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4Mar 13

Journey Review

Beautiful, poignant and uniquely intimate, Journey makes a strong argument that games can, indeed, be art. You play as an anonymous robed figure venturing in the desert. You see a light coming from the top of a mountain and spend the rest of the time trying to reach that light.

The game play itself is quite simple. You can move, jump and chirp; yes, chirp. This component communicates to flying ribbons that, in turn, give you the power to fly. If you play online, other players will either drop in and out, or you will spend the 2-3 hours it takes to complete the game together.

The co-op adds to the intimacy of the game. You can only communicate with chirps, and the other players name is hidden from you until the Journey is completed, and yet it's probably the closest I've ever felt playing with another randomly matched gamer. You go through the same things together, face the same dangers, communicate the best you can with chirps and going certain ways.

The worlds tale is shown, rather than told and is completely up to the viewers interpretation. I found it as a very relevant tale, talking about the power and danger of technology and about the relevancy of enjoying the small things, such as gaming. That's just my interpretation.

The game has little violence. What violence there is, though bloodless, is brutal and intense, adding a layer of fear and adrenaline to the masterfully done lite-stealth segments.

Journey is beautiful. Your robes blow appropriately in the wind and sway as you move. The snow and sand you walk through moves as you make your way, the light vividly reflecting and bringing out the grains of sand. Snow sticks to your body later on, ensuring that you are indeed a physical being.

I did face some technical issues. Falling through the environment once or twice and oddly getting caught in a pillar, spinning uncontrollably and forcing me to restart the game, took only a slight edge off of what was otherwise a sublime experience.

Reaching the light in the mountain is a metaphor. What it means is up to you, but the beauty is in the Journey and the perseverance it takes to get there. It's a beautiful and dangerous world and I'm looking forward to face it again and again.

Pros: - Unique sense of intimacy, beauty and interpretation

  • Seamless, random, co-op

  • Feels like playing art

Cons: - A couple of environmental bugs

29 comments
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blueinheaven
blueinheaven

I'm mystified as to how two hours game time doesn't feature under 'cons' or just as a complete con itself.

jecomans
jecomans like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@blueinheaven Do you give all the movies you watch a bad review because they go for 2 hours? The point of the game is that it is a one-sitting, casual, but emotional, story arch. 

blueinheaven
blueinheaven

@jecomans @blueinheaven I expect movies to last two hours. I don't expect games to last two hours. You are taking 'casual' to ridiculous extremes. If it's a good game fair enough but two hours for any videogame is not value for money. Two days yes, two hours no.

jecomans
jecomans

@blueinheaven @jecomans It costs the same as a movie does. The time is perfect for the experience it intends to give you. If I spent $50 on a game and it didn't last an evening (cough, Kojima) I would be rightly pissed off. This game is very different in it's intentions. Very linear, fun though limited exploration, stick forward and 2 buttons, very simple. Yet for two hours it is one of the most engaging experiences you'll have on a PS. It's simplicity means your mind is freed from needing to work things out, there are no instructions but it is always clear what to do, so your emotional state becomes changed and strongly effected by the journey in a way that sounds unlikely if you haven't done it. 

JangoF-76
JangoF-76

"The worlds tale is shown, rather than told and is completely up to the viewers interpretation."

In this case take "up to the viewers interpretation" as a euphemism for "utterly incoherent".

Yes, Journey could be held up as great art, but as a great video game...not so much.

Prats1993
Prats1993

Pay $15 for 2 hrs of walking in a desert. No thanks.

Halloll
Halloll like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Prats1993 a shorter high quality game is a blessing for folks who have less time to play games.

This comment has been deleted

mastermetal777
mastermetal777 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@Suikogaiden I did honestly enjoy playing Journey a lot more than some of the other games that were released in 2012. It was refreshing to play something that didn't involve killing others in order to progress. It had simple mechanics (simple is better in most cases), and the most unique co-op experience in any game I've ever played. Just because you can't handle the fact that a game like this can be highly praised doesn't mean it didn't deserve any praise at all.

charlesdao
charlesdao like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Suikogaiden Yeah they should give to COD, ou Assasins Creed right?

This comment has been deleted

Exploding8
Exploding8

@Suikogaiden 
My friend and I quit AC3 half way through because of the shitty story telling, crappy AI, and freezes. On a console. CONSOLE GAMES SHOULDN'T FREEZE D:<

And Journey's biggest feature is its Co-Op, not the aesthetics


Bad_Gamers83
Bad_Gamers83

@Suikogaiden @Bad_Gamers83 No poser or saying it's "the best game".  There's no denying it's pretty unique, if you like it or not.  There are plenty of unique and good looking games out there. I just really enjoyed this one.  No posing, just facts.

Namgis
Namgis

Well written piece. Time well spent.


I agree that co-op is an integral part of the experience. On the first few play throughs, I explored areas as thoroughly as I could, trying to find everything there was to find. In subsequent playthroughs, once I knew where everything was, I would commence my speed runs. Solo first, then co-op. I have had 3 flawless runs with partners I've met online and enjoyed those most out of everything else. The chirping, while used for some communication, was also an excellent form of musical composition. Couple that with the score, and each time through the game was different enough to make me want to see what would happen next.


While not a long game if you rush through, that really wasn't the point of the game. I found myself seeking out the highest peaks in each area to cop a squat and enjoy the brilliant score. It's wondrous to just sit back and watch others traverse the game exploring things for the first time.


CruiserCaptain
CruiserCaptain

In later play throughs, it's just as rewarding to patiently lead others to all the secrets and beauty as it is to play the first time. It's wonderful to finish and see that you have helped guide the same person through the entire play.

DJKrayz_basic
DJKrayz_basic like.author.displayName 1 Like

enjoyed it my first playthrough, in one sitting.. will definitely play through it again, a few times, im sure... very beautiful, yet simple, game..

mario1028
mario1028 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Finished this game recently, and it is the embodiment of videogame as art form. It's a beauty to behold as well as listen to, but its crowning achievement is the combination of a simple goal and straightforward gameplay that nonetheless stays with you once you've completed the journey. Loved it.

Gen_Warbuff
Gen_Warbuff like.author.displayName 1 Like

Been hearing so much good about this game, I really need to get to it. Great review, well done!

Coco_pierrot
Coco_pierrot

2-3h ? you did wander a lot ! In my case it is max 1h30 but yeah when you are trying to find bit of scarf or the hiden story walls, otherwise it is really short. And I never have those technical issues you are talking about.

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