another. I did not do things in order (I found out later), which made it a little more difficult for me since I did not read a journal early on that explained the story--ok, sometimes I miss the easy things, but that's ok because it was MY mistake and I like that it was mine to make. The game did not force me in one direction, and I had to figure things out just like a real investigator would have to do.

The puzzles aren't obnoxious, and you can figure them out by yourself without resorting to a walkthrough. One thing that did help me, though, was to print out a couple of floor plans I found online. If you don't do that, make your own.

I saw that someone said you have to take many notes about things you see, and yes, that's true, but you can also just read the specific information as you find it, and then go to a walkthrough to read it again later when you need those specifics...no biggie. You've found the information on your own, you just didn't write it down, you let someone else do that for you.

Turn the lights down, and get ready to be spooked out by this ghost hunting story...people missing from 60 years ago, and then the young, college-age ghost hunters go missing today. You need to figure out why, and then figure out how to get rid of the evil ghost. Unlike many other games, no one jumps out to stab you or kill you, YOU WILL NOT EVER DIE, and you will not be timed at any point in the game. Just sit back, enjoy the hunt, and try not to get too jumpy as you hear the creaks and noises in the old, haunted hotel. It's squeaky, creaky fun!!

Old School

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 21
Date: September 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game was so boring! I love adventure games and I was terribly disappointed with this one. I did not find this game to be scary in the slightest, in fact at some points I found the ghosts' voices to be annoying and humorous. All through the game I kept wondering what the relevance was in what the ghosts were saying and should I write down everything that I was reading...this game has a lot to read.

The graphics are not great, nothing spectacular. And the constant mouse swirl started to hurt my wrist! I love point and click games, but this was a tad obnoxious. Even the most obscure object/wall/door/etc. may be a clue and you just can't know until you click over it. I guess I prefer games that are a lot more straight forward and logical. I don't want to spend hours just swirling my mouse aimlessly around a particular scene in hopes of finding something.

I am a true adventure gamer and I have played a bunch of really amazing games. A few of my favorites are: Still Life (excellent!), Syberia 1 and 2, The Longest Journey, and Black Mirror. I think that those games have a lot more to offer. This game seemed old fashioned almost in the way that it was meant to be played. In my opinion this game is redundant and boring.

I also totally agree with what reviewer's Shannon and BJ"bbigham" had to say, and I wish that I had read their reviews before I bought this game.

My Most Favorite Adventure Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: April 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

"To each, his own." The reviewers who didn't like this game should probably have read the box. This is a first person (uh, usually means no other characters to interact with?) point and click, adventure game. It is not an action adventure game--no blood, no swords or machine guns, no bulked up heroes or large breasted avatars. Just you and your own brain and your emotional response to the experience. What you see is through your own eyes, not someone else's. You are not just watching someone else go through the adventure. For me, this perspective facilitates total emersion. I can suspend disbelief and feel that I am really there--me, myself, behind my eyes. The "aloneness" adds to the creepiness and dread as you move through the old, long abandoned hotel and train station, impelled by the need to solve the mystery of what happened to your brother.

The pacing is up to you. You are not led along by the hand or whatever else. The story develops as you uncover it. The clues are very intuitive, but not overly easy. I never did have to resort to hints or walkthroughs. But, I didn't figure everything out instantly, either. I found myself thinking about puzzles and clues when I was away from the game going about other activities. I realized the solution to one puzzle just as I was falling asleep one night, and had to get back up to go see if it was correct. It was. And it was very satisfying.

The graphics are detailed, atmospheric and, in my opinion, excellent. They are not glossy or flashy or highly colored, however. That would not have been in keeping with the mood. At times, you almost feel as though you are existing within an old photograph.

I loved that almost every drawer and cupboard can be opened and its contents examined.

It's true that there is a considerable amount of reading and note-taking and a few places where you would do well to do some rough drawing. If you don't enjoy the challenge of putting together all the (well placed and appropriate) clues--and in this game you actually can--you can always use a walkthrough. Personally, though, I would recommend that you do your best to restrain your impatience and take advantage of the opportunity this game offers--to actually solve the mystery all on your own.

This is my all-time most favorite adventure game and has remained so even though some of the more recent releases have been very good. I particularly enjoyed Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle and Scratches. Because of "Dark Fall: The Journal" I have become a fan of Jonathan Boakes, its creator. I look forward to more of his work, which he will tell you has been influenced by the writings of M. R. James--the writer of the best ghost stories I have ever read.

To those who say, "Too much reading; you might as well read a book," I say, maybe you should. And to those who complain about the pace or the interactivity, maybe you should watch a movie.

Actually, I do have a complaint about all those who bring down the ratings of excellent things because they want to complain that the genre doesn't suit them. That, people, is a reflection on you and your tastes, not the product in question.

If you enjoy mystery, atmosphere, and a good, scary story that you can actually participate in, you'll like, maybe even love, this game. If you're looking for blood and breasts and intense action, simply look elsewhere. But, please don't complain and blame the game because you failed to read the box.

Simply Haunting

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

In my opinion, there just aren't enough good ghost story adventures, so I purchased this game without a second thought. Atmosphere is everything in this game, and sound plays a key role. From the eerie music to disembodied voices and otherworldly whispers and groans, this game begs to be played while wearing a set of headphones, which is exactly what I did. There are some nice visual touches too with glimpses of shadows, light motes, and the flickers of a ghost train through the window.

The story starts after the cryptic phone call from your brother which sends you on a search find out what happened to him and others at the location of the old hotel and train station he was renovating. You uncover a history of mysterious disappearances.

Despite previous comments, clues and puzzles do apply to the storyline in most cases and are pretty hard to miss with the simple interface. While not everything you see applies to advancing the game, these items often do add to the overall effect. Some of the puzzles can be a little tricky. I had a particulary hard time getting a key for a particular door and opening a suitcase, but for the most part it wasn't hard to get from place to place to find what I needed.

Game play is your old frame by frame movement, which makes it easy to navigate and find things but lacks a little in this day and age of superior 3D environments. You have an inventory which is easy to use and doesn't get overloaded. The areas to explore are not very extensive, so you won't find yourself getting lost once you've explored a little.

By the end of the game, I found myself with some unanswered questions, leaving the door wide open for a much-anticipated sequel. Even without that, I will be in line for Dark Fall II because of the excellent spooky quality of this game. There is much to be said for atmosphere, so turn out the lights, put on the headphones, and ask the Ouija board if you are in danger.

Better than the sequel

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This point and click was a fun game. It's in 1st person in a 2D environment. It had at times a creepy atmosphere, but what I most remember is a feeling of discovery and curiousity. I enjoyed revealing the mystery with my character. I don't recall pixel hunting for clues and the story line revealed itself at a good pace. There were plenty of hotspots to keep me entertained but not so many that I wanted to pull my hair out, and they all added to the story (though in the end, they may not have all been necessary). It's been a while since I played it, but it is a game I thought good enough to keep and play again (which is pretty rare for me). The sequel to this "Dark Fall:Lights Out" I didn't like, the whys you can see in that review.

Not for me

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: October 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Allow me to preface this by giving kudos to the programmer who put all his energy into designing a game that came solely from his heart. That alone is worth an added star.

That being said...

If you believe in the supernatural, then this game is for you.

If you like your supernature to be eerie, then this game is for you.

If you enjoy adventure games in which you interact with no one, then this game is for you.

If you like taking lots of notes, as well as hand-drawing cryptic designs, then this game is for you.

If you like open-ended unanswered questions at the conclusion, then this game is for you.

This game was not for me.

Don't get me wrong, those who appreciate a creepy atmosphere and worthy (albeit grainy) graphics will be quite satisfied. ...if that's all they want. But I wanted and expected more than that, and this game left me thoroughly frustrated to have spent all that time suspending disbelief only to be disappointed overall.

I'm sorry, but for me, the cons heavily outweighed the pros. I wish they didn't.

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