Yeah the puzzles are definitely obtuse. It's a shame because there's a lot of fun to be had with the story and characters. Still, all the time spent head-scratching is probably part of what kept the setting in my head all these years.

Phantasmagoria 2 has some of my favorite FMV locations ever. Very hangoutable, despite the horrors.

Even when fun is the goal, the job of designers is to have a clear vision of what would be fun in the given project. Expecting to find the fun instead of designing for it hurts both the play and development experience.