Umm its the kind of game you should play :P

Ok maybe I shouldn't cop out like that, I would say the genres listed are fairly accurate of Action/ Adventure/ Puzzle

I'm not sure I can explain it very well because I haven't really played any games like it (that doesn't mean that there aren't other games like it, it just means i might stick to certain game genres too much). I guess I'll say that it has action as you progress through the story disposing of bad guys and such things. But there is also things to do like in adventure games where you have to solve problems and talk to people although not so much in the way of adventure game puzzles, there are more traditional puzzles then adventure game type puzzles.

Everything about these games is good just go play them, explaining is just too hard for me :), I'm going to be way too biased because I like this games too much.

It's a french game.

This game is an adventure. :)

I have only played the second game in the series, but it is similar to the first I believe. Also note that I'm going from memory, having played it a long time ago.

It's not a point-and-click adventure, it's more of an action-adventure. You directly control Twinsen and have him run around the different areas, occasionally doing some platforming sections or fighting enemies, but also talking to people and solving puzzles. It's kind of like the old isometric platform games (like Head Over Heels, if you know that game, or Solstice) except with more to do and there are many areas that are fully 3D rather than simply isometric. If I remember correctly, the outside world is 3D and the indoor areas are isometric. However I think the first game might have been all isometric, not sure.

Have you played Grim Fandango? The way you control Manny and have him run around in Grim Fandango is not that different from how one controls Twinsen, although Twinsen's controls are better. And he can jump and throw things and drive vehicles and lots of other stuff.

So yeah, it's hard to describe! It's unusual, but it's pretty cool.

The first LBA is way darker though, it deals with a 1984ish dystopia led by the dictator Dr. FunFrock, the second one is (mostly!) a generic alien taking over the world plot. Mostly.

I would define it as an adventure game with 3D platformer elements. Even if what you see all the time is the 3D platformer, in its heart the game is most definitely an adventure.

So OP, did you try it? If so, how would you now describe it? If I had to choose one word to describe the series it would be : 'magical'

I found an unredeemed gift code for Little Big Adventure 1 in my library.
If you are into adventures.. enjoy it: CBF2B-5BA61-11D9F-C5517

Just wanted to commend a couple of posters here for their brilliance, and no I'm not being sarcastic :0)

To the guy whose sole and complete answer was that it is French: my hat is off to you. For anyone who understands that answer, there's really nothing else that needs to to be said. The original LBA is practically the poster child for visual arts "Frenchness," in my opinion. The sequel is as well, I suppose, but I didn't care for it as much (and didn't finish it) so that may explain my hesitation.

The only other helpful addition might be another poster's mention of the LBAs as reminding him of platform games. I'd never thought of that before, but it's exactly right! Both games are, essentially, platform games wwithout the platforms. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the first game especially began life as a platformer and then was converted to iso at some point during its development. I've always disliked platformers due to their, well, platforms, because they seem so unnatural and awkward: in the real world, we don't go through life unable to turn our bodies or heads to the side, monotonously staring and moving only straight ahead, in lock step, like lemmings headed for a cliff. Maybe LBA's designer felt somewhat the same way and decided to dump the needlessly artificial feel for something more "immersive." That's pure speculation--maybe even self-serving speculation since it supposes that the designer agrees with me--but, like I say, I wouldn't be surprised to learn it.

Anyway, in my opinion, these two comprise what I would call the definition par excellence of LBA 1&2: French platform games without the platforms. Genius, guys! Thanks!

This game had revolutionary graphics for its time (1994), unless you play the PS1 version where the graphics were less great.

It's an adventure game. Basically go around, talk to everybody. Complete quests. Save the world.

What more d'you want from a game? Magic? Okay, it has magic in it, and cute strange animals, some of which even resemble elephants, although they're called grobos