I have to wonder whether Journey would have received the
same critical and commercial success it enjoyed when it released in 2012 if it
would have first launched in 2017 instead. The hyperbole and vitriol around
games exactly like Journey (and in some cases ones superior to it) in 2017
stands in stark contrast to the universal acclaim the game received in 2012 on
PS3 and again in 2015 on PS4. I’m sure I would have loved it regardless,
because I love walking simulators and Journey is still a great one, but it is
hard to ignore the bald faced hypocrisy from gamers and other critics regarding
the narrative driven adventure genre. Oh well. Rant over. Continue reading my
full PS4 Journey review for my thoughts on this incredible experience. Game Details
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Developer: Thatgamecompany
- ESRB Rating: “E” for Everyone
- Genre: Adventure
- Pros: Incredible soundtrack; beautiful graphics; satisfying exploration; passive multiplayer
- Cons: Slow final section
- MSRP: $15
Journey is a roughly 2-hour (or less) experience about
getting from point A to point B. Your ultimate goal is a mountain far off in
the distance topped with a mysterious glowing power. You start out in a desert
and eventually climb up and up and up until you reach the snowy mountain peak.
And that’s it. That’s Journey.
Gameplay consists of walking, occasionally sliding down sand
dunes, and jumping and briefly flying when you collect little magical bits of
cloth. Some sections introduce magical towers or flying creatures that recharge
your power to allow you to fly and jump for extended periods. There are also
some magic eating beasts later on that you have to try to avoid, but even if
you get caught there is no game over in Journey. You just keep playing. The experience
is never challenging or taxing and the light platforming is always easy and
straightforward. Journey is just a relaxing stroll through beautiful
environments. And I like that.
There are collectibles scattered around that can increase
your total magic, but they aren’t required to finish the game and only really
seem to be included at all to give you something to collect and make it more
“videogame-y”. Whether you choose to thoroughly explore each area or not is up
to you. The areas in the game aren’t very big so it isn’t as if you can really
get lost, but the game also doesn’t ever just point you towards an obvious exit
either. Instead it is very intuitively designed where you’ll see something on
the horizon or a structure or something and instinctively know that is where
you’re supposed to go.
A lot of other walking simulators have done a lot of this as
well – Lifeless Planet, Abzu, and RiME in particular do the same sort of
intuitive world design – but no one else has ever copied Journey’s most interesting
feature which is passive multiplayer. While you’re playing Journey other people
playing can also be present in your world and help you solve puzzles (usually
just activating a bridge or something). You can choose to ignore them if you
want, but you can also go on your journey together and it is one of the most
amazing experiences I’ve ever had. Your only way to interact is to sort of
chirp at each other, but running around and sliding down sand dunes together is
surprisingly wonderful. Normally I don’t like other people intruding into my
games, but it is absolutely perfectly executed in Journey. Even better, you
don’t need PSPlus to experience the multiplayer.
My only complaint with Journey is that the final third of
the game is fairly slowly paced. One section has a powerful wind pushing
against you that is, honestly, just obnoxious, and the very final climb up the
mountain is just glacially paced. I get it that it’s intended to enhance the
emotional impact of the overall journey, but it’s definitely a grind.
Along with the passive multiplayer Journey is also probably
most well known for its gorgeous soundtrack and beautiful graphics. Originally
created for the PS3 and given the HD remaster treatment on PS4, the visuals
have definitely aged pretty well though I’m not a huge fan of how weirdly shiny
the sand can be in certain areas which kind of blows out the image quality with
too much contrast (and yes, my TV is calibrated correctly). It still looks
great overall, though, and the music is truly incredible.
All in all, Journey is definitely a memorable
experience that is still right up there with the best walking sims available. I
think perhaps some of the impact was diminished for me a bit since I played
RiME and Abzu first, and I think both of them are superior to Journey, but it
is still absolutely wonderful and well worth playing. I also can’t overstate
how great the passive multiplayer is as it really enhances the experience. If
you somehow haven’t already played Journey on PS3 or PS4 you really need to. It
really is that good. Buy it.
