I’m not sure entirely what Journey is about on the grand scale. That isn’t what matters though, what matters is I had a Journey with my own unique experiences with other players. The message you recieve by the end of Journey is obvious and although this a short title it is an experience all hardcore gamers will want to have. This isn’t for the casual gamer, it is an experience of art and wonder with a game stapled on.
What Flow and Flower could not deliver on was the complete experience. Journey nails the formula for atmosphere and making an actual video game. The brilliance of Journey, like any good story driven title, is lost after the first play through. Only the diehards or trophy hunters will ever want to load Journey up again. As crazy as it seems, this isn’t a knock against the game. Much like Portal, Journey offers a tight and short experience that will leave a lasting memory.
The game is set in the sands of a nameless desert in a nameless world. Your character on its journey is of an indistinguishable species wearing a hooded robe and a scarf. There are not many concrete facts about the world of Journey but the few revelations make sense along the way. The story is easy to grasp and best viewed in a single 2 hour sitting.
Gameplay wise, you’ll move forward and glide. That sums up the entire game play of Journey. Your character’s pilgrimage across the desert isn’t always alone either. The brilliant part about Journey is you’ll be randomly matched up with other players playing the game in that particular section. You can only communicate with these players by chirping, the action required to activate the dancing light needed to glide in the game, and you don’t know who you are playing with either. Only at the end of the game will the list of people you played with be revealed. These players can’t grief you but they may help you or simply abandon you and push forward.
You get the feeling that every grain of sand is animated in Journey as you slide down a sand dune only to glide over a cliff. Wherever the game takes you, the world just feels alive. There is a story the world wants to tell you, that you can piece together only by traversing its beauty. The game is void of speech and you’ll feel the same way upon completing this epic Journey.
- The world is gorgeous and vast
- The soundtrack fast paced and intense without being obnoxious
- Replay value does exist for those in need of it
- $15 for 2 hours will be a rough sell to most gamers despite the quality being so high
Score: 5/5
