Journey

Game Info

Ten minutes into Journey, and all I can think of is how this game is not for me.

No discernible goal in reach, I wander forward.  There’s a mountain in the distance, so I guess I’ll head that way.  Two minutes pass.  But then I crest a sand dune – the sun glares brightly and the music swells.  Twelve minutes into Journey, and all I can think of is how amazing it is.

At its heart, Journey is just that; a journey, and definitely not a game.  You travel towards a mountain as a nameless, faceless, genderless protagonist.  There’s a desert area, a temple area, and a snow area.  Occasionally there is a jumping puzzle, and a few other obstacles you navigate through, but it’s never truly a puzzle game.  Honestly, on paper it sounds like the classically droll game Desert Bus – a horrible boring slog from Tucson to Vegas for hours until you finally finish.  But the tiny, nuanced touches elevate this experience to an amazing level that has to be played and experienced.

However, the moniker of “game” is inappropriate here.  This is a game only in the sense that you turn it on with your Playstation; it’s more akin to an interactive movie, or a long and beautiful lucid dream.  There’s no real “gameplay,” either.  But to fault Journey for a lack of gameplay is like scolding Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2001: A Space Odessey for not having more blazing gun battles.  Sure, gameplay (and gun battles, in this simile) are great – but in the context of Journey or 2001, they would make no sense.  Indeed, the little game-y bits that pop up in Journey feel slightly out of place.  I found myself wanting to wander and look, and Journey was asking me to dodge spotlights.

Journey is an impressive delight when it comes to graphics.  The game was obviously very lovingly crafted, and designed to evoke different emotions with each area.  The wide open desert belies a bit of lonliness, while the warmer, more inviting areas have an inviting sheen to them.  Cloth billows in wind, and some very nice sunset effects make the lighting splendid.  Most poignantly though, is the final area in the snow.  The little touches that go into your character during this sequence are heart-rending.

The music and sound transform Journey into what it is.  Without the brilliant, evocative score or the subtle but powerful sounds, Journey would have been a flop.  The music does so much to set the tone here – even the lack of music in certain sections of the game is perfectly realized.  The sound design is just as well realized as the musical score.  Muted chimes and whimsical chirps juxtaposed with howling winds and fierce guardians make for a wild aural variety.  This game is best experienced with a great sound system or a good pair of headphones.  The sounds and music really make the game.

The multiplayer is interestingly implemented and seamlessly adds to the gameplay.  As long as you’re connected to the internet, someone will eventually join your game.  But they don’t just appear, and there are no loading or buffering screens – so you’ll, for example, turn a corner and there will be another traveller.  They’re free to wander off or help out – as are you – but there’s a greater sense of comraderie in this then I’ve seen in a long while.  And with no identification until the end, communication is limited to single-button chirps.  It’s beautiful and well done, up until the very end of the game, when Journey reveals to you that the person you just shared this touching, personal experience with is some 13-year old with the PSN name xXxWeEdBoNeR69.

Ultimately, though, Journey is an amazing experience, with emotionally evocative music that compliments its gameplay and scenery perfectly.  This is, without a doubt, something that should be played, cherished, and contemplated on.  Don’t miss Journey.