JOURNEY: Is it OK to play this on single player?

I've been trying to stay away from spoilers concerning this game, and that's left me wondering: when people rave about JOURNEY, are they usually referring to the single player experience or the co-op experience?

Or does it even matter? Are both experiences incredible?

@_Lotus: It is a fine game to play solo, you will still enjoy Journey.

It's okay to do whatever you like.

However, I'll say that a huge part of the experience of playing through this game, for me, was having a partner. It would have had a fraction of the impact on me if I had been playing solo.

I turned off my network connection for my first playthrough and enjoyed it.

Co op is a better experience imo. 
 
Completed it 3 times now and still want to keep playing.

Just go in without thinking about it. Let chance determine if you get partners or not. The magic will still be there for you.

Played it both ways, each is a different experience. Not better or worse, it just has a different feel. You're missing out on something if you never try the online though.

Ohh, it's only online co-op? No local co-op?

@_Lotus said:

Ohh, it's only online co-op? No local co-op?

Theres no coop mode per say. You just start a journey and if you are connected on the internet you will meet people. Don't worry about it, just play.

I personally think going through with another player at your side bolsters the emotional attachment. There's no sort of communication besides a musical ping, and certain sections like when you're braving the blizzard somehow built a kind of camaraderie as my partner and I stormed through it all together, keeping close so our scarves would 'heal'.

@Swaboo said:

@_Lotus said:

Ohh, it's only online co-op? No local co-op?

Theres no coop mode per say. You just start a journey and if you are connected on the internet you will meet people. Don't worry about it, just play.

Oh. I was wondering if I could play co-op with my girlfriend, locally, via two controllers.

If not, then I might as well just try the online journey... it seems to me that, so long as your network connection is on, there's no other way to do it.

@_Lotus: I'm fairly certain the co-op in Journey is online only. One of the key components of Journey's co-op is no verbal communication, just chirps. I played through the game with my internet turned off the first time and online co-op the second time and had an amazing experience both times.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I can't wait to play this.

Is the estimated length pretty accurate, by the way? It's about 2 hours?

@_Lotus said:

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I can't wait to play this.

Is the estimated length pretty accurate, by the way? It's about 2 hours?

Basically yeah. 2-3 hours generally. But believe me when I say that it'll feel a lot longer. Not as a detriment, just that it'll feel surprisingly complete, and like you have just gone through a long Journey. It really got to me when they were showing the locals during the credits. Really strange, but I think the quality was just that high, and the final push nearing the end is so well paced, that it all comes together perfectly and you won't even realise that all of this transpired across just 2 or 3 hours.

@_Lotus said:

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I can't wait to play this.

Is the estimated length pretty accurate, by the way? It's about 2 hours?

Have a great time! My girlfriend wants to play it on her own now that I've talked it up so much, so maybe you could do that, too. I did my second playthrough last night. I think it was closer to 2 and a half, but I was dawdling and looking around and such. I would have liked to do local co-op, too, but what the online does is surprisingly poignant.

I'd say you can beat in 2-3 hours depending on how much time you take to look arouund. Make sure you have that time to spare because it really is a game that should be experienced in one sitting.

So long as you're connected to the internet, the two will be one and the same. I suggest simply playing it in co-op and not worrying about your buddy if they're going too fast/slow for you, they'll connect you with a new buddy easy.

Since it's a game about self discovery and personal worth it would be "ok" to play by yourself. It would be just as impactful but just not in the same way.

The game also has a major theme in isolation and spiritual ancestry which means that, when playing with other people, you'll feel like your part of something much bigger than if you were to play it alone. To "meet" people on your journey and keep each other company in an otherwise soul suckingly lonely game really is something that should be experienced as it sort of feels really good to share certain moments with someone.

It's hard to explain but I'll just try to say that it feels really good to have people to share significant emotional experiences with.

@Abyssfull said:

@_Lotus said:

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I can't wait to play this.

Is the estimated length pretty accurate, by the way? It's about 2 hours?

Basically yeah. 2-3 hours generally. But believe me when I say that it'll feel a lot longer. Not as a detriment, just that it'll feel surprisingly complete, and like you have just gone through a long Journey. It really got to me when they were showing the locals during the credits. Really strange, but I think the quality was just that high, and the final push nearing is so well paced, that it all comes together perfectly and you won't even realise that all of this transpired across just 2 or 3 hours.

2-3 hours? I've played through twice and it took me about 90 minutes each time. Perfect length too for a game you should play through all in one sitting.

@Redbullet685: I purposely took my time exploring for glyphs and stuff. If you were to blitz right through it, then sure, I can imagine it could maybe only take around 90 minutes.

Good replies. Thanks for not spoiling the game, guys, but still managing to carefully allude to what sounds like a really fascinating experience.

I haven't played Flower yet either. Perhaps I'll download that one if I'm as floored by Journey as I expect (and hope) I will be.

@Abyssfull said:

@_Lotus said:

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I can't wait to play this.

Is the estimated length pretty accurate, by the way? It's about 2 hours?

Basically yeah. 2-3 hours generally. But believe me when I say that it'll feel a lot longer. Not as a detriment, just that it'll feel surprisingly complete, and like you have just gone through a long Journey. It really got to me when they were showing the locals during the credits. Really strange, but I think the quality was just that high, and the final push nearing the end is so well paced, that it all comes together perfectly and you won't even realise that all of this transpired across just 2 or 3 hours.

You mean "locales", right, not "locals"? If not, and you do mean "locals", then please don't explain as I'm not entirely sure what that means in relation to this game and I probably wouldn't want to know as it might be a spoiler (which is what I thought your mention of "locals" was before I realize that its either a really vague reference to a term from the game or you probably meant "locales").

@_Lotus: Gah, yeah I meant ''locales'' =/

Who has summoned me?

I played it... it was so great. Wow.

You should definetively play it with someone (even if you don't really get to choose you just find them or him/her) , the latter part of the 'Journey' you discover stuff that... I don't know how to describe it but having partner is great you feel as both of you share this connection that cannot be describe unless you experience it yourself it's the obstacles in your way, the sense of discovery, the joy, having a partner that is either a newcomer or an experience wanderer (long scarf) traveling with you that makes Journey so amazing some parts of the game let me literally speachless don't be afraid of the 'people who play online' stigma affect you you'll have a great time.