Satch, I've got to compliment your writing style, I love that you don't just simply review a game but you question the game, its design choices, and present it in a well edited fashion. I often leave these video thinking about the game and the questions that you've proposed in the video and come to my own conclusions which I think from a viewer stand-point is an amazing experience.
I don't understand people who say game length is a hindrance to their overall enjoyment of a game. For example A Link Between Worlds was one of the shortest Zelda games in quite a while but in some ways it may have been one of the most satisfying. As far as Journey goes, the way it makes the player feel connected a random person is something I just haven't experienced from any game I've ever played. It's a wondrous achievement in my opinion.
You're living proof the good writing unknowingly draws the viewer in. I've watched your channel grow a lot over the past few months and it's 100% from your great editing and writing. I'm looking forward to the Twitch broadcast!
The great part of Journey's length is that it allowed me to replay it several times. With the over abundance of games I have to play, things don't usually see replay like when I was a kid with a handful of games. You really know and enjoy a title the more you replay it.
The needle drop of video gaming. Absolutely amazing. Nice to see someone thoughtfully and deeply thinking about the medium of gaming. Love the channel. Can't wait to see more!
I don't tend to agree with people who say a game has less value because it is short. That really depends on the game and the experience it is aiming to give you. Some games I think benefit from a short length, some benefit from being lengthy adventures, and some are best somewhere in the middle. There isn't a set time minimum or max for games that should be met. It all depends on if the game felt like a complete and rewarding experience. I haven't played Journey yet cause I don't own a PS3, but I really want to. Some of my favorite games were very short in length and they were perfect that way, like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, or Mirrors Edge. I loved those games, and I love your videos Satchbags.
Limbo is also one of my favourite games and that wasn't particularly long. However, price ties into it, of course, and even though I enjoyed Gone Home I didn't think it quite warranted the price.
I can agree fighting and racing games aren't ussually longer than an hour or two story, wise, but you get gameplay instead, which can result in nearly "endless" playtime
For me, what matters in games is it's content; I don't really care how long the game was as long as I got my bang for my bucks. If they game leaves an impression on me, if I'm left thinking about it long after it's finished, if it's affected me on a emotional, intellectual, or philosophical level, if it challenges my perceived notations on both the world around me and the world inside me, then I think it was worth it. Because that's why I play games: to add to my life experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. To quote an image I once saw on the interwebs: "I play video games, not because I have no life, but because I choose to have many."
I didn't play Journey, and I throughly enjoyed this video. This is how good you are. Pat yourself in the back man, you're my new go-to guy for meaningful reviews.
I really like the moment you contextualised your background (In user interface and web design) to apply a point. It really bolstered your opinion, and as a student myself, it gave some context on how I understand the games I play. Overall, this is a strong video. I think, if I'm to be so bold, sometimes you may dress a point to be bigger than it is, and I think HERE, you've truly took the opening blurb to heart. Every sentence is punchy without being bloated. You are certainly a master of this my friend, and if any day would come, it'd be to merely sit down and have a conversation. Both your receptive and humble approach to this are a breath of fresh air, and I hope this stuff continues friend!
Satch, I think what I love most about your videos is that you don't simply offer review, but incite a deeper conversation about the video game medium... on an internet full of random nonsensical comments from people that happen to be gamers, your channel is a safe haven for people that really feel like analyzing games with tact... thanks for raising the UA-cam gaming community's collective IQ
Did you take speech classes? Every one of these videos is so smooth and there are no breaks in thought and the tone always seems to be perfect. Makes me super jealous and really sets these apart from even some very popular channels. Even if I write a script I still end up saying "um".
Journey is the most beautiful experience I've had with any form of art, ever. The adventure I shared with a person I've never met is amazing. We stayed together, from beginning to end. We chirped at each other in the snow, as we had no strenght anymore, and we both knew that meant "Keep going! I'm right here with you!" Journey brought tears to my eyes and, to this day, as I hear "Apotheosis", I can feel a good warm sensation and my body tingle. Journey is the best experience you can ever have with a videogame. Go play it!
i actually met Austin Wintory, the guy who wrote the music for journey, and he said he had been involved from before the game went in to development. he described how himself and the developer's would constantly go back and forth changing and morphing both the game and the music for this complete interactive experience. Austin said that Jenova came to him originally and said " i want to make a game that is immersion".
I'd say that Journey's length is a testament to how great of an interactive experience it is rather than the game's greatest weakness. In around 2 hours, Journey is able to captivate you with pleasing visuals, immersive yet simple controls, and a score that further helps the overall immersion of the experience as you are drawn into the world. The controller falls away, and you are no longer controlling a character, YOU are the character. You become more attached to the short travels of a cloth creature traversing the dessert than games with the most sprawling story lines or most cinematic set pieces. Journey is one of the greatest video games of all time, right along with Flower and Shadow of the Colossus.
I feel like I need a monocle and a suit to watch these reviews(?). In all seriousness these reviews(?) are refreshing to see. So often especially on youtube, reviewers relay on a very immature or shallow reflection on a game. However you seem to delve a bit deeper to what makes a game good, and what a game is trying to say. Furthermore you present your ideas to the audience, instead of trying to bash them into the viewers brain. That is to say; Your use of rhetorical questions invoke thought rather than prove your point. I think your "reviews" are more like a scholarly paper on a game. It's nice to see, keep up the good work sir.
I want to propose this idea: Effective criticism in say, movies, often doesn't involve saying whether certain styles of craft are "Better" or "Worse" than other movies. If an action movie does a scene without making a cut, we don't talk about how better movie making/cinematography will involve not making cuts across the entire medium. I realize that video games are "software", but they also invoke other mediums, and I would propose that the door swings both ways. It is incredibly eye rolling to read that Journey not having a HUD is genius that other games haven't realized, because I think that invalidates the genius of other games while leaving the question still lingering on the table for Journey as a game, which I don't think this video quite answers, and that is "So what?" The realize that we frame a lot of our game criticism from the old model of magazine style reviews, but I think that model is what is really in need of better "design" than most video games. Who reviews the game reviewer?
I love how well the message and production quality holds up. Length shouldn't be a monetary price factor. While my favorite gaming journalist and reviewers still use that philosophy,even the ones that have abandoned a numeric rating system. I have yet to play Journey, but I can appreciate the state it aims to convey.
I think the length is as close to perfect as a game of its nature could be. While it's not necessary, the game was designed with sharing the experience with another person in mind. For me, my favorite play-through of Journey was when I stayed with one companion the entire time. Call me a softy, but it was both heart-warming and bitter sweet to say goodbye to each other as we walked into the light at the end. The 2-3 hour time frame is enough for Journey to tell its narrative and give you time to bond with a companion, and not too much that it requires more than one sitting.
In addition one of the most beautiful things about journey is its lack of padding. Because nothing is added in an attempt to make it longer you end up with a pretty short game. This is a good thing because journey is made for a pure experience, not just as a commercial item
Personally, I find that the length of this game is perfect. I've played it so many times and the experience I get from it every time is always the same. As the name suggests you're going on a Journey, it's not how long the end goal is. It's the sights you see and the things that you come across, that's the real trip. As for is this a Zen game, in my opinion, it sure is one. Whenever I enter that world I know that there's nothing crazy going on or overly exciting. The visuals and the music is all that is needed. You can just sit and enjoy the world that you're traveling through, and what a beautiful one it is.
Journey is definitely one of my favourite games of all time. The atmosphere was amazing through thatgamecompany's use of music visuals and even gameplay. The fact that it was only around two hours didn't bother me in the slightest because it felt like so much more, and I will remember the game for so much longer. Not to mention that I can replay it and get a new experience each time due to the multiplayer.
hey, man! i'm a cinematographer/filmmaker/gamer from brazil and your channel is a gem. i focused on gaming content, but now i'm curious about your short too - great editing and music throughout. your approach on narrative and players agency also interests me a lot. specially the zen take and the dynamic it can bring to different stories. keep it on!
I feel like this video displays Journey very well as a work of art, and I feel like it compliments the Extra Credits videos on Journey (and the concept of "the heroes journey" applied to it) very well. Extra Credits video: Extra Credits: The Hero's Journey (part 1)
Another great review Satch! Once again, you've taken me beyond the surface of a "simple" game to the complicated, murky underneath...Like your review of Fez and its complication of designers being put on a pedestal, I enjoyed the exploration of Journey and its complication of game reviewers skewing the public opinion of game length. Making those connections is what brings me back time after time as a viewer of your channel.
Its a shame that this only has 15k Views , if you ask me the content you produce deserves so much more attention! On the topic of length , i think that this game shouldn't be much longer for me the pacing that this game had was nearly perfect you never do anything for too long in this game. The second great thing about this game are the encounters with other players with whom you get a real bond because of the things you discover together its just magical. That was pretty much all i have to say about this game just one more thing your logo the A looks like the logo of the German Arbeitsamt. Anyways i wish you much success with your videos they are beyond most of the gaming content on youtube by far!
In my mind Journey and games like dys4ia or LIM accomplished everything they needed to in their short amount of times. Like you mentioned taking more time to find objects in Journey wouldn't have really added more; Journey didn't waste my time at all. I'd rather have 2 hours of a meaningful experience than a 50 hour game with one or two great things with hours of filler. Great stuff as always Satch!
love your reviews man they are great! they are so different then all the reviews out there and they feel more like a discussion that someone would have to a friend about a game and I like that.
A UA-camr named Smeghead (his channel is CinematicExcrement) does movie reviews, usually in a comic and aggressive fashion. But he made a point in his review of Breaking Dawn (a film that was split into two movies) that the rule of running time is that you should only take enough time to sufficiently tell the story. He explained that if a movie needs to be three hours, it should be three hours. Personally, I'd rather read a short story with care and effort put into it than a long, slogging trek through a story with little to no investment (that was my problem with Final Fantasy XIII). I think Journey took enough time to tell the backstory of what had happened to the world, and it was great. It explained some events while leaving the question of why those events happened to the player. I was able to use my imagination when playing the game and think on my own about what I thought was going on, even as the game was offering me information. My favorite parts of the games were the music and the visuals--whenever something was shining, like the sun on the sand, I loved it. Somehow that certain atmosphere really speaks to me.
100% Zen for me, every time I play my sense of wonder is awakened and fed with nothing but what the world has to offer me. No matter how many times I play it still makes me look at it as if I am playing for the first time. 1 to 2 hours of play with a sense of wonder is almost close to perfect play time for me.
I used to do multiple playthroughs of many different games when I was younger... I still do, but with fewer titles now. Journey is one of the only ones I'll always have at least some small part of my mind wanting to come back to, even though I have no more trophies missing. It's the only game I can recall setting the controller to the side after completing, and only being able to mutter "wow" at, in a good way. I bought the collector's edition 3 or 4 times, all for different people as gifts, and have heard no negative feedback about the game from them... Just the opposite, actually. Also, the music.... just.... to me, there are no words. Before I got the soundtrack, I'd listen to it on youtube, let my ps3 run with the game selected on the xmb, and run it in my head other times.
You always bring up such interesting points! While some UA-cam channels use excessive jokes and immaturity to be themselves, you bring a sort-of "lean-back" experience, with enjoyable, verbose reviews. Thank you.
Man, you are so humble and talented. It's so fresh to have someone who will admit or show counter argument in there videos. Thanks for entertaining the hell out of me with every video and keep doing what you're doing
Journey was an enjoyable experience and playing through it will be a memory for life, no lie. Even though I managed to finish the game in a few hours, I could still collect all the glyphs(?) and obtain the white robe, which made playing through it once more a lot of fun. You can also meet other players on your journey, no invitations nor lobbies, you just need an internet connection :)
I definitely consider journey a Zen game. it made me feel such at peace and the beauty was outstanding. In aspect of length, it didn't bother me at all considering the replay value however when i finally came to the end of my journey i was left wanting more. But the developers met that need by putting the end of my journey.. right back at the beginning to start a new one.
Firstly, I really, really enjoy your videos, Satch. Anyway. I think Journey does offer a Zen experience, at least more so than the vast majority of video games. I don't remember who said it, but a I remember reading a quote from a Buddhist monk that defined Zen as "doing one thing at a time." It's full awareness and full engagement, reaching beyond thought and goals into awareness itself. I think games like Bejeweled and Solitaire actually encourage us to turn our brain off, rather than engage our brain in what we're doing, and fall below the level of thought rather than reach above it. Either that, or we're thinking about something else. In either case, we're not "doing" the game fully. In contrast, Journey immerses a player in the eponymous journey, but, as reads the oft-quoted cliché, the journey is the destination. We're not grinding to level up to beat the next boss, or smashing through bad guys to get to the next level. Instead, every part of the game becomes the goal. This, to me, is doing one thing at a time, in a way that few video games offer (notable exceptions being Gone Home and Dear Esther), and does constitute a "zen" experience.
Journey helps calm my 4 year old sister. Even her "standard" kid's games are full of explosions and convulsive music/colors. I was happily surprised to see her enjoy journey, as I now know she has the capacity for quiet, meditative curiosity (contrasting her regular hyperactive emotional primate self).
Zen itself is such an interesting concept. Personally, I reached zen, or as it's sometimes called cosmic consciousness, only once so far in my life. I reached it through meditation, and not in a garden or anything like that, but in the middle of a hot dirt/grass field in the middle of a practice day. I say it's interesting because it can be hard to describe. peaceful, relaxing, eyeopening, mind-blowing. all of these come to mind and Journey seems to do the same, when not racing through dunes that is. I can say that at points, Yes Journey does reach points of zen but doesn't keep itself in it, which makes those points of zen even more special.
When people talk about game length, in Journey's case they really mean game size. As in: there weren't enough areas / places to explore to fully emphasize the 'journey'. I've never played the game myself, but I can see how people would see an area taking 10 hours to explore a more meaningful journey than one that takes 2 hours.
Sick video. I just beat Journey and came here for a better explanation of the game. I didn't have much fun playing this game but I believe it's mostly because I personally enjoy more active stimulation when playing games.
Im a little late on this one but Journey was absolutely one of my favorite PS3 titles. I found it immersive and suspenseful while also being very relaxing and provocative. I would not call it's length a hindrance because for the amount I paid for it, I felt like I got a bargain for the playtime and the experience. However if Journey was priced at $60, I would've felt a bit cheated. I loved the game itself but for the $60 price tag, I would expect much more playtime. Games nowadays of that price usually have about 10+ hours of playtime excluding cutscenes, multiplayer sessions and other DLC's (which carry their own pricetag). I felt more than satisfied with Journey as it provided something that felt new and "alive". Im not sure Zen is the appropriate word to describe it but the sense of mystery and emotion Journey brings was compelling enough for me to really take such a strong liking to it.
I think the denominator for most people is PRICE. Gamers want to make sure the money they spend will provide enough "entertainment time". I'm not saying that I see it that way, I'm just sharing what I think people are getting at when they refer to a game as being too short.
Game length doesn't matter to me as long as I have a good experience with it and journey to me wasn't zen but it also wasnt a action packed the main of Journey I think is the investments and times you have with it through my whole experience with journey I was silent I didn't to talk the visuals and sound allowed me to get fully immersed in the game and I think not many other games can do that to someone journey blurs the line between lean back and lean forward and puts you in the middle so for what it's wor journey was perfect to me
Omg first of thank you for doing a piece on my favorite PS3 title and yes it indeed was a zen like experience for me anyways because if the world that I experienced
I think in regards to game length, a good at least rough boundary would be "was it long enough for the game to fully deliver it's potential or idea?" For instance, if a game has a vast world with a deep backstory and consistent rules to the setting itself that are worth exploring, it would be a true waste for it to be a 3 hour experience and only cover a tip of the iceberg. Or even more simple, what if it were a game like Portal, surrounding a unique game mechanic, yet it was over before the mechanic could be more fully explored and utilized. I mean we've all played a game that had this huge fun thing in it but you only get to use it like twice in the whole game and it feels unfinished. So I guess that's where I call a game too short. When I feel that it's "undercooked"
+Exarian I think the best way to think about the issue is to consider how long you *must* play the game to finish it, and how long you *can* continue with it if you so desire. Every gameplay sequence, particularly ones required for completion, should be aggressively trimmed down, and the main path should have nothing that could be considered as 'padding'. Ideally, the player will be left wanting more if they just complete the required sequences, and will have the optional sequences to satisfy them.
I feel that the fun and zen part were more to give a sense of childhood fun, but that is my take and it probably differs for each person making it an experience for each and every person
I bought a PS3 to play Journey, and I loved its length! It's an experience I have only ever had maybe once playing Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask through with my brother, but those games are far too long to share. If I want someone to see how great Zelda is, i lend them my game for weeks. If I want them to love Journey, I sit them down for the length of a movie. Brevity is the soul of wit. I also believe it is the soul of fun.
The one game I've found worthwhile of buying in a loooong time (no, I don't do pirated games; I play almost solely old games) was Journey, and it was definitely worth the money. The runtime was perfect, as you could play it through in one sitting without actually having to plan out the time to do so. This also enables completing the game from start to finish with the same player when playing online. It's not all that short if you really want to explore it though; searching for the ten temples that reveal the actual storyline and the two easter eggs aren't that easy to actually find, and will probably take another two to three hours of searching. Unless you want to do it the easy way and let someone show you everything in online play...
The thing about game length is that if the title is priced as much as a normal game or the game itself sucks it is in its detriment to only last two hours. But thankfully Journey was beautiful and it was priced reasonably or its length. Two hours was the perfect general run time for it.
Sup, Satch. So I watched this and followed it up with the stream VOD (though, admittedly, only the first 2 hours of it), and I felt like throwing in my 2 cents, for whatever that's worth. Most zen game to me was actually Dark Souls. I know this sounds like a full on troll, but it actually was. I guess it is because, thematically, the game was about a dying cause in a dying world. Death didn't exactly come at a high cost, either. If you die, you simply try again, and the game provides you with the tools to make that your primary thought process. I remember playing it while a friend of mine also played it on his own in the same room, and while he shouted, I was just lost in the zone. The world felt like a place where the things you feared were the things that, in the end, sheltered you from the loneliness within the silence of everything else. I was most agitated when there wasn't anything to dodge or fight. However, it has been a while since I've played that game, and I guess a replay is in order to remember. For all I know, I may have just completely forgotten how it was like. Stream was a great idea. Loved the interactivity of it. It is basically a professional presentation which actually allows the audience to contribute something meaningful, not just being stuck in the comment section. Hope you'll do something similar to it again when you have the time and the material. Much respect. PS: I wish I could watch your recent stuff, but spoilers forbid me.
At the end, about blind leading the blind, it reminded me of a saying, "in a world of the blind sid the one eyed man is king." Anyway, I learned at one point in my life that everything is an argument, people have different reasons and different ways of expressing their argument. In the case video games, though they subtlety introduce themes and make very general points of view, their argument boils down to why their game is fun and that you should play it for whatever reason it is fun. In the case of Journey, the creators beleived that for the game to be fun, the adequate amount of time to complete it is two hours. Maybe they felt that by dragging it on any longer would hinder the game and make it undesirable to players who didn't expect a game like Journey to be longer than it should have. If we look at games in the past, some games.are just unnecessarily long. Take super pitfall for instance, the successor to the popular atari game pitfall. It was dreadfull: long puzzles & riddles, hard difficulty, and obscure assumptions. If it was significantly shorter it would have been more popular than notorious. But I have to say that game's problem was poor game design, the amount of time to complete it confounded with it and makes the experience dreadful. Journey does not have bad game design. However, the lack of dialogue, character development, narrative, among other things would make a game like this not work as well if it was stretched out. Would it be worth it spending 6 hours with a character we essentially know nothing about, a character that not many of us would be attached to emotionally. I beleive the time to complete Journey coaligns with the lack of actual narrative. Because we won't have much of a connection with the plot, the connection with the world we journey in is deepened as that is one journey's selling points, the grand, immersive, enchanting, mysterious, and beautiful world we travel through. Therefore, to keep you more interested in the visuals than plot, they made it a game where developing the plot and character relations is not quintessential rather it is all on the journey.
I think game length is a totally worthy topic for game reviews and gamers to comment on. Most gamers are average folks who have a limited amount of money and rightfully consider length when making a purchase. Before I buy a game I want as much information as possible so I can make an informed decision.
While I haven't played Journey, these are my thoughts on length: Development money is intended to be spent adding some kind of worth to an experience. However, each person will experience worth differently, and the only value that matters in the end is what that person perceived, which is, of course, subjective. If development budget was spent on details as opposed to length, only the part of the audience that pays attention to the details will see value in it, but if they truly do appreciate the work, then for them it'll have been worth the price tag. But that's not to say works that aren't as condensed couldn't use the length to flesh themselves out, and while one shouldn't directly compare lengths, we often reach the end and wish there was more, which can subjectively be an issue.
I played Journey myself and I had no problem with the game length. I don't know how much it costs by itself but I got it with flower and flow, which I think is priced well for 3 short amazing games
Like I said on your other videos, you have a large vocabulary with smart ideas to back it, and you can't really find that much on youtube. Keep going man, cause you're going places
I think that Journey should be considered a Zen game, it doesn't have a time limit and there aren't any health bars... Even when racing, your only doing it for fun, it isn't a rush, there is no time limit. Mostly, I think it's the experience you get from it, and the fact that you can't use anything but the little symbol to communicate with your fellow Journeyers.
Speaking on game length, recently in my first playthrough of Shovel Knight, when I realized that I was about halfway through the game, I thought to myself, "Wow, this game is really short. That kinda sucks, I want it to last longer." However, what people don't take into account often is replay-ability. Sure, Shovel Knight is short, but I'm currently on my third playthrough and still enjoying the game. Basically, I'm trying to say quality over quantity.
I don't really think length should matter as long as you've enjoyed what you've played. I can have 60+ hours thinking about the politics and choices I make in Dragon Age or I can play an episode of a Phoenix Wright game. Either way, I'm going into that world for that much time and if I want more, then that means the creators did a good job. =)
The only quantifiable reason I can think someone would have a problem with Journey's length is it's comparison to other games at the pricepoint. The thinking I guess being behind bang for the buck. But like you already said, quantity of experience does not necessarily trump quality. On the contrary, while many enjoy a JRPG with 100s of hours and endless replayability, plenty others argue that removing filler content and making a concise experience that explores the concepts presented. Externally, many of us have demanding jobs, spouses, obligations and ultimately limited time for gaming. With the extensive amount of titles available today, at least limited time to spend one one game. We consider those concise experiences to be superior, free of filler. As Sweet Brown put it, ain't nobody got time for that.
Great video. I agree on the subject of length there is no way to say what the time of game play should be. I believe journey stay for as long as it is has to, it give you a taste that is pleasant and leave you wanting more so when you explore tou are the one who wants to explore for the saje of seeing what else is unknown to you. I believe this is more positive than other game trying desperately to expand length threw collectibles, you don't care about the collectibles you are after the rewards at the end of the mountain of collection. However with journey it feels different exploring the world is a joy the way you float and slide across the environment is so smooth and the actual environment give little resistance. You float and when you fall it a gentle poof of sand it feels so peaceful and safe. This feeling of safety put me at ease and made me take some jumps to see if I could make it and that is exploration in a way maybe not the typical kind but I was never afraid to take risks or fall, so I would just float and slide my way around for the sake of taking in the the sights I mean really taking them in. For other games the map is just what keeps you from just falling into blank space but in journey the map was a huge part of the game Almost as important as the characters themselves
As long as I'm thinking about my experience, even after I finished the game, it can be as long as it want. No matter if it's two hours or twenty hours.
I love Meteora and I thought it was a wonderful album, despite its length. So in the same effect after just previously finishing Gone Home, I think I got out of it what I put into it. The length didn't matter, but it was what I felt from it. It's dependent on the person playing the game, not the game its self.
Satch, I've got to compliment your writing style, I love that you don't just simply review a game but you question the game, its design choices, and present it in a well edited fashion. I often leave these video thinking about the game and the questions that you've proposed in the video and come to my own conclusions which I think from a viewer stand-point is an amazing experience.
Thank you for saying that, you totally summed up with Satch's video's are so important for game's journalism.
Tl;DR - Here here!
I don't understand people who say game length is a hindrance to their overall enjoyment of a game. For example A Link Between Worlds was one of the shortest Zelda games in quite a while but in some ways it may have been one of the most satisfying.
As far as Journey goes, the way it makes the player feel connected a random person is something I just haven't experienced from any game I've ever played. It's a wondrous achievement in my opinion.
You're living proof the good writing unknowingly draws the viewer in. I've watched your channel grow a lot over the past few months and it's 100% from your great editing and writing. I'm looking forward to the Twitch broadcast!
The great part of Journey's length is that it allowed me to replay it several times. With the over abundance of games I have to play, things don't usually see replay like when I was a kid with a handful of games. You really know and enjoy a title the more you replay it.
Always wonderful, full of intelligence, thought provoking and of the highest quality. Another excellent video, Satch.
It's definitely a zen game, and it's among the best games I have ever played. It's truly a work of art.
Journey was an experience,everyone who appreciates art should feel this masterpiece. In my opinion, one of the best games I ever played.
The needle drop of video gaming. Absolutely amazing. Nice to see someone thoughtfully and deeply thinking about the medium of gaming. Love the channel. Can't wait to see more!
I don't tend to agree with people who say a game has less value because it is short. That really depends on the game and the experience it is aiming to give you. Some games I think benefit from a short length, some benefit from being lengthy adventures, and some are best somewhere in the middle. There isn't a set time minimum or max for games that should be met. It all depends on if the game felt like a complete and rewarding experience. I haven't played Journey yet cause I don't own a PS3, but I really want to. Some of my favorite games were very short in length and they were perfect that way, like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, or Mirrors Edge. I loved those games, and I love your videos Satchbags.
Limbo is also one of my favourite games and that wasn't particularly long. However, price ties into it, of course, and even though I enjoyed Gone Home I didn't think it quite warranted the price.
I can agree fighting and racing games aren't ussually longer than an hour or two story, wise, but you get gameplay instead, which can result in nearly "endless" playtime
I can't watch your UA-cam videos without learning something. That is a very large compliment from me, I hope you accept it.
I loved the Continue? Show reference.
For me, what matters in games is it's content; I don't really care how long the game was as long as I got my bang for my bucks. If they game leaves an impression on me, if I'm left thinking about it long after it's finished, if it's affected me on a emotional, intellectual, or philosophical level, if it challenges my perceived notations on both the world around me and the world inside me, then I think it was worth it. Because that's why I play games: to add to my life experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. To quote an image I once saw on the interwebs: "I play video games, not because I have no life, but because I choose to have many."
Satch is amazing. Best editing on UA-cam.
I didn't play Journey, and I throughly enjoyed this video. This is how good you are. Pat yourself in the back man, you're my new go-to guy for meaningful reviews.
I really like the moment you contextualised your background (In user interface and web design) to apply a point. It really bolstered your opinion, and as a student myself, it gave some context on how I understand the games I play. Overall, this is a strong video.
I think, if I'm to be so bold, sometimes you may dress a point to be bigger than it is, and I think HERE, you've truly took the opening blurb to heart. Every sentence is punchy without being bloated. You are certainly a master of this my friend, and if any day would come, it'd be to merely sit down and have a conversation. Both your receptive and humble approach to this are a breath of fresh air, and I hope this stuff continues friend!
Satch, I think what I love most about your videos is that you don't simply offer review, but incite a deeper conversation about the video game medium... on an internet full of random nonsensical comments from people that happen to be gamers, your channel is a safe haven for people that really feel like analyzing games with tact... thanks for raising the UA-cam gaming community's collective IQ
Did you take speech classes? Every one of these videos is so smooth and there are no breaks in thought and the tone always seems to be perfect. Makes me super jealous and really sets these apart from even some very popular channels.
Even if I write a script I still end up saying "um".
Journey is the most beautiful experience I've had with any form of art, ever. The adventure I shared with a person I've never met is amazing.
We stayed together, from beginning to end. We chirped at each other in the snow, as we had no strenght anymore, and we both knew that meant "Keep going! I'm right here with you!"
Journey brought tears to my eyes and, to this day, as I hear "Apotheosis", I can feel a good warm sensation and my body tingle.
Journey is the best experience you can ever have with a videogame. Go play it!
i actually met Austin Wintory, the guy who wrote the music for journey, and he said he had been involved from before the game went in to development. he described how himself and the developer's would constantly go back and forth changing and morphing both the game and the music for this complete interactive experience. Austin said that Jenova came to him originally and said " i want to make a game that is immersion".
These reviews alway's brighten my day. Keep them coming and I'll keep on watching!
I'd say that Journey's length is a testament to how great of an interactive experience it is rather than the game's greatest weakness. In around 2 hours, Journey is able to captivate you with pleasing visuals, immersive yet simple controls, and a score that further helps the overall immersion of the experience as you are drawn into the world. The controller falls away, and you are no longer controlling a character, YOU are the character. You become more attached to the short travels of a cloth creature traversing the dessert than games with the most sprawling story lines or most cinematic set pieces. Journey is one of the greatest video games of all time, right along with Flower and Shadow of the Colossus.
I feel like I need a monocle and a suit to watch these reviews(?). In all seriousness these reviews(?) are refreshing to see. So often especially on youtube, reviewers relay on a very immature or shallow reflection on a game. However you seem to delve a bit deeper to what makes a game good, and what a game is trying to say. Furthermore you present your ideas to the audience, instead of trying to bash them into the viewers brain. That is to say; Your use of rhetorical questions invoke thought rather than prove your point. I think your "reviews" are more like a scholarly paper on a game. It's nice to see, keep up the good work sir.
I want to propose this idea: Effective criticism in say, movies, often doesn't involve saying whether certain styles of craft are "Better" or "Worse" than other movies. If an action movie does a scene without making a cut, we don't talk about how better movie making/cinematography will involve not making cuts across the entire medium.
I realize that video games are "software", but they also invoke other mediums, and I would propose that the door swings both ways. It is incredibly eye rolling to read that Journey not having a HUD is genius that other games haven't realized, because I think that invalidates the genius of other games while leaving the question still lingering on the table for Journey as a game, which I don't think this video quite answers, and that is "So what?"
The realize that we frame a lot of our game criticism from the old model of magazine style reviews, but I think that model is what is really in need of better "design" than most video games. Who reviews the game reviewer?
I feel like Journey's lenght was meant so you can complete it in one shot and thus really feel like it was a Journey
I love how well the message and production quality holds up. Length shouldn't be a monetary price factor. While my favorite gaming journalist and reviewers still use that philosophy,even the ones that have abandoned a numeric rating system. I have yet to play Journey, but I can appreciate the state it aims to convey.
Thought that the additional graphics and editing only improved upon already outstanding quality videos. Always glad to see these in my sub box.
I think the length is as close to perfect as a game of its nature could be. While it's not necessary, the game was designed with sharing the experience with another person in mind. For me, my favorite play-through of Journey was when I stayed with one companion the entire time. Call me a softy, but it was both heart-warming and bitter sweet to say goodbye to each other as we walked into the light at the end. The 2-3 hour time frame is enough for Journey to tell its narrative and give you time to bond with a companion, and not too much that it requires more than one sitting.
I fucking love how much production value you put into these videos.
Wow. Third video, cannot stop watching. This guy is a riveting and powerful speaker. Satch, you should be one of the Game Theorists. I tip my hat sir.
In addition one of the most beautiful things about journey is its lack of padding. Because nothing is added in an attempt to make it longer you end up with a pretty short game. This is a good thing because journey is made for a pure experience, not just as a commercial item
I haven't played Journey but I think it's one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen.And wonderful music to top it off too.
Personally, I find that the length of this game is perfect. I've played it so many times and the experience I get from it every time is always the same. As the name suggests you're going on a Journey, it's not how long the end goal is. It's the sights you see and the things that you come across, that's the real trip. As for is this a Zen game, in my opinion, it sure is one. Whenever I enter that world I know that there's nothing crazy going on or overly exciting. The visuals and the music is all that is needed. You can just sit and enjoy the world that you're traveling through, and what a beautiful one it is.
Journey is definitely one of my favourite games of all time. The atmosphere was amazing through thatgamecompany's use of music visuals and even gameplay. The fact that it was only around two hours didn't bother me in the slightest because it felt like so much more, and I will remember the game for so much longer. Not to mention that I can replay it and get a new experience each time due to the multiplayer.
you make the best content on youtube
I just want to say that I love your videos. Each one is so well crafted, thank you.
This is probably one of the best pieces, in terms of critical thinking, I'll have consumed this month. KUDOS.
Satchbag is a very quotable man.
hey, man! i'm a cinematographer/filmmaker/gamer from brazil and your channel is a gem. i focused on gaming content, but now i'm curious about your short too - great editing and music throughout.
your approach on narrative and players agency also interests me a lot. specially the zen take and the dynamic it can bring to different stories.
keep it on!
I feel like this video displays Journey very well as a work of art, and I feel like it compliments the Extra Credits videos on Journey (and the concept of "the heroes journey" applied to it) very well.
Extra Credits video: Extra Credits: The Hero's Journey (part 1)
Your voice gives me a zen like experience.
Another great review Satch! Once again, you've taken me beyond the surface of a "simple" game to the complicated, murky underneath...Like your review of Fez and its complication of designers being put on a pedestal, I enjoyed the exploration of Journey and its complication of game reviewers skewing the public opinion of game length. Making those connections is what brings me back time after time as a viewer of your channel.
Its a shame that this only has 15k Views , if you ask me the content you produce deserves so much more attention! On the topic of length , i think that this game shouldn't be much longer for me the pacing that this game had was nearly perfect you never do anything for too long in this game. The second great thing about this game are the encounters with other players with whom you get a real bond because of the things you discover together its just magical. That was pretty much all i have to say about this game just one more thing your logo the A looks like the logo of the German Arbeitsamt. Anyways i wish you much success with your videos they are beyond most of the gaming content on youtube by far!
Journey is more about the experience. I loved it and it was definitely worth the money.
Its not the length that matters, it's what you do in that amount of time that is important.
In my mind Journey and games like dys4ia or LIM accomplished everything they needed to in their short amount of times. Like you mentioned taking more time to find objects in Journey wouldn't have really added more; Journey didn't waste my time at all. I'd rather have 2 hours of a meaningful experience than a 50 hour game with one or two great things with hours of filler.
Great stuff as always Satch!
6:40 I was NOT expecting the "ALLITERATION" text. Shit had me dying xD
satch man your videos just get better and better, keep up the good work!
I completely agree with the length argument! Hell a lot of the old retro games were never over at most 4 hours (not counting RPGS)
This just made me hope Journey makes it to PS4/Vita like Flow/Flower did. My PS3 died and I need a way to enjoy this game!
Also, dat Continue reference!!!
love your reviews man they are great! they are so different then all the reviews out there and they feel more like a discussion that someone would have to a friend about a game and I like that.
i really want to see more of your work, you production quality is very good, especially for what you're doing
A UA-camr named Smeghead (his channel is CinematicExcrement) does movie reviews, usually in a comic and aggressive fashion. But he made a point in his review of Breaking Dawn (a film that was split into two movies) that the rule of running time is that you should only take enough time to sufficiently tell the story. He explained that if a movie needs to be three hours, it should be three hours. Personally, I'd rather read a short story with care and effort put into it than a long, slogging trek through a story with little to no investment (that was my problem with Final Fantasy XIII). I think Journey took enough time to tell the backstory of what had happened to the world, and it was great. It explained some events while leaving the question of why those events happened to the player. I was able to use my imagination when playing the game and think on my own about what I thought was going on, even as the game was offering me information. My favorite parts of the games were the music and the visuals--whenever something was shining, like the sun on the sand, I loved it. Somehow that certain atmosphere really speaks to me.
I played this game for the epic landscapes and it is SPECTACULAR
100% Zen for me, every time I play my sense of wonder is awakened and fed with nothing but what the world has to offer me. No matter how many times I play it still makes me look at it as if I am playing for the first time. 1 to 2 hours of play with a sense of wonder is almost close to perfect play time for me.
I used to do multiple playthroughs of many different games when I was younger... I still do, but with fewer titles now.
Journey is one of the only ones I'll always have at least some small part of my mind wanting to come back to, even though I have no more trophies missing. It's the only game I can recall setting the controller to the side after completing, and only being able to mutter "wow" at, in a good way.
I bought the collector's edition 3 or 4 times, all for different people as gifts, and have heard no negative feedback about the game from them... Just the opposite, actually.
Also, the music.... just.... to me, there are no words. Before I got the soundtrack, I'd listen to it on youtube, let my ps3 run with the game selected on the xmb, and run it in my head other times.
You always bring up such interesting points! While some UA-cam channels use excessive jokes and immaturity to be themselves, you bring a sort-of "lean-back" experience, with enjoyable, verbose reviews. Thank you.
Man, you are so humble and talented. It's so fresh to have someone who will admit or show counter argument in there videos. Thanks for entertaining the hell out of me with every video and keep doing what you're doing
Def tuning in to the live stream if I'M not working. Can't wait to meet you at MAGfest dude!
Journey was an enjoyable experience and playing through it will be a memory for life, no lie. Even though I managed to finish the game in a few hours, I could still collect all the glyphs(?) and obtain the white robe, which made playing through it once more a lot of fun. You can also meet other players on your journey, no invitations nor lobbies, you just need an internet connection :)
I definitely consider journey a Zen game. it made me feel such at peace and the beauty was outstanding. In aspect of length, it didn't bother me at all considering the replay value however when i finally came to the end of my journey i was left wanting more. But the developers met that need by putting the end of my journey.. right back at the beginning to start a new one.
Well done as usual. Looking forward to your next video!
Firstly, I really, really enjoy your videos, Satch.
Anyway. I think Journey does offer a Zen experience, at least more so than the vast majority of video games. I don't remember who said it, but a I remember reading a quote from a Buddhist monk that defined Zen as "doing one thing at a time." It's full awareness and full engagement, reaching beyond thought and goals into awareness itself. I think games like Bejeweled and Solitaire actually encourage us to turn our brain off, rather than engage our brain in what we're doing, and fall below the level of thought rather than reach above it. Either that, or we're thinking about something else. In either case, we're not "doing" the game fully.
In contrast, Journey immerses a player in the eponymous journey, but, as reads the oft-quoted cliché, the journey is the destination. We're not grinding to level up to beat the next boss, or smashing through bad guys to get to the next level. Instead, every part of the game becomes the goal. This, to me, is doing one thing at a time, in a way that few video games offer (notable exceptions being Gone Home and Dear Esther), and does constitute a "zen" experience.
Journey helps calm my 4 year old sister. Even her "standard" kid's games are full of explosions and convulsive music/colors.
I was happily surprised to see her enjoy journey, as I now know she has the capacity for quiet, meditative curiosity (contrasting her regular hyperactive emotional primate self).
First time viewer and I already respect your input over Bogost's.
Have a game discussion with Extra Credits! That would be interesting! :P
Zen itself is such an interesting concept. Personally, I reached zen, or as it's sometimes called cosmic consciousness, only once so far in my life. I reached it through meditation, and not in a garden or anything like that, but in the middle of a hot dirt/grass field in the middle of a practice day. I say it's interesting because it can be hard to describe. peaceful, relaxing, eyeopening, mind-blowing. all of these come to mind and Journey seems to do the same, when not racing through dunes that is. I can say that at points, Yes Journey does reach points of zen but doesn't keep itself in it, which makes those points of zen even more special.
When people talk about game length, in Journey's case they really mean game size. As in: there weren't enough areas / places to explore to fully emphasize the 'journey'. I've never played the game myself, but I can see how people would see an area taking 10 hours to explore a more meaningful journey than one that takes 2 hours.
Sick video. I just beat Journey and came here for a better explanation of the game. I didn't have much fun playing this game but I believe it's mostly because I personally enjoy more active stimulation when playing games.
Im a little late on this one but Journey was absolutely one of my favorite PS3 titles. I found it immersive and suspenseful while also being very relaxing and provocative. I would not call it's length a hindrance because for the amount I paid for it, I felt like I got a bargain for the playtime and the experience.
However if Journey was priced at $60, I would've felt a bit cheated. I loved the game itself but for the $60 price tag, I would expect much more playtime. Games nowadays of that price usually have about 10+ hours of playtime excluding cutscenes, multiplayer sessions and other DLC's (which carry their own pricetag).
I felt more than satisfied with Journey as it provided something that felt new and "alive". Im not sure Zen is the appropriate word to describe it but the sense of mystery and emotion Journey brings was compelling enough for me to really take such a strong liking to it.
I think the denominator for most people is PRICE. Gamers want to make sure the money they spend will provide enough "entertainment time". I'm not saying that I see it that way, I'm just sharing what I think people are getting at when they refer to a game as being too short.
+Swaggless I can sort of understand that for high school gamers, but I don't get why the notion persists in mature players.
Journey sure as hell is more Zen than rest of the video game world.
Game length doesn't matter to me as long as I have a good experience with it and journey to me wasn't zen but it also wasnt a action packed the main of Journey I think is the investments and times you have with it through my whole experience with journey I was silent I didn't to talk the visuals and sound allowed me to get fully immersed in the game and I think not many other games can do that to someone journey blurs the line between lean back and lean forward and puts you in the middle so for what it's wor journey was perfect to me
This game is beautiful and amazing and so are you for this video
Omg first of thank you for doing a piece on my favorite PS3 title and yes it indeed was a zen like experience for me anyways because if the world that I experienced
I think in regards to game length, a good at least rough boundary would be "was it long enough for the game to fully deliver it's potential or idea?"
For instance, if a game has a vast world with a deep backstory and consistent rules to the setting itself that are worth exploring, it would be a true waste for it to be a 3 hour experience and only cover a tip of the iceberg.
Or even more simple, what if it were a game like Portal, surrounding a unique game mechanic, yet it was over before the mechanic could be more fully explored and utilized. I mean we've all played a game that had this huge fun thing in it but you only get to use it like twice in the whole game and it feels unfinished.
So I guess that's where I call a game too short. When I feel that it's "undercooked"
+Exarian
I think the best way to think about the issue is to consider how long you *must* play the game to finish it, and how long you *can* continue with it if you so desire. Every gameplay sequence, particularly ones required for completion, should be aggressively trimmed down, and the main path should have nothing that could be considered as 'padding'. Ideally, the player will be left wanting more if they just complete the required sequences, and will have the optional sequences to satisfy them.
I feel that the fun and zen part were more to give a sense of childhood fun, but that is my take and it probably differs for each person making it an experience for each and every person
I bought a PS3 to play Journey, and I loved its length! It's an experience I have only ever had maybe once playing Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask through with my brother, but those games are far too long to share. If I want someone to see how great Zelda is, i lend them my game for weeks. If I want them to love Journey, I sit them down for the length of a movie.
Brevity is the soul of wit. I also believe it is the soul of fun.
The one game I've found worthwhile of buying in a loooong time (no, I don't do pirated games; I play almost solely old games) was Journey, and it was definitely worth the money. The runtime was perfect, as you could play it through in one sitting without actually having to plan out the time to do so. This also enables completing the game from start to finish with the same player when playing online.
It's not all that short if you really want to explore it though; searching for the ten temples that reveal the actual storyline and the two easter eggs aren't that easy to actually find, and will probably take another two to three hours of searching. Unless you want to do it the easy way and let someone show you everything in online play...
The thing about game length is that if the title is priced as much as a normal game or the game itself sucks it is in its detriment to only last two hours. But thankfully Journey was beautiful and it was priced reasonably or its length. Two hours was the perfect general run time for it.
Sup, Satch. So I watched this and followed it up with the stream VOD (though, admittedly, only the first 2 hours of it), and I felt like throwing in my 2 cents, for whatever that's worth.
Most zen game to me was actually Dark Souls. I know this sounds like a full on troll, but it actually was. I guess it is because, thematically, the game was about a dying cause in a dying world. Death didn't exactly come at a high cost, either. If you die, you simply try again, and the game provides you with the tools to make that your primary thought process. I remember playing it while a friend of mine also played it on his own in the same room, and while he shouted, I was just lost in the zone. The world felt like a place where the things you feared were the things that, in the end, sheltered you from the loneliness within the silence of everything else. I was most agitated when there wasn't anything to dodge or fight. However, it has been a while since I've played that game, and I guess a replay is in order to remember. For all I know, I may have just completely forgotten how it was like.
Stream was a great idea. Loved the interactivity of it. It is basically a professional presentation which actually allows the audience to contribute something meaningful, not just being stuck in the comment section. Hope you'll do something similar to it again when you have the time and the material.
Much respect. PS: I wish I could watch your recent stuff, but spoilers forbid me.
At the end, about blind leading the blind, it reminded me of a saying, "in a world of the blind sid the one eyed man is king."
Anyway, I learned at one point in my life that everything is an argument, people have different reasons and different ways of expressing their argument. In the case video games, though they subtlety introduce themes and make very general points of view, their argument boils down to why their game is fun and that you should play it for whatever reason it is fun. In the case of Journey, the creators beleived that for the game to be fun, the adequate amount of time to complete it is two hours. Maybe they felt that by dragging it on any longer would hinder the game and make it undesirable to players who didn't expect a game like Journey to be longer than it should have.
If we look at games in the past, some games.are just unnecessarily long. Take super pitfall for instance, the successor to the popular atari game pitfall. It was dreadfull: long puzzles & riddles, hard difficulty, and obscure assumptions. If it was significantly shorter it would have been more popular than notorious. But I have to say that game's problem was poor game design, the amount of time to complete it confounded with it and makes the experience dreadful.
Journey does not have bad game design. However, the lack of dialogue, character development, narrative, among other things would make a game like this not work as well if it was stretched out. Would it be worth it spending 6 hours with a character we essentially know nothing about, a character that not many of us would be attached to emotionally.
I beleive the time to complete Journey coaligns with the lack of actual narrative. Because we won't have much of a connection with the plot, the connection with the world we journey in is deepened as that is one journey's selling points, the grand, immersive, enchanting, mysterious, and beautiful world we travel through. Therefore, to keep you more interested in the visuals than plot, they made it a game where developing the plot and character relations is not quintessential rather it is all on the journey.
I think game length is a totally worthy topic for game reviews and gamers to comment on. Most gamers are average folks who have a limited amount of money and rightfully consider length when making a purchase. Before I buy a game I want as much information as possible so I can make an informed decision.
While I haven't played Journey, these are my thoughts on length: Development money is intended to be spent adding some kind of worth to an experience. However, each person will experience worth differently, and the only value that matters in the end is what that person perceived, which is, of course, subjective.
If development budget was spent on details as opposed to length, only the part of the audience that pays attention to the details will see value in it, but if they truly do appreciate the work, then for them it'll have been worth the price tag.
But that's not to say works that aren't as condensed couldn't use the length to flesh themselves out, and while one shouldn't directly compare lengths, we often reach the end and wish there was more, which can subjectively be an issue.
please stop blowing my mind
these are one of the most intelligent, fun, intuitive videos i have ever seen in UA-cam... how did you pull it off?
magnificent.... this was such a great video! thank you.
I played Journey myself and I had no problem with the game length. I don't know how much it costs by itself but I got it with flower and flow, which I think is priced well for 3 short amazing games
Like I said on your other videos, you have a large vocabulary with smart ideas to back it, and you can't really find that much on youtube. Keep going man, cause you're going places
Keep up the phenomenal work man!
My answer on game length is in the form of four words: Close to the Edge
I think that Journey should be considered a Zen game, it doesn't have a time limit and there aren't any health bars... Even when racing, your only doing it for fun, it isn't a rush, there is no time limit. Mostly, I think it's the experience you get from it, and the fact that you can't use anything but the little symbol to communicate with your fellow Journeyers.
Speaking on game length, recently in my first playthrough of Shovel Knight, when I realized that I was about halfway through the game, I thought to myself, "Wow, this game is really short. That kinda sucks, I want it to last longer." However, what people don't take into account often is replay-ability. Sure, Shovel Knight is short, but I'm currently on my third playthrough and still enjoying the game.
Basically, I'm trying to say quality over quantity.
I don't really think length should matter as long as you've enjoyed what you've played. I can have 60+ hours thinking about the politics and choices I make in Dragon Age or I can play an episode of a Phoenix Wright game. Either way, I'm going into that world for that much time and if I want more, then that means the creators did a good job. =)
The only quantifiable reason I can think someone would have a problem with Journey's length is it's comparison to other games at the pricepoint. The thinking I guess being behind bang for the buck. But like you already said, quantity of experience does not necessarily trump quality. On the contrary, while many enjoy a JRPG with 100s of hours and endless replayability, plenty others argue that removing filler content and making a concise experience that explores the concepts presented. Externally, many of us have demanding jobs, spouses, obligations and ultimately limited time for gaming. With the extensive amount of titles available today, at least limited time to spend one one game. We consider those concise experiences to be superior, free of filler. As Sweet Brown put it, ain't nobody got time for that.
lovely design!
I love me some triangles
Great video. I agree on the subject of length there is no way to say what the time of game play should be. I believe journey stay for as long as it is has to, it give you a taste that is pleasant and leave you wanting more so when you explore tou are the one who wants to explore for the saje of seeing what else is unknown to you. I believe this is more positive than other game trying desperately to expand length threw collectibles, you don't care about the collectibles you are after the rewards at the end of the mountain of collection. However with journey it feels different exploring the world is a joy the way you float and slide across the environment is so smooth and the actual environment give little resistance. You float and when you fall it a gentle poof of sand it feels so peaceful and safe. This feeling of safety put me at ease and made me take some jumps to see if I could make it and that is exploration in a way maybe not the typical kind but I was never afraid to take risks or fall, so I would just float and slide my way around for the sake of taking in the the sights I mean really taking them in. For other games the map is just what keeps you from just falling into blank space but in journey the map was a huge part of the game Almost as important as the characters themselves
As long as I'm thinking about my experience, even after I finished the game, it can be as long as it want. No matter if it's two hours or twenty hours.
An impressive analysis.
I love Meteora and I thought it was a wonderful album, despite its length. So in the same effect after just previously finishing Gone Home, I think I got out of it what I put into it. The length didn't matter, but it was what I felt from it. It's dependent on the person playing the game, not the game its self.
I'll be there for your twitch stream, bro. also, 4 minutes of black after signal termination.