Let me begin this review with a short tale about myself.
Five years ago i was Diagnosed with Depression, Anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychotic Depression. In a nut shell, i Worry too much about not worry enough, while also suffering from hallucinations and voices (not like the movie with Ryan Reynolds, much worse)and trouble coping with situations I go through from time to time.
It was only after I tried to kill myself that i found peace within myself, and that journey to find peace started with this Game. I opened up to some of my very closest friends about what i was going through, each and every one of them said mostly the same things, either go seek help, or smile your fine. The latter don't truly understand depression, but i never held that against them. It wasn't until a friend that i met over PSN who live in another country that i was truly saved. He didn't try to bring Jesus into my life or any other number of gods. he told me four words.
Buy Journey From ThatGameCompany.
So I did, and I was pleasantly surprised just how the music alone was able to make me feel alive again. I have played Flower from the same company before, so i knew they style of game i was getting into, but never in a million years would I have imagined a game can be so therapeutic, so peaceful, so full of healing.
You begin as the Wanderer, a very low textured robed figure on a journey to the top of a mountain, passing through Deserts, Caves, Snowy hills and a forceful wind. While the character itself isn't very detailed to the same extend as say Nathan Drake, the real focus is on the environment. Never have I just sat there in front of my TV and looked at sand, yes sand. The 1080P really shines when your character makes it over one of the many sand dunes and begins to surf down the lose sand, leaving small trench-like trails in your wake.
I must have spent the first 30 minutes of the game walking up a sand dune just to surf down it. Needless to say I was beyond excited when there is an entire level devoted to just that, surfing down the sand, and it was glorious. This is one of the many levels of the game that really show that this game is also Art, there is a moment when you are surfing through ruins, side-scroller style, and the art work and color choices really do make you want to just grab your heart and hug it.
Throughout the game you may or may not notice other wanderers in your game. They may keep to themselves or team up with you to experience the Journey together. either way they will leave their mark on your game, but more about that later. One of the best design choices they made was leaving everyone anonymous, no PSN ID above their head, no mic support, no party chat, only the circle button. You use this to advance through the game by "Chiming" against ribbons to unlock creatures that help you through your journey. I like to think of those "Chimes" as opportunities within the game for experiences. the other use of the circle button, either tapped for a small chime, or held for a longer chime, is to communicate with the other players. even with only one type and sound to use to communicate with someone, it is amazing the connection you can have with up to this point a complete stranger. you can feel joy as they rapidly tap their chime, moments of accomplishment as you see a large chime and a little spin from the wanderer. It's only after you complete the game do you see who you played with.
And that it where I found some peace, and my mother was completely amazed. Remember how a friend of mine recommended i buy the game, well he was one of three players who were in my session as i played through, i only saw one of the three, and his name was the last so i suspect he was the one helping me near the end. My mother saw only one person on her journey that she swore was in her words "part of the game or something", only to be shocked when she encountered 8 people during her Journey. She called me that day to express her joy about it and wished that the game took longer than 8 hours to complete. I chuckled to myself and explained that the game can be completed in about 2 hours, but to not fret for taking so long. she argued by explaining she was looking at the sand for a while, only to confess she forgot how to move the camera.
The night I finished the game and composed myself, I jumped into a party chat with my close friend, and simply said thank you. He said I would have done the same for him, and he was right, had I know about the game, and he been in my shoes, I would have done everything exactly the same.
So now onto the part where i sell you the game. I'm not going to do that, because i feel this is a title that isn't a game, in the basic of terms of course, but an experience everyone should have. I went through waves of euphoria, fear, loss, and in the end, nirvana. I can promise you one thing from playing Journey.
You will never forget your time as the wanderer. Not only because of the beautiful art style and skin chilling sound track, but because of the overall message you take with you after you finish.
For me, it was a story of life and death and ultimately what comes after, and the beauty that accompanies both sides of that coin. Life lets you experience things, and death makes those moments worth while and memorable. Of course many may believe that this game is strictly about getting to the top of the mountain, and there isn't anything wrong if you take nothing away from it except for what is on the surface, because at the end of the day, that what art is. A personal interpretation of the artists message. Some may see a blank canvas while others see a polar bear in a snow storm.
So all I ask is that you give ThatGameCompany a look, try Journey, and if you enjoy that, there is also Flower and Flow from them as well that are both amazing titles. Each of the three are also Cross-buy so they will work on any system in the Playstation Family.
The composer behind Journey, Austin Wintory, recently had a chance to revisit the classic game, just in time for its tenth anniversary.
My fav indie game ever, played this on ps4 and ps5. Too bad it does not have a plat trophy.
Jenova Chen told us about the development of the game.
Today, veteran game developers with experience on games like Journey, Skyrim, Spider-Man, Edith Finch, Ratchet & Clank and more, have come together to announce a brand new game studio, Gardens.
Concept artist has a very distinct style and if they can translate that into the game well this studio will be making some visually stunning games.
