Journey
Reviewed By: Erik
Journey is a game whose experience is best summed up simply by its name. It contains light puzzle and platforming elements, yet it fits in neither genre. Characters can in some fashion be 'leveled up', but this is no RPG. Journey is an experience, and one which is well worth the $14.99 price tag it comes with.
[Disclaimer]
It's difficult to describe Journey without ruining the experience. This review is as spoiler-free as possible, but if you want the purest experience, quit reading now and just go play it. If you just need to know more before you buy it, the rest of this review will try to give a good idea of what the game is all about
[End Disclaimer]
Journey is all about the emotional experience. The art style, the music, and the game mechanics all reflect this, creating one of the most unique experiences to be found this console generation Every thing about this game is simple, yet it creates a complex beauty that you just don't see to often in video game media.
The first thing you'll notice when you start your journey is how good it looks. Developer ThatGameCompany brings the desert setting to life with a crisp, brightly colored, cell-shaded art style. The next cell-shaded game that even looks close to this good is Namco's Tales of Vesperia on the Xbox 360 )one of the best JRPGs ever made in my opinion). This cell-shaded style is the best way to create emotions in the player. Bright colors are used to convey wonder and joy, while darker colors create a sense of mystery or despair.
The lack of any dialogue, spoken or written, is partly why the graphics are able to speak so well. The story relies almost completely on the animations on screen. The emotional impact of the story is only complimented by the brilliant musical score that accompanies it. An upbeat song mixed with bright colors can convey triumphant moments, while darker scenes with slower music might accompany times you should be cautious of your surroundings. However, the music and graphics still only part of what brings your Journey experience together.
Music is not the only audio in this game. The whistling of the winds, the roar of the sandfalls, and the unique chirps of the cloaked figures will sometimes be the only sounds heard. When the music fades out to just the sounds of the desert, you are reminded how beautiful this game really is. It creates a sense of vast openness, and reminds you just how alone you truly are (or aren't if you start to hear the chirps of fellow travelers). I honestly can't say I've ever came across a game that uses visuals and sounds this well to tell a story, without using any written or spoken language.
This entire experience of journey culminates with the gameplay mechanics. You aren't bogged down with complex controls or odd button combinations. Journey instead gives you four simple inputs: two analog sticks and two buttons. One stick moves your character, while the other controls the camera (the camera can alternately be controlled by tilting your controller from side-to-side, more on that later). The only controls left are an action button, and a button that causes your cloaked figure to chirp. That's it. From there the game lets the player figure out what they can interact with and how they do so.
It's this lack of direction that lends to the feeling that you're truly on a journey, while the simple controls keep you from getting lost and frustrated. I really only had one complaint with the game: the optional tilt camera controls. By default, the camera can be controlled with both the analog stick and by tilting the controller from side-to-side. I think there is some way to turn off the tilt functionality through a menu, but the inclusion of this as a default control can be slightly annoying. An accidental shift of the controller can cause your camera to spin around like an out of control carnival ride, which really kills the immersion. This does not take anything away from the game though, and can easily be negated if you just play the game sitting up straight.
It's worth mentioning that Journey does have a sort of online multiplayer component. The game will randomly pair you with another anonymous cloaked player as you explore. I'd recommend playing through the first time without logging into the PlayStation Network, to get the full single player experience first. Other players will sometimes ruin the experience by showing you what to do without letting you figure it out on your own. When online, the game will randomly pair you with another player (or several others if you keep leaving people in the dust). You can either choose to work with this player to find places you haven't yet explored, or just leave them in the dust and do your own thing. ThatGameCompany's decision to make multiplayer completely anonymous keeps social politics out of the game, and just completes the entire experience.
Some people may be put off by paying $14.99 for a game that can be finished in less than four hours. The experience you get from playing this, however, is well worth the price tag. For some, the amazing experience won't be enough. For me, this is the best fifteen bucks I've ever spent. If you're looking for one of the most unique and beautiful games PlayStation has to offer, you need to give Journey a try!
Score: 10/10 Perfection! (After multiple playthroughs, I cannot find a single thing wrong with this game)
[Disclaimer]
It's difficult to describe Journey without ruining the experience. This review is as spoiler-free as possible, but if you want the purest experience, quit reading now and just go play it. If you just need to know more before you buy it, the rest of this review will try to give a good idea of what the game is all about
[End Disclaimer]
Journey is all about the emotional experience. The art style, the music, and the game mechanics all reflect this, creating one of the most unique experiences to be found this console generation Every thing about this game is simple, yet it creates a complex beauty that you just don't see to often in video game media.
The first thing you'll notice when you start your journey is how good it looks. Developer ThatGameCompany brings the desert setting to life with a crisp, brightly colored, cell-shaded art style. The next cell-shaded game that even looks close to this good is Namco's Tales of Vesperia on the Xbox 360 )one of the best JRPGs ever made in my opinion). This cell-shaded style is the best way to create emotions in the player. Bright colors are used to convey wonder and joy, while darker colors create a sense of mystery or despair.
The lack of any dialogue, spoken or written, is partly why the graphics are able to speak so well. The story relies almost completely on the animations on screen. The emotional impact of the story is only complimented by the brilliant musical score that accompanies it. An upbeat song mixed with bright colors can convey triumphant moments, while darker scenes with slower music might accompany times you should be cautious of your surroundings. However, the music and graphics still only part of what brings your Journey experience together.
Music is not the only audio in this game. The whistling of the winds, the roar of the sandfalls, and the unique chirps of the cloaked figures will sometimes be the only sounds heard. When the music fades out to just the sounds of the desert, you are reminded how beautiful this game really is. It creates a sense of vast openness, and reminds you just how alone you truly are (or aren't if you start to hear the chirps of fellow travelers). I honestly can't say I've ever came across a game that uses visuals and sounds this well to tell a story, without using any written or spoken language.
This entire experience of journey culminates with the gameplay mechanics. You aren't bogged down with complex controls or odd button combinations. Journey instead gives you four simple inputs: two analog sticks and two buttons. One stick moves your character, while the other controls the camera (the camera can alternately be controlled by tilting your controller from side-to-side, more on that later). The only controls left are an action button, and a button that causes your cloaked figure to chirp. That's it. From there the game lets the player figure out what they can interact with and how they do so.
It's this lack of direction that lends to the feeling that you're truly on a journey, while the simple controls keep you from getting lost and frustrated. I really only had one complaint with the game: the optional tilt camera controls. By default, the camera can be controlled with both the analog stick and by tilting the controller from side-to-side. I think there is some way to turn off the tilt functionality through a menu, but the inclusion of this as a default control can be slightly annoying. An accidental shift of the controller can cause your camera to spin around like an out of control carnival ride, which really kills the immersion. This does not take anything away from the game though, and can easily be negated if you just play the game sitting up straight.
It's worth mentioning that Journey does have a sort of online multiplayer component. The game will randomly pair you with another anonymous cloaked player as you explore. I'd recommend playing through the first time without logging into the PlayStation Network, to get the full single player experience first. Other players will sometimes ruin the experience by showing you what to do without letting you figure it out on your own. When online, the game will randomly pair you with another player (or several others if you keep leaving people in the dust). You can either choose to work with this player to find places you haven't yet explored, or just leave them in the dust and do your own thing. ThatGameCompany's decision to make multiplayer completely anonymous keeps social politics out of the game, and just completes the entire experience.
Some people may be put off by paying $14.99 for a game that can be finished in less than four hours. The experience you get from playing this, however, is well worth the price tag. For some, the amazing experience won't be enough. For me, this is the best fifteen bucks I've ever spent. If you're looking for one of the most unique and beautiful games PlayStation has to offer, you need to give Journey a try!
Score: 10/10 Perfection! (After multiple playthroughs, I cannot find a single thing wrong with this game)