Journey Review!

Everything we as humans do in life is a journey. There are small ones like walking to the grocery store, and large ones like moving across the country for a job you hope you’ll be able to keep. The amazing thing about these journeys is that no matter how large or how tiny, they are all significant. Understanding this is where the true beauty of Journey lies and it’s something that absolutely needs to be experienced by all gamers.

Story

At the beginning of the game you’re presented with a far off mountain and you’ll be instructed to move forward by a picture of a DualShock 3 with a highlighted joystick. Along the way you’ll meet small, playful creatures made of cloth, and massive stone creatures that will rip away pieces of your scarf. Every new environment provides a prominent change in scenery and the pacing is impeccable. The story lasts roughly two and a half hours and it’s obvious that thatgamecompany intended it to be beaten in one sitting.

The story is presented by paintings formed of light and flashbacks that convey your characters past and his present motivation for reaching the peak of the mountain. In the flashbacks, a mysterious character in white visits him and helps him understand the history of his race. I won’t go much farther into the story for fear of ruining it.

Gameplay

Thatgamecompany has always been known for packing a large meaning into a tiny package. Simplicity has always been a key factor in their two previous games Flow and Flower, and the trend is continued in Journey. Throughout the game you’ll only use three buttons, the joystick for movement, the X button for short bursts of flight, and the O button to chirp and activate ancient relics.

While most of Journey’s gameplay constitutes moving forward, there are simple puzzles you’ll have to solve. As I previously mentioned, your character is wearing a scarf, which you’ll use to fly in small bursts. At the beginning of the game the scarf is short, but as the game moves forward you’ll find glowing white relics that will extend its length that in turn allows you to fly farther.

While moving towards your goal of reaching the peak of the mountain, you’ll meet other players along the way. You won’t see their names until you beat the game, and there’s no way to invite people to play with you. It’s totally seamless and the system works very well. This is where the O button comes into play. You can tap it to chirp at companions, or you can hold it to release a burst of sound that will charge up their scarf. It’s a fun addition to Journey that’s unique and wonderfully implemented.

Graphics

Gamers have become accustomed to PSN and XBLA titles taking hits in the graphics department due to their reduced price. Prepare to let out a sigh of relief because Journey has graphics of any video game to come out in this generation. It’s a bold statement, I know, but I will stand by it faithfully. The lighting and textures are both flawless; the effect of movement given to sand and snow in the game will make you swear you felt the hairs on your arms blowing in a slight breeze.  I encountered virtually no graphical hiccups throughout the entire experience and load times are only about three or four seconds. This is a world you’ll feel a strong desire to come back to and you’ll be cursing thatgamecompany for never producing a sequel to any of their games.

Sound

If you can, play this game with headphones because it includes virtually the first soundtrack from a video game to be nominated for a Grammy. It invokes an incredible sense of wonder and emotion that is seldom rivaled by even the biggest of games. As soon as I finished the game, I purchased the soundtrack and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since. The attention to detail also shines through in the sound department. Chirps will be in key with music and during the absence of it the sound of wind blowing across the vast desert landscape will make you feel truly alone.

Verdict

Thatgamecompany has undoubtedly created a once in a generation experience. The way that the graphics, sound, and story meld together into a near perfect package is only rivaled by how incredible they are on their own. Very rarely do video games instill the sense of emotion that Journey does and in complete honestly, this feeling is something that should be welcomed with open arms. Despite the fact that it tells the same story every time, I’ve found myself coming back to play Journey more and more in the days since I first completed it, and I honestly hope that it draws you in as well.