Journey - The Artistry of Game Design (Review/Analysis)
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- Опубліковано 25 бер 2017
- To celebrate its 5th anniversary, I take a look back at the Playstation exclusive Journey.
The third game from developer Thatgamecompany (TGC) is unquestionably their masterpiece, but what makes it such a powerful gaming experience? What separates it from other video games, and how does it maximize the artistic potential of the medium?
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I only just found out Journey was a game today. I have this weird random free download thing on my ps4 and I had journey for a while. I decided I would give it a try.
At first I was unsure of it, but it kept me interested. I loved playing with the little scarf pieces flying around in the air. I kept moving and eventually got to the second level. There I had to build the bridges.
I had just gotten there when suddenly I saw another person running towards me. I’ve never heard of this game before so I assumed it was an npc or something that was programmed to follow me around bc wherever I went they followed. I tried to shake them off but then I noticed if I sung they would do it back, and in non npc patterns if that makes sense? it didn’t seem computer generated and as the game went on i started to realize they were another player.
I started growing very attached to them. In the one level where you’re just surfing on the sand dunes, they went to far ahead of me and i panicked until I saw them standing on a hill and ran back to them.
Later, it was the level where you have to go through that big place with all the guardians and the columns. I was terrified. I tried following my friend but I messed up and got caught. The red light was horrifying and I tried to outrun it but it was too late. The guardian swooped down and hit me. I was thrown into the air and when I landed, I was dead. I couldn’t move.
My friend couldn’t see me. They didn’t know where I was and I was freaking out as I lie there on a pile of sand, watching them run around frantically trying to find me, singing as quickly as they could. I couldn’t call out I could only watch them run further away and it made me anxious and sad.
I was about to give up and quit the game when they found me!! They ran over to me and stood there over my dead body. I was really sad bc i couldn’t communicate but then they sung and I WAS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE! We stood there jumping up and down and running in circles and singing bc WE WERE TOGETHER AGAIN! It made me so unbelievably happy.
Later, we were on the windy bridges and I fell over the side. I couldn’t get back up so they jumped down with me.
At the very end, when we were going through the snowy part, I felt really upset. We were slowing down and the only thing I could do was walk as close to my friend as possible and sing weakly. We reached the end but when we were revived, we happily danced and flew around together. We would wait patiently for each other if we couldn’t get on a ledge or something but we were free! It was so much fun! I miss them 😢😅
oof i typed more than I intended
Haha that happens when you talk about Journey. Nice story, thanks for sharing.
I didn't even play it I watched a play through where they had a friend since the 2nd level and it was so touching I cried.
Ohh boy, that really made me cry. Wow.
Same dude, the connection I felt with the one guy that I was with felt so strong and genuine, no speaking, just waiting for someone me to catch up or me waiting for him to catch up or even singing together felt amazing. I wish I knew who that person was
I got the game thanks to my father's PlayStation Network plus that each month gives you a free game, maybe that's how you got it ?
Anyway, i eventually finished the game multiple times getting all my signs on my robes and my white robe, and i just guide players as i still play it and will always do as long as i remember it and my ps4 works
This game is the reason I die when people say Videogames aren't art. It shows us what we can do with Videogames and how much potential we've left untapped.
Toby Hendricks i think some are art like this Hob, Ori and more but theirs others that aren't art and just pump out the same stuff over and over.
Something you can point out is Journey was the first video game ever to have the soundtrack nominated for a Grammy award. That year, it was alongside John Williams.
@megahunter it's no about 'game'play, it's an art and experience, that's why this game is so unique.
Undertale
@@lilingkun5299 While I appreciate the sentiment of what you are trying to describe to @megahunter, I would like to clarify that the concept of "art" and "gameplay" being elements that can exist in a free-standing, unsupported fashion and thus being able to, in an interactive format such as a game, say that it is above one or the other is a disservice to "Journey." There are definitely 'gamified' element to Journey. Certain achievements reflect themselves on your cloak, announcing your experience to other players. Speaking on a personal level, every time I don the white robe, the game has a bit of a higher level in that it sort of feels--at least to me--the mission becomes trying to help a plain red robe ascend. These are goals that make a sort of win state. Clearly, it is a game as much as it is art. To try and elevate the art of the game over the gameplay itself would run counter to the intension of the designers and diminish both facets.
Im a 49 year old Mom who grew up playing Atari and arcade games. I spend time with my boy watching him play games on his PS4 so that I can genuinely show interest in the things he enjoys. When we saw this game come up for free, we watched the trailer, decided to download it, and there it sat unplayed until recently. He made me my own account so I could try playing some of his games, but I found games like Skyrim make me motion sick. Gaming sure has come a long way since Pong. I tried this game next, and sat there rapt in attention, with him watching me play, for two hours when I realized I'd completed the game. I cannot express how deep and moving this game is. It brought peace, joy, fear, tears and hope. It is truly a spiritual work of art. Everyone's journey through life reflects back differently to each of us as we play. I cannot wait to play it again.
I KNOW RIGHT! I just got the game today and I have never felt this much joy with a new game for about a year. It’s very hard to describe, but my best explanation on how to describe this game is that it’s like a dream. Everything just feels so dreamy. I love this game and it will definitely be one of my favorites.
Well I guess I’d recommend Sky: Children of the Light. It’s made by the same company thatgamecompany, and it’s free! I totally recommend this game!
Thank you for sharing your PALPABLE experience, Laura. And THANKS for being a GREAT mom ;)
I feel you. I'm 55
First time I played. I got a buddy who stayed with me most of the game till the end and showed me all secrets. At the end he/she draw a heart in the snow
The same thing happened to me. An all-white robe player. In the snow mountain he almost fell off the bridge and I thought he fell for good. So I jumped down but because he/she was all white he/she could flew up the bridge. But I couldn’t and fell all the way down. The amazing thing happened...they didn’t abandon me, they jump off the bridge. That was so sweet. And the heart they drew on the snow made this journey of mine unforgettable.
I had the same thing happen on my first play through. Now, every time I guide someone I do the same thing. If only life could be like Journey!
Someone did that with me too. I stayed with them throughout the whole journey, and they showed me the flower in the desert, all the secrets and pieces of scarf. When we reached the end, I saw them draw a heart in the snow. And it was at that moment I realised that this was probably the most heart warming thing I had ever seen. We were two people on different sides of the globe, thanking each other for the fun we had. I wish I could have found them and sent them a message. But, retrospectively, I think it’s better that I didn’t. To leave the memory as it is. So to the person out there who drew me a heart. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Bruh my partner was trying to finish the game as fast as he can he ignored me and never binged back
I didn’t explore the game enough because I didn’t want to left behind so I finished the game with him
I wish i left him since he was clearly uninterested and looked for another partner
On one of my first playthroughs there was a white-robe-player showing me around. He instantly felt like a mentor or something, guiding me to all the secrets, caring about me. Then, just right before the end of the game I lost him, and I felt devastated. It remembered me of my grandpa, who guided me through my childhood, up until his death.
When I played Journey, I was alone in the living room, in a rather depressing and lonely night. I didn't know exactly what to expect from the game, I just knew it was beautiful and pretty different, and as a student of game design, that alone picked my interest. Aaaand my brothet had just bought the game and told me to play. So, why not?
At first, I was amazed at the scenery, and intrigued by the setting. If I pressed O the character made this noise, and with the weird lack of tutorials I was just left to wonder if lighting things was all that it did and what was that weird symbol it produced above the character's head.
Not far in the game (the first level where you build bridges), I was startled as I saw another person like me, running in the distance. Is that an enemy? An NPC? What is it doing? I tried to approach, but it kept running. I eventually caught up to it, and it seemed to show me something. It was spamming that weird sound thing, as if trying to get my attention to something. Wait? It's friendly? Oh, there's a panel hidden behind this sandfall. Was that what it was trying to tell me? It seems... intelligent, for an NPC. Could it be another player??
As I distracted myself, I lost sight of the person. I ran and ran around the level, trying to find them, but I just couldn't. They finished building the bridge. Could they have gone ahead? I must reach them!
Then I got to a large, large, large desert. There was no one to be seen. I ran around and through the level and nothing. Was I alone again?
As I got to the skiing level, suddenly I saw my friend sliding just ahead of me. I was happy I've finally caught up yo them! I guess I wanted to ask them lots of things, but that moment of sliding through the sands and "shouting" was just satisfying by itself. Sliding through the level crossing paths and diverging, just to see they were still there when our paths crossed again.
Finally, we came down to a dark, underground path. A giant monster jumped out of the sand and lunged at me, almost eating me whole in the process. I was scared. I played Resident Evils, Silent Hills and Dead Spaces and they were nothing. But this time, I was genuinely scared. If they caught me, would I... die? Would my journey end? Would I leave my friend behind? There were no health bars, so did that meant I would be gone forever? Just by the sliding sequence, with no words spoken at all, I was feeling a connection to my friend, and the thought of leaving it all behind, even if it was a game, it just created a dread in me. I didn't want to die.
When we arrived at the bottom, I didn't know what to do. A long, large and open path standed before me, with one of those huge snake/eel/dragon things guarding it. Should I.... learn its path pattern to try and evade it, Metal Gear style? When I came to my senses, my friend was calling me (wait, how do I know they are calling me, even if they are just making simple sounds?) to a corner. As they spammed the sound away, I finally noticed that the symbol above their head wasn't the same from that bridge level. Does that mean... this was another person? I wasn't sure, but it seems so.
I reached then, and they moved onwards, as I realised they were showing that the path in the corner was safe. How did they kniw? Following them, I also noticed their robe was... significantly more adorned then mine. Does that mean they are more experienced and have gone through this before?
We advanced through the level, I always following my friend close behind. They lead me to more scarf pieces, panels, and all sorts of secret paths, it seems they just knew EVERYTHING. I was just so grateful to them for helping me get through that creeping, dark place. We got to thisbig area, where many of those monsters were patrolling, and we had to avoid them by walking inside these ruined tunnels on the ground. Due to the camera angle and my distraction, I didn't notice one time when they ran to the next tunnel and I stayed behind. When I noticed I was lagging behind, I didn't want to stay there alone and rushed towards them. But one of those creatures spotted me. The red light made me shit myself, I knew I wouldn't make it in time. I then saw my friend, jumping away from cover, throwing themselves between the monster and me, sacrificing themselves in order to save me. I sat there, paralized. It can't be... did they just.... die? As the monster dropped them, I ran to their side, hoping they weren't. My friend got up, prompted me of the danger and I snapped, I ran with them to safety.
Later we approached, finally, light. Finally the colors of the area shifted back to the old yellow-ish, as runes lit around us. We ran into the sanctuary, that repelled the monsters away. I was so happy... for a few moments, we just ran around, shouting, enjoying our small, but huge, victory.
With my friend guiding me, we kept going towards the next and next areas. We arrived at the snow level, but this time, while the way seemed daunting, I wasn't afraid. I knew that I was safe beside my friend.
We fought the impossible, suffered the storms, lost the power we earned all the way through the game. We were almost there, I could see my, our, destination, so close... but I was so weak. We stood together, as if we could protect each other from the cold... by I fell. And soon after, they collapsed as well.
As I saw myself dying, the gods renewed my power and I bursted my way through the storm. The view was.... beautiful. As I starred at it with my mouth open, I saw my friend darting through me, flying and spinning, calling me to accompany them. And so I did.
We jumped and spinned together enjoying the gorgeous vista, the joy of reaching our hard-earned goal. There was it. The mountain I fought so hard to get to in the last 4 hours that seemed like a lifetime at the moment.
We landed at the cliff of the mountain together, and we played. We ran around like kids in a playground, shouting and, well, laughing. Then we stopped, I realised that I was feeling a pure love for my friend. My gratitude was nothing less than eternal. While I didn't want it to end there, I knew our journey had ended, and now it was time to depart ourselves. Saying our goodbyes, we walked together towards the light. Soon, I couldn't see them anymore, and then, myself. My life had ended, and I was satisfied with that. I bursted through the skies like a falling star, as other couples and lone travelers made their journey below. I felt fulfilled as I watch the next generations coming after me, and as I fell and I new adventurer was born, I just knew they had so much to experience, such a long and beautiful journey ahead of them.
With the ending credits, the game was showing me which players I've along the way. I had to juat stop and send a thank you message to my friend. She was a girl who had such a good time in her first run that she felt like playing the game over and over again to deliver that same feeling to other, new players.
How my experience with Journey was? It was oje, if not THE best experience in my life. So many feelings, so many tears, not a single word was said but between the beeps and boops, I just... felt what we were saying. What she was feeling. I stood there on the couch, amazed, for a few more minutes before going to bed. I just wish I wasn't so socially dysfunctional that I couldn't keep contact with her, as I wish we could become friends for real. The feeling when we reached the end was just... so strong.
It's "just a game" but what it made me feel was amazing. I was so immersed, it felt real. It WAS real at that moment. If I had money, I would sure and easily pay double for this game, so amazing was the experience it delivered me.
For me, Journey is THE single best game ever made. Not because it was challenging, not because it had deep mechanics, not because it was realistic and competitive. But no other game or piece of media could ever make me feel what I felt back there. No game ever will.
I just wish someday I'd get to this level the developers of Journey are, that I can make games that deliver such strong feelings as it does. And I hope you had enough patience to read through my entire journey, reader :P no less words would make this game justice. I guess not even so many such as these do.
Thanks for sharing your Journey :)
Ahahah thank YOU for reading xD
Unfortunatelly (or fortunatelly?) life hasn't been leaving too much time for me to play anything lately. But who knows, maybe, someday :3
And there comes the macho kid trying to humiliate others to feel good about himself. Way to go xD
Yeah, sure, now go take care of your life, ok? Thanks :3
passerell
Narcissistic much?
I cried when it ended from the raw beauty of it. No shame...just tears
Gay.
Me too. Pure beauty.
SmarterThanTheAverage Pollo Same here
Same here. I had just lost a friend and it was like a poignant story of their life.
Me tooo
I just played Journey for the first time. I had no knowledge of anything about the game beforehand. I didn't even know you could play with other people online, so I was so surprised to find a companion in the second area. I didn't realise their extra embroidering meant that they were more experienced than me, but I soon realised that this was the case as my companion helped me through every level. They waited up for me, communicated with me consistently, led me to collectables, ran to my side when I was struck by monsters, and even fell down from towers with me on purpose when I fell down by accident. We were there for each other through the whole game, from gliding and frolicking under the bright blazing sun, rapidly chiming at each other in excitement, to trudging side-by-side through the blustering icy winds, weakly chiming at each other as a comfort. It made the finale feel so much more emotional, when we were flying fast and free and singing to each other in glee before at last walking together into the light. I can't imagine playing the game alone now. Nothing feels as special and rewarding as journeying with a companion, sharing the ups and downs. I can't wait to play the game again and befriend some more fellow travellers. :)
Awesome story, thanks for sharing. This is why Journey is a great game.
Thanks! And thank you for this video! I'm so in love with this game after my first amazing journey, and your equally amazing review/analyses has helped me to figure out what I find so special about it. :)
You described my first play experience exactly. It was magical.
There’s a new game in mobile called sky:children of the light is also like this(made by thatgamecompany btw)
Casey Abrigo thanks bro
too bad its not on console
Give it a try lol it’s pretty good
Liar
It’ll be on switch this year I think the date is TBA tho
When Journey came out, I was struggling to decide what kind of career I wanted to pursue in life. I knew I wanted to create, but I felt each form of storytelling wasn't quite the right fit for me. After discovering Journey, I was convinced that I should make video games. It remains my number one influence and a guiding beacon for where I want my games to be.
we hope you get to that mountain top on your career journey. :)
Good luck bro 👍👍
love this!!! good luck!!! get to the mountain!!!
good luck man! I want to make video games too!
I can't wait to play your game if this is your inspiration.
One of my favorite moments of journey was when I met my first white robe player. I had not read about the game before buying it, and also had not looked for help on the internet, which I often had done when playing other games. So I still thought red robes were the only thing to it. And I was content with that. I had played it so often already, but it was never boring. I probably played it like this for 2-3 months. I got the game pretty much at release. And then I encountered my first white robe. It was one of the best moments I ever had gaming. I was filled with emotions ranging from envy, to admiration, and even disbelief. It was really great such a seemingly minimalistic game could let me feel this much.
But this white player was not interested in interacting with me, which made me furious and desperate. So I followed him as well as I could, and found through him secrets where I never would have guessed them being. That motivated me to search every corner of the maps. It felt really long but oh so rewarding. And when I finally became a white robe myself I practically had a new game, with new goals. Journey is really without comparison.
And there was still more. I really wonder how many hours I spent aimlessly floating around with a companion in the glitch worlds of Journey.
Tom Jacobs if you find all the secrets then you become a white robe player like the tall ones you see in the game except normal sized
I love how this simple mechanic breaks down human relationships perfectly. Meeting a white robed player is like meeting an older friend or that older sibling you look up to and later on in live is like the family and friends who assure you everything will be alright despite the troubles you face. I mean even though they didn't care for you, you looking up to them with envy and anger is exactly what they wanted you to feel. Once again its design makes you feel the exact emotions relevant for the games ideas and context. To this day I haven't seen any other games do this this successfully.
@@FancyTophatDude I think the white robes are like your role models. They can choose to ignore you. Or you chase after them. Or they interact with you. Or they babysit u if you don't seem to have any experience.
My first time , I found a player and we went through the whole thing together, taking our time and looking through every pathway.The snow section was sad as we were huddled together and we finally reached the top.Idk if anyone noticed its easy to write in the sand at the peak and we were drawing each other hearts and finally walked to the light.I understood the game at that point it was all about life, and it made me happy at the very end it reveals the name of your companion, and we became psn friends and to this day play co op games together. Such a wonderful game.
I'd never heard of Journey before, yet because of your review, I bought it. I was totally immersed from the outset. It really is the most beautifully, crafted game with a soundtrack so rich, I also had to buy that. Someone joined me in level 3 and they stayed with me, right up to the end. While slowly drudging up the snow covered mountain, if I stopped, so did they, waiting for me and not wanting to go on without me (or at least, that's how it felt.) I was so moved at the end, I actually cried, something I rarely do while playing games. To bring out so much raw emotion without ever saying a word is mind-blowing.
I just played it this weekend and I was in tears at the end. Going up that snowy mountain, my companion and me kept singing to each other to keep us going. When the cold got more intense, our singing got more quiet until the key didn't have any effect anymore and we were just walking silently through the snow. It was only then that I realized how the whole game was a metaphor for life and that this was the end. I've never been emotionally moved like this by a video game before.
PlayStation are making this free for everyone becuase of coronavirus.
Edit: Not anymore 😥
Really?? In what device, Ps3 ps4 or pc?
@@datkitgirl7338 Ps4
SU Future and ps3
@@suckmymonkey4315 aww that's so cool!
Wait it costed money before it became free?
This is my favorite game, ever....I wish I could experience for the first time over and over again. I remember journeying the first time with another stranger who was just as inexperienced as me - so we stumbled together never leaving each other's side. I cried at the end when I thought I lost them before traversing the mountain alone - then when I saw him ascend with me I was in tears with happiness. He messaged me afterwards (because you can see who you've last played with), and he thanked me for the journey. It's so funny how strongly players can build an emotional connection with another person without a single word in this game.
Journey is my all time favorite game. Just perfect. I could feel it all, the beauty, the emotions, the feeling of flying. It felt like I was a part of the wind when I flew, and a part of the sand when I slid. The odd emotional bond you develop with the other player you meet is incredible. You know nothing about them, yet you find a way to communicate. During my first play through, there was a player with me through most of my journey. As we were standing in the light at the very end of the game, I made the last communication with them by making an aura (by pressing O) and they replied with the same thing. It was like the most complicated goodbye I’ve ever felt, even though no words were exchanged. But for some reason, I just knew that it meant “Thanks for playing with me, goodbye” so incredible. 10/10
I just played journey for the first time,
I can across it when looking for a good first game for my 4 year old daughter.
We played it together side by side so that I could help her if she needed it.
With its simple controls she took to it really well, and it's way of constantly keeping you interested in what's next kept her from being distracted or bored.
It's story was so well woven in that we both asked each other's perspectives, a 4 year old asking her adult dad, and a nearly 30 year old asking his child daughter to help understand it's meaning.
We became attached to the ribbon creatures and were worried if the weren't flying nearby or we lost sight of them.
We were curious of the jelly fish creatures, feared the stone dragons and were amazed by the ribbon pheonix's.
We both felt joy, wonder, excitement, curiosity, fear, anxiety, despair, sadness and back again together, at one point we both looked at each other and realised both our eyes had tears welling up.
During the snow scenes we saw one of the beloved ribbon creatures fall and freeze in the snow, my daughter tried for 5 minutes to keep it warm and bring it back to life and was truly sad that it couldn't be helped. She even turned to me and said so bravely, we just have to say goodbye to it now dad... i tried but, i think its too late.
With journey not only was she able to learn how to play a game, but she could do it on her terms... She LOVES story, like hates normal kids shows because of the "dumbed down" nature of them, but this delivered on everything. Her imagination was going wild with it
And I was like a kid again, and together we had the most magical gaming experience.
I've never rated a game 10/10, but to give this game less would be disingenuous.
The best game I've ever played.
By far, one of the best (if not just the best) I've ever played. Inspirational, emotive and with a message that is more profound as more you play and play again. A piece of art. Trully emotional, spiritual and mind blowing. Thanks for doing videos like this :)
why does everyone say its so good. I'm not trying to pull anyone string's here, but I hated it. Yeah its good looking, but that its. I had no idea what I was doing the entire time. I really want to know why people like this game so much. Cause trust me I'm trying to like it, but I just cant.
Adrian J
This game probably just isn’t for you then. There are always other games to enjoy though.
Nothing works for everyone. ;)@@adrianj2251
@@adrianj2251 what are u crazy??? This game has an awesome story!!
If yoy are stupid and you didnt understanted it its your problem
@@adrianj2251 you don’t have to like it, there’s many other things to enjoy.
Such a beautiful game. By the last level after you die and ascend to the final ‘heaven’ stage, I was openly weeping and laughing at the same time trying to get my heart around what life means and how I would feel in my last moments as a sentient being. It really shook me and reminded me that I need more moments like this. ❤️
I hate this game it's boring
The first time Journey really hit me in the feels, was when the person I went on the full Journey with, went into the meditation/idle animation. Me thinking they just took went to the bathroom watched over them. Waiting for them to come back. When, after a few moments, they slowly faded away.
I DIED WITH SADNESS AND PURE BLISS AT THE SAME END. This game moved me......out of my seat and on the floor
I remember how I found Journey: I was listening to Ori and the Blind Forest's soundtrack on youtube and I saw video with Journey soundtrack near it. I listened and.. I just wanted to know what is that game about... I bought it and sat in silence while playing. I thought that I met two companions but there were four!
One of the scariest moments for me was when I went to the underground way and lost my companion. I walked all this dark way alone! I think I'll never forget this... and that journey.
:)
Yep, losing a companion is how Journey is able to replicate a sense of lose within the player. In the playthrough I recorded for this video I was actually with the same companion all the way through until the very very end where I reached the top of the mountain and they weren't there :(. But that's the power of this game and what makes it great.
Yep, you're right.
So you have both an X Box and a PS4? Are you rich! hahaha seriously though I love Ori and Journey's soundtracks so much.
@@joelman1989 I have both.
I love reading everyone's stories about their personal experiences with the game. Thanks to a decent deal and good timing, I recently bought myself a PS4 - my first Playstation since my college Guitar Hero days on the PS2 circa 2005 or so. I remembered hearing a lot about Journey when it first came out and though it sounded from cursory descriptions like exactly the kind of thing I'd love, I had no console to play it on for the past five years. I remember hearing that it was such a beautiful story that had to be experienced for yourself, so I resolved that whether I would get to play it someday or not, watching or hearing someone else's perspective probably wouldn't be worth it anyway.
(I said I wouldn't buy myself any games until after the holiday, but with a free PS Now trial I was finally able to play Journey.)
Now - I had NO idea about the multiplayer aspect going into the game. I started clumsily learning the mechanics and exploring the environment. I didn't run into another traveler until I was at the part with the big bridge. I hadn't activated the bridge yet and I was kind of wondering what was going on. They dashed around to the objectives while I was still mostly looking around and I'm not gonna lie, I was half wondering if this was the game sending in a failsafe because I wasn't making progress correctly or figuring out what I was supposed to do fast enough. Soon I ran behind them trying to keep up because if I didn't I felt like there would be nothing left for me to do!
I admit, when I reached the giant open space after the bridge section I followed my companion only for a few moments before splitting off and going my own direction. I lost track of them soon after and for the most part focused on completing the levels myself. I was so immersed in the scenery and looking forward to what was next that I only noticed other figures coming and going in passing.
It was the scene right before the mountain passage begins when the story really started to click for me, more than being a series of questions and puzzle pieces. "Oh," I said to myself "She's telling me I'm almost there." About halfway through the windy section when another guardian showed up I thought "wait, why am I even doing all of this" even though I knew the answer was "well, because you already came all this way. you can't just turn back now." And then I turned a corner, positive that I was only steps away from my goal, but when I saw how far away it still was I literally shouted in my living room "No! I'll never make it all the way up there!" And sure enough.... lol.
I haven't felt this emotional about a game in a really long time and I'm so glad I waited because it was so worth it. When the credits were rolling and I saw the usernames of the other players (7!) I was genuinely surprised, but their presence did suddenly make sense to me. I know that replaying won't be the same as doing it the first time, but I do want to see if maybe I can collaborate with a fellow traveler next time!
Anyway, after I finished the game I realized that I could now watch all of those video essays I've been avoiding! (And then I found out the game JUST came to PC as well... great timing!)
I played for the first time last night, not knowing anything about that game and it was one of the most pure and wholesome experience I've had in my life
If only I can wipe my memories of when I played journey and replay it without knowing what happened
Journey is just a beautiful 90 minute lucid dream. It does what it attempts to do and it does so perfectly, gorgeously.
i just played the game for the first time and it was only at the end of the credits did i realize that my guides had been real people all along it was strangely emotional for me
Journey is a game that is really special to me, I can't end playing it even after finishing it 20 times, still finding other players is a joy in itself for a 10 year old game, I'll never forget all my characters
Journey was recommended to me by a very special person in my life. At first I thought it was just another indie game or something like that. When I first played it it was hard not knowing what to do and how to do things others could. I felt alone and powerless to anything until one stranger help me through it all. we were the about the same level due to the design on our robes we went through it experience what came next then when we finally got to the mountain he or she drew a heart around me and the love I felt from my companion was so strong that when we got to the end it blew my mind It was so awesome. It's a shame though that I
can't remember who my first companion was though but who ever it was I took there teachings the way he or she had shown me, and I help countless others to achieve their white robes so hopefully they can teach them the way as I taught them such an incredible game 5 star in my book!!!
Such a good game, my first time playing I was with a white cloak and they guided me through the entire game and I unlocked the white cloak in that very first play through, I wish I could add him because I felt like we became friends in the end even though we never even said a word
I was really lucky to have completed the game with another player... I think there's tremendous symbolism in the fact that the mountain literally looks like the silhouette of you and the other player as you walk side by side, and to add, as you walk through the light, your silhouettes converges and becomes one, and there is just one light emerging from the other side and heading towards the beginning... I can't explain what it all means but it makes me very emotional. I want to go back to the beginning and help the other players!
Journey is my favourite game and whenever I’m felling low I go play it to fell all of those emotions and afterwards I feel happy for a long time after
This game is about birth, life, death and the after life. It's about life alone and life with friends, family, elders, children and God. It's universal. And I love it.
This game was extremely emotional for me. I started just randomly playing it one day after hearing it was good. I was in the early portion of the game, and I saw this other player walk up to me. I had no clue there was any multiplayer in the game. We both played through the entire game together. Climbing the final peak, and then floating through the sky afterwards with my "friend" made me cry. It was such a heartwarming and emotional experience that I'll never forget.
I played the game mostly alone and when i found someone i would lose them instantly and when the guardian thing awakend it scared the crap out of me but i Was stil sad when the game ended, and to this day this game is stil one of my favorites
i clearly remember crying multiple times during this game. It is such a beautiful, passionate and carefree game
You cried playing this game on the couch. What is wrong with you? Are you stable now?
passerell
They just have emotions. It’s a thing humans do.
It’s calming not something that makes you cry
Xd DeUnknown yeah, i felt at peace when i finished
when someone helped me getting the white thing i remember to be so so so so happy dude...then after that i went back and i helped a guy getting the white thing aswell
It's crazy that way back when it was announced at E3. I said that game is special. I just went of the fact of a screenshot of the game. The art style, design, etc just pulled me in. I wanted to know everything.
Years later I finally got to play it. It's truly a masterpiece. The sense of adventure and fun to caution and fear. I was so nervous at the snow mountain part. Scared that the guardian would attack me. I got a little nervous and ran when I shouldn't and my scarf got teared. The dread I felt for being responsible for it. I was anxious about not having enough power if an other puzzle came. Then you faint and I am like dammit. If I had more scarf I could have gone further. The end was mind-blowing.
This game is an underrated masterpiece. I'm glad I had a great companion the first time around...they showed me all the secrets and what to do. I love that the devs put your companions name at the end so I could message them thanks for helping me!
You touched on everything I felt going thru Journey. It wasn’t a game. It really was an experience. There’s no way to truly understand or explain the emotions you experience to someone who doesn’t know this masterpiece.
Sadly, I only played through Journey once. I think I was too shaken to go thru again. Yes, I was a sniffling mess.
Journey made me want to believe in something bigger and better than “this life.” It totally touched me to the core.
Great review. Maybe I should go back and take the Journey again. I wasn’t aware of the white robes.
BTW, seeing who you did encounter at the very end was a nice touch, I thought. I’m split on whether I would have wanted to know more about the “players” but it was def cool seeing others who crossed your path.
I had listened to the soundtrack for years, and only recently, when it was free on the Store did I finally get to play it. I was in tears by the end of it...
I'm always moved almost to tears whenever I stumble on Journey related content / discussion. This is my favorite game and one of my favorite experience in general.
Thank you for your video (a year later).
I played Journey when it first came out on the PS3. I was in awe of the beauty of this game. And then I met a stranger, forged a bond unlike any, and somewhere getting close to the mountain top, we got separated and I lost them. I actually felt desolate and lonely when I didn't have my mystery friend with me. I reached the summit alone. It was bittersweet. Journey left an indelible mark in me, a mark shared with only a few other games, and one that will never be forgotten.
Well, we all know that Journey will be in our memories. Forever, timless and classic.
Only last month I've came across with this beautiful game.. Never felt such feelings with any other games.. Out of this world and so realistic at the same time.. So touchy, mystical, so comforting while playing.. Welcoming and showing
hospitality.. Words arent enough. Thanks to everyone who shared effort in realising it..
Wow what a reflected and beautiful analysis, fitting for a beautiful game. The game really played with all the emotions listed, but the one feeling that i remember the strongest, is desperation and hopelessness. When I walked towards the mountain in the end, with a player I met halfways, I saw how we gradually got more frozen. Then when he collapsed in front of me I tried desperatly to make the small sounds to help him up, to no use. The sounds I made got lower and lower and I was conflicted if I should try to carry on towards the top, the goal the game had made you strive for all the time, or stay with my new friend. I could not leave him. While my weakening shouts to get my friend back on his feet got harder to hear, I too fell to my knees and I thought I had died not reaching the top of the mountain the goal of the game.
Terrific video. Never played Journey but I definitely may check it out as someone who is also quite an advocate for the merging of story and gameplay as one cohesive entity.
"definitely may check it out" That's a contradiction.
Every single time I play this game it always never fails to make me cry so much, the ending feels rewarding in a way where you work so hard til you finally make it to the very end. The ending makes makes me cry to the point it makes me cry with happiness. Like it's beautiful art
I just played it today for the first time, and as a young adult who gone through depression and a variety of other tough struggles throughout my life, now on the path of self-improvement and believing in myself, I can definitely say this game healed my soul. I found myself tearing up multiple times throughout my play through, relating to all the stages of beauty and sadness across the game with tears of joy and tragedy. This game is a gem and is a testament to what true art is in the medium of game design.
This game is so beautiful that I cry when I play not even lying
I remember playing this game when it first came out on PS3. First time I encountered someone I was so excited then they got hit and got lost. Near the end I found someone else and we helped each other through and finished the end together. No other game has made me feel this way. I remember us messaging each other at the end thanking each other.
The game has made me think about life and it's uncertainties. That people you meet won't be able to be with you forever.. and that that's ok. Years later even after many many playthoughs and helping newcommers I still feel a bit teary at the end for sharing the journey with them. I play a variety of different games including fps and rpg but to me this is my favorite game. It has a powerful message and if you haven't played I'd recommend it.
I know I am very late but I fell in love with this game each time I play it is different when I became a white robe it seems that the other player respected me and followed me wherever I went when he got hit by the guardian i felt so sad i rushed over to his side and when he got up he was singing or communicating like crazy. Journey is a game I will never forget
Great video! Finished this game for the first time last night and was completely blown away.
I literally screamed in joy when I heard that first line. That's always been my mantra when it comes to video games, but no one ever seems to acknowledge it as a unique and thought-provoking medium for storytelling. Thank you so much for this video!
So happy to have come across this review and have subscribed because of it. Great analysis and very in depth and in touch as to the true nature of the game so thank you for creating this. Journey has truly changed my life.
this game has always remained incredibly important to me, its multiplayer aspect is so unique and wonderous in design and does a wonderful and even perfect job at sharing this emotional experience with a nameless being such as yourself, this game is how i discovered that it is okay to cry when you are not sad, you can cry when something is beautiful and simply just makes you smile. we all just need to smile
This brings back so many memories. I remember, playing the demo at best buy when I was young, then I got the game myself. It remains, and will always remain, my favorite game. The sheer amount of emotion this game makes you feel is incredible. Thank you for covering it, more people need to see this game, and that some one still remembers it makes me very happy.
I will always be eternally grateful for having this amd Abzu be a part of my life.
The narration is also very beautiful. Bravo!
In my journey (hah) the snowy area felt harsh and lonely. The previous player I was with stopped moving in the previous area, so I just continued. Later on in the snow area, I met someone again, which felt great. This person didn't seem to understand how to get through the snowy wind, as he/she just kept pushing and pushing into it, not being great at timing. For many long minutes I stayed with that player and tried to get it working through the limited communication, and I don't know if it was by chance, but I may have been of help. So it felt pretty sad to have that player die in the snow afterwards :( Both of us painfully bopping our little heads through the circle button, as if crying out for help. I reached the mountain alone, while a bit bittersweet, still joyous (dunno if two people can be there, only played it once).
Also interesting take on the themes, maybe I'm just not great at deciphering that stuff but for me, while playing, the final sequence where you break free from the snow made me think about how important it is to just push on, even if things seem impossible. I uninstalled the game to make more space on my PS4, but you mentioning that white costume might make me come back to it someday. Then perhaps I can keep someone company in that white snowy area again, in my white costume... Though in that treacherous snow, there isn't much of a difference.
You invested yourself emotionally into a dumb 12 year old who can't figure out just to hide behind a thing when the wind blows. You wasted your time.
Martin Gustavsson yes, there can be another player in the last part, i had one
passerell
You don’t like this game, huh?
“Micro-cosmic experience” - Best review ever. Thanks.
I only recently played the game since I have never owned a PS and the game finally came on Steam. I was already familiar with the games beautiful art style and music but I have tried to avoid any spoiler regarding the gameplay and story itself. I was in awe on my first playthrough. I thought the multiple partners I met were very smart AIs until the end credit rolls around and the names of the players came up and I was officially floored. This revelation made me reassess my entire gameplay experience and questioned myself as a gamer: what kind of gamer am I? Am I patient? Was I kind? Did the other player enjoy my company? Was I helpful?
Truly an amazing and unforgettable experience.
I once found another player, and we kinda formed a small bond with each other, even though we played for only two chapters. I didn't have my gaming controller and had trouble keeping up, but the other player politely waited for me. He also showed me secrets in some places. This player was also white, instead of the usual red. I felt kind of sad when he left in dust.
I have played Journey so many times now, that I should be sick of it. But here I am, maybe a year after my last play, watching another video about Journey, all the way through, closing my eyes in the moments where the soundtrack gets a bit louder than your voice.
So I played journey for the first time today and I felt emotions I will never be able to understand. It started well, at the start, I was intrigued by these cloth creatures and glyphs and I couldn't help but explore a bit in the first area. After I had done that I left for the second area. I was unlocking the last cloth bridge and going to climb it when I saw her, rushing across the cloth bridge, I was confused, but something comepelled me to follow her, I didn't want to be alone. So I rushed, I flew as fast as I could to her and when I arrived to where she was, I saw her meditating on the glowing spot, so I joined her but was sad when I thought I wouldn't see her, npc or not. After the scene I was surprised because she stood there waiting for me. I was so happy to see she didn't leave and spammed the sing button as much as I could, with her replying in kind. We went through all stages together. I remember when we were at that ocean area where you first see the war machines, when I got caught she tried to jump in to save me. I got hit. But I was alright.vshe tried to comfort me by spamming the sing button and didn't let me stay in front of her, as if she was trying to protect me now. My most emotional moments were in the snow. I encountered the war machines a second time and got hit. She tried to rush towards me to help but she got hit too. She was alright but I felt bad. So I drew a heart on the snow and she seemed happy as she jumped a lot. She couldn't leave my side after that little moment. We continued on and finally came to the part where we freeze. She stayed next to me the whole time never two feet apart. The final part where we streak across the sky with the other creatures, she continued forward without looking back until we got to the summit. We chirped at each other without stopping and I was happy, but when I started to see the light I was kinda sad. It meant that my journey with HER was over and I didn't want it to end. It did but not without our final chirps to each other. After the credits I saw her name tag. I frantically searched it up and sent her a friend request. She was Japanese and I don't speak that so I searched up the words "Thank you for the journey partner" on Google translate and sent the message. Still waiting for a reply because I can't stop thinking about her. Hope she replies😔
I also realized one thing when I played with her. If she moved a bit too far we would both panic and start looking for each other. It makes me feel good when I think about it 😊.
Anyway, this game showed me emotions at it's strongest. All that without saying a word. I will never forget this game. It was a journey for my psyche through the different emotions I could feel. I love it
I can't play Journey but I did play Sky (still am) and I love how they made the same atmosphere but a completely different storyline and also some mobile device features. I watched a Journey walkthrough tonight and I'm just absolutely amazed.
many games have made me feel strong emotions through their narrative, their art or even their gameplay even taken completely out of context of the rest of the experience. But Journey convinced me more than any other game that design can be for games what direction is for movies. That if all the elements of a game worked together to enhance one another, to convey clear feelings, tell us something new about ourselves. And with games we can tell it without the use of language or filming the real world, we can express wonderful things by inviting the player to express themselves, which is a phenomenal thing tbh.
Katie_Hun if you read this... Thank you so much for being a great companion! It was fun having you by my side! Journey is an awesome, mind-blowing game! Everytime when i hear the music i get goosebumps! I have played many (single player) games. Usually they are big open world games like Assassins Creed or Far Cry or Red Dead Redemption, etc. Those are violent games, with guns, explosions etc... Journey is totally different. It's the BEST game i have ever played, because it's a very emotional ride. I have never experienced that before in a game. If you have never played Journey, you should a least give it a try... meet a companion... got to that light at the end together... you'll be amazed! Greetings from The Netherlands =) Oh, and thanks for posting this great video, Brandon M. Jacobs!
Sky: “Am I a joke to you?”
This video was in my 'Watch Later' list from a long time. Because I hadn't played this game until today. I just few hours back finsihed it on my PC and I enjoyed every minute of it. I had lost the count my jaw was dropped after watching one beautiful scenery after the other. It was simply breathtaking and so was the music and simplistic but fitting gameplay.
You summed up everything about this game perfectly. Thanks for this. Though I have never left a comment on your videos. But I want to say that absolutely love them. So keep up the good work. 👍
I finally got to sit down and play this game on my PS4 for the first time yesterday, and I absolutely loved it! Truly a masterpiece of both video game design and art.
Journey is a game that got stuck on my mind, but i can't remember a single part from it, just the things that I felt while playing it. And it made me feel a lot of emotions that don't even make sense when i try describing them. Probably one of the best gaming experiences of my life. It's like when you hear a gut-wrenching trumpet solo and that makes you want to cry
Beautifully described, mate. This has been my number one recommendation for people who are uninitiated or generally uninterested in video games as a medium since I discovered it almost a decade ago, and your description could have come from my own mind.
Well done 🤝
Great video! I love this game. It's really different and special, and it makes you feel. You summed up why it is so great wonderfully. YOu earned a sub with this one, great work man.
Journey is amazing, I don't even know how to explain how it made me feel. I cried so much and it was amazing
Great video man, finally someone took on a video game not just films
I remember when I first saw another person in Journey and my test to see if it was a real person was that I chirped the rhythm to megalovania. Good times. I love this game so much.
I've always been alone when I play games like this with unique multiplayer
It's a joy to hear beautiful stories of camaraderie and jolly cooperation
(My old phone being the only thing with internet)
I still shed a tear or two every time I play Journey. It's such a pure experience that one can extrapolate any number of related meanings on subtler and subtler levels, all of them related to life and enlightenment.
There's a video floating around about a young gamer who met with the development team. She wrote them to share that playing Journey with her father as he was dying of cancer helped provide closure for them both. I've watched playthroughs made by angry teenagers who seem incapable of appreciating the subtle beauty of the experience, but who break down in tears at the end despite their emotional shields. It leaves even the least susceptible of us speechless, unsure what to do with this feeling because our society doesn't engender it very often.
This is a beautiful game that can help heal us all.
You seem psycologically very unstable. I've never shes a tear while playing a videogame.
passerell
Zombie games don’t make people feel emotions.
passerell: your spelling...very unstable...lol...you need help...
@@cascal7503
That's how you're supposed to spell "unstable"...
@@076657 Never played journey, but the way you talk to people in this video that love this game and are sharing their love for it, really makes me wonder if you are the unstable and rather sad person in all of this.
You seem to despise anyone who finds more meaning than you do in a game.
If you are that depressed and fucked up, that you need to bring down anyone who loves this game dearly, maybe you should seek help. You really sound like someone who is in the shit and crying for help.
Now check out Sky: Children of the light
Technically the same game and the same areas but they are more defined in describing the stages of life
@@prio7485 no actually the storyline is different because we have to save the children of light. It's not so much just our Journey anymore
I didn't really say about the storyline im just saying they are technically the same game with same areas but the areas are more defined in describing the stages of life
This was a great video, thanks for the insight
My most memorable journey was when I met a player late in the game but we ended up walking into the light together, side by side, at the same time.
By the way I'm replaying the game on PS3 in summer 2019 and there are still travelers in the game. Although the PC version was released not long ago so it might be those players.
This game will evoke feelings in you that no video game ever has before. I’ve cried at games, had all kinds of emotions, but Journey is so unique and speaks to the soul
You said it perfectly - thanks for such a solid video about a solid game!
This is the only game that has ever brought tears to my eyes.
It's short, simple even, and yet it has a depth that I've never found in over 20 years of playing games. When I finally played and beat this game I felt that I had been missing out for years, I could've played it much sooner but just didn't.
I've now achieved everything possible in it. I've learned the secrets and glitches from the kind travelers I met in my many playthroughs, I've even learned how to become a tiny jet fighter made of cloth, but this work of art is still amazing in my eyes and I'll never be bored with it.
This review is great, you touched on and explained the beauty and mystery of this game perfectly. Thanks for making this, I feel happy knowing that you and my fellow commenters all felt the same about this crown jewel of gaming.
Truly excellent review of a fascinating game, thank you!
Thanks man... great video... will buy!
Wonderful review and analysis!
My dad, sister, and I were sitting on our couch playing this game in 2012. One of my fondest memories spending time with my family.
One of the many things that hit me pretty hard when I played the game for the very first time (only choosing this out of the hundreds of thing bc it wasn't mentioned in the video), is the moment when I activated one of the wall shine things the realised that the stone pillar things I was walking past and thought nothing of were actually graves of previous travellers who failed to complete the journey, gradually less and less appearing as the journey continues as the number of travellers that succeeded the previous obstacles dwindle.
...it's the soundtrack. The most beautiful and most relevant music to accompany any game I've ever played...and I started with an Atari 2600. It really is that good.
I remember being with that one friend and when he/she fell off the mountain I stood still for about two seconds before I rush to the edge and fall with him/her. I wanted to progress through the game but more importantly I didn't want to be alone. I was also in great need to use the bathroom but since I knew the game isn't that long I held myself because I knew that my friend would wait for me but since there is no direct communication I didn't know how long he would wait or if he would thought that I might be afk for too long.
Anyway, despite my efort to keep playing with the same person, in the end I saw that i shared this experience with two companions.
I'm still trying to find something bad about this game but I can't.
I drew a heart in the snow to say goodbye to my friend 🥺
I just played Journey today, after hearing of its revered experience. Instant classic.
I wish I had more to say, but words that have been said a thousand times precede me.
When I first played it I met someone in a white robe and I felt really nice and we did the whole game together but seeing the white robes figure drop before me pulled at my heart even though we where sent to the light after, after that run though I became a white robe and I showed others the way it was a really nice feeling and I felt like I was really helping some people out
Thank you for making this video. It reminded me of the awesome game and I have never seen a comment section this blessed, without yelling at each other, without insulting each other, just calm. Calm, and friendly.
I used to play this game every morning before the sun came up with a cup of hot coffee by my side and my full interest. Now that I've heard it's coming to PC, you bet yah I'll buy it and NEVER uninstall it. This is the most beautiful game I've ever played, and I will never forget it.
On my first playthrough of Journey I actually never met anyone, as I got it long after its popularity, but I decided to revisit it a few days later and met someone in the pink desert. I knew where a lot of the glyphs were and managed to show them where a lot of them were, and we even found more secrets in our exploration! We we would do this little call and response when one of us found a glyph, and it seemed like it was their first playthrough, so when we got to the final ascent on the mountain we lost each other, and I genuinely almost cried bc this person I have traveled this whole world with wouldn't be able to finish it with me. But when I finally got to the top, I found them there waiting for me and it was the best moment of the playthrough by far. Journey is such an amazing game
Journey has definitely left a mark on my soul. I only knew about it after some friends showed me Flower and I fell in love with TGC. I was excited to find news of Journey coming out soon after I played Flower. I played Journey so much. Memories of my first playthrough, encounters with random people, finding things I didn't expect to find. I hope we get more games like Journey. A small but big impacting experience. I've been forgetting to play it, it used to be like a monthly gamer's pilgrimage for me, but I've at least listened to the soundtrack countless amounts of times.
I'm going to play it again, thanks for the video.
Journey brought tears to my eyes & is, without doubt, one of the greatest game I have ever played.