Quick Look: Journey Beta

@bkbroiler said:

@supercubedude said:

@Rocospi said:

Please get other people other than Brad to do these before he blows his load all over the QLs.

I wish Jeff had been on this. I think it would be more useful to have one person who's clearly into it and someone who's skeptical.

I was just gonna say, I'm glad its Patrick and Brad in this QL. Glad to have a lack of cynicism.

Pretty much my thoughts. It's okay to be into a game, it's okay to praise it, and it's definitely okay to be objectively critical, but Jeff shits on everything artistic 100% of the time, so his opinion on Journey or any game like Journey is automatically moot to me.

looking forward to playing this

My money is on Uncharted 3 taking Sand Tech of the year.

Give me this game now! A nice breezy game for a lazy afternoon.

Armless visual stimuli

I love That Game Company, Flower was one of my favorite games of 2009 and Journey is one of my my anticipated games. But I have to say that the sand physics are weirding me out. The way it ripples a few feet in front of the character looks really unnatural. Am I the only one who is bothered by it? Again, I still cant wait to play this game.

This looks so great. So chill and meditative. Games like this are what will push gaming into the future. Not for exactly what it is doing but because it is doing it. That Game Company completely ignores gaming conventions, and even if you don't like their games, you will see the benefits from their willingness to branch out into new territory in the gaming industry as a whole.

Well, this just sold me.

@bkbroiler said:

@supercubedude said:

@Rocospi said:

Please get other people other than Brad to do these before he blows his load all over the QLs.

I wish Jeff had been on this. I think it would be more useful to have one person who's clearly into it and someone who's skeptical.

I was just gonna say, I'm glad its Patrick and Brad in this QL. Glad to have a lack of cynicism.

Pretty much my thoughts. It's okay to be into a game, it's okay to praise it, and it's definitely okay to be objectively critical, but Jeff shits on everything artistic 100% of the time, so his opinion on Journey or any game like Journey is automatically moot to me.

Anyone know if there is any way to get this still? Or was it just super limited closed beta? =(

wish i had a ps3 to check this out. i like the sand..........

Anyone know if there is any way to get this still? Or was it just super limited closed beta? =(

I ....I wanted to avert my gaze but I couldnt .... I couldnt stop watching this beauty!!!!! D: Dear gods I wish I could play this now

Ugh, patrick. Just shut up.

@Mercanis said:

Be careful to walk without rhythm...

@RhombusOfTerror said:

He who controls the Spice, rules the Universe.

Spice is life. (I'd pull out another Dune Novels quote but they are all kinda lengthy.)

I watched some other beta footage of this game, where the player edited the video to show off all three levels being beta tested. It all looks really good. The environment is definitely stunning. How anyone could question whether or not this is a "game" to me is just fucking silly. You explore, gain abilities, solve puzzles, do some platforming and activate objects. The sparse interactions, mechanics, and lack of voice acting or interface doesn't make it "lesser" at all. I don't remember people voicing these concerns over Child of Eden. None of the criticisms being thrown out from folks seem reasonable.

I wish the Ico HD collection looks like this

Patrick: "If there is other people playing at 3pm on a wednesday they could pop into our world". So they are making US West coast exclusive servers for the game then? Or is this just Patrick being typical american? Let the rest of the world with loads of different timezones share a server because it couldn't possibly be evening or night for a player popping up in our game. Because it only exists on the US West Coast! Welcome to the internet Patrick!? Or the world in general?

This is actually both a question and a comment. Are they going to split up the userbase, if so on how many servers? And is Patrick going to get his single timezone server?

Looked more gamey than I was expecting.

I liked the limited jump though, that way I won't spam it all the time, breaking the immersion.

Sorry Brad and Patrick, no matter how much you try to infuse this simple game with some depth by musing on the "What ifs" of the experience offered, all I see is a very basic game with a lack of much to do.
 
What I mean are moments like this: "The jumping... I don't know how I feel about the jumping... but maybe that's the point!"
"What I love about this game is everything is so implied!"
 
I'm fine with open-ended games that don't do anything but toss you into the game world and say "here you go" so long as there is something to do. Journey comes off as having very little to offer players other than aimlessly wandering through the desert - that just doesn't sound too exciting to me, and this quick look didn't do anything to remedy that thought.

So... what do you do in this game?

Sorry Brad and Patrick, no matter how much you try to infuse this simple game with some depth by musing on the "What ifs" of the experience offered, all I see is a very basic game with a lack of much to do.  What I mean are moments like this: "The jumping... I don't know how I feel about the jumping... but maybe that's the point!" "What I love about this game is everything is so implied!"  I'm fine with open-ended games that don't do anything but toss you into the game world and say "here you go" so long as there is something to do. Journey comes off as having very little to offer players other than aimlessly wandering through the desert - that just doesn't sound too exciting to me, and this quick look didn't do anything to remedy that thought.

So... what do you do in this game?

Sorry Brad and Patrick, no matter how much you try to infuse this simple game with some depth by musing on the "What ifs" of the experience offered, all I see is a very basic game with a lack of much to do.

Well, fuck man. This sold me. The hardest thing to do in games is minimalism (sounds like an oxymoron, man), and this looks like it might just pull it off. 

I am in the beta and have played this game alot of times. Honestly I have lost count. Simply just a beautiful game to behold. Can't wait till it is released.

Sand has never looked so pretty before, Patrick and Brad work well in a quick look together.

@kollay: But will it blend?

So this is The Path, but less Red Riding Hood, and a chance of running into somebody else?

Sand tech is really tripping me out. Unless the character is emitting an aura then sand waves should not constantly appear 5 feet in front of you.

Duuuuuuude... scarf red-dot sight!

I never really had an interest in flower but I'm very excited for this game.

Wow. Screenshots really don't do this game justice.

Guess I don't get it... Flower looks beautiful, and you got a real sense of flying through a field. This looks... bland.

I suppose it reinforces my belief that I would much rather explore a field of grass and flowers than a world of sand, rocks, and ruins.

Trophies?????

Reminds me of Vaes Tolorro

the art reminds me of Wind Waker...sort of.

This looks great but here's the deal:
 
If they do not allow analog stick camera control I will not buy this game.  If they do, I will.  
 
6-axis control killed any enjoyment I might have had for Flower.  I HATE 6-axis control. 

Oh yea! I'm getting this as soon as it hits PSN :D

the discussion of this game almost broke Jeff
  

Day 1 for sure.

Hahaha @ Patrick having a "great experience with a 12 year old".  NAMBLA alert.

I love That Game Company, Flower was one of my favorite games of 2009 and Journey is one of my my anticipated games. But I have to say that the sand physics are weirding me out. The way it ripples a few feet in front of the character looks really unnatural. Am I the only one who is bothered by it? Again, I still cant wait to play this game.

Its a bummer you can't play with friends, but still looking forward to it :)

@just_nonplussed said:

@teekomeeko said:

@bkbroiler said:

@supercubedude said:

@Rocospi said:

Please get other people other than Brad to do these before he blows his load all over the QLs.

I wish Jeff had been on this. I think it would be more useful to have one person who's clearly into it and someone who's skeptical.

I was just gonna say, I'm glad its Patrick and Brad in this QL. Glad to have a lack of cynicism.

Pretty much my thoughts. It's okay to be into a game, it's okay to praise it, and it's definitely okay to be objectively critical, but Jeff shits on everything artistic 100% of the time, so his opinion on Journey or any game like Journey is automatically moot to me.

Yeah, Jeff's 'opinion' would be him making fun of the game. He's willfully ignorant of anything that is even a tiny bit artistic.

I disagree. I think he's just skeptical of video games that go too far out of its way to arrogate itself as a work of art.

This is also probably one of those games you actually have to play if you do not "get it." This will be a game for certain people, but certainly not for everybody.  
 
The way I think of it, is that maybe this game can kind of tell you what kind of person you are. It is kind of hard to explain as to how this can do that. Maybe it is similar to games with many choices like Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls, or even WoW in a way. The journey of how you get to the end or what you deem to be the end of that journey.  
 
It's like Mass Effect where you can go from point A to point B, but the decisions you make along determines how you will feel about the ending. Did you play Journey being an isolationist or being interactive with others?  
 
It's like how some people play Elder Scrolls; they never touch the main story line, they just play in the world. I'm going to guess there will be some people that won't ever see the light at the top of that mountain, because they don't want to or don't have to. They aren't interested by what is at the top of the mountain. It is the stuff from where the player begins and the mountain that interests them.    
 
And the way it is like WoW is that you may reach "the end" but you keep going and going. It is the interaction with strangers or isolationism of the world that can engross people in it.  
 
I don't know, this is kind of the way I see it. There is nothing wrong if a person doesn't "get it." Journey is like stripped down versions of games. I kind of think of games as buildings. A game like Gears of War is kind of like a series of connected rooms. Each room signifying a new level or different part of the game. Where Gears would be just a series of connected rooms, a game like Journey is just a giant hall or hallway with a room at the end.

boring

god damn this game looks beautifull

@just_nonplussed said:

@teekomeeko said:

@bkbroiler said:

@supercubedude said:

@Rocospi said:

Please get other people other than Brad to do these before he blows his load all over the QLs.

I wish Jeff had been on this. I think it would be more useful to have one person who's clearly into it and someone who's skeptical.

I was just gonna say, I'm glad its Patrick and Brad in this QL. Glad to have a lack of cynicism.

Pretty much my thoughts. It's okay to be into a game, it's okay to praise it, and it's definitely okay to be objectively critical, but Jeff shits on everything artistic 100% of the time, so his opinion on Journey or any game like Journey is automatically moot to me.

Yeah, Jeff's 'opinion' would be him making fun of the game. He's willfully ignorant of anything that is even a tiny bit artistic.

I disagree. I think he's just skeptical of video games that go too far out of its way to arrogate itself as a work of art.

I think it resembles the little prince (le petit prince), does anybody else agree? he also wanders through the desert with similar clothing. could be interesting if that book was an inspiration for the game or if it's just coincidence.