Journey
The rise of the downloadable video game marketplace has become the most significant development since the addition of the third dimension. Video games no longer have to be enormous projects with multi-million dollar budgets. A game can be created by a single person in their free time and still be a huge success, as seen with Daisuke Amaya’s “Cave Story.” Because budgets for downloadable games can be significantly lower than disc releases experimentation with design is more frequent, making a game like “Journey” possible.
In my two decades of ravenous video game consumption, I have never encountered a game quite like “Journey.” Generally I play games for the high of victory. “Journey” connected with me on a level I never expected a video game could.
Progression in “Journey” is like a trek through different emotional states. Each leg of the journey is defined by a specific emotion that the music and environment mesh to create. Though the “Uncharted” series has the most technically impressive graphics of this console generation, “Journey” has the best overall presentation. Simple models and cel-shaded textures form gorgeous landscapes and fascinating structures that demand to be gawked at.
The ultimate goal of “Journey” is to reach the towering mountaintop that dominates the horizon. Most of the actual gameplay is simply walking toward your objective, while occasionally jumping or using your vocal “chirp” to interact with the environment. There is little challenge to be found aside from hunting for collectibles, but the game is better for it. The steady, brisk pace ensures the player is constantly engaged.
As an experience, “Journey” is more similar to watching “Fantasia” than playing a video game. It contains no dialogue, but a somewhat abstract story emerges during the eight or so cutscenes that occur at the end of each section and their meaning is left up to interpretation.
“Journey’s” unusual implementation of online play proved to be the defining aspect of my experience. When the game is played with an Internet connection, other players that are in the same area as you are seamlessly dropped in. I never saw a player spontaneously generate, I would instead spot them in the distance as I rounded a corner or reached the top of a hill. This cooperative play is limited to two people, but this added some intimacy to the partnership.
I found a companion early in my voyage, one I became attached to as we helped each other reach collectibles and exchanged friendly chirps while trudging through the sweltering desert. After 20 minutes or so together, we reached the top of an enormous sand dune. The descent of this massive slope is the climax of the game’s focus on happiness. We stayed side-by-side while skiing down the five-minute joy ride. We ramped off crumbling architecture and flew through the air with a tremendous sense of speed while the sun set behind the sands. When we finally reached level ground the sun had set and the entrance to our next destination gave off an ominous aura. As I readied for the next leg of our journey, my friend took a seat in the sand and slowly disintegrated into dust.
The comforting effect of that player’s presence and the twinge of pain produced by his loss made the feelings of camaraderie “Journey” creates its most powerful quality. Because the only method of communication is through the musical chirps, biases based on age or gender cannot come into play. “Journey” only takes around two hours to complete which allows players to experience the entire game in a single session. Don't let the value proposition deter you, it will be the best two hours you spend gaming this year.
