Journey Review: Anyway you want it! HURDUDRURDUDURUR

Oh god, what have I done? Reviewing every new game that I play in 2012? I have just thrown myself a buttload of work, and for what? Haha I joke guys. Honestly, I'm really enjoying this little experiment of mine, as it has been forcing me to solidify my opinions in through writing. I hope you are enjoying this little test of mine, and I would always love feedback or suggestions of games to play! So are you in for a treat today! Today's review is of the ps3 exclusive Journey. If you haven't heard about it, now is the time to pay attention, as I can't say enough good things this time around!

Ever get the feeling that you are completely alone? The hopelessness and desperation that come from solitude can sometimes be so overwhelming that you simply give up. However, you are never completely alone on your personal Journey. Thatgamecompany's new project aptly named Journey, does a fantastic job of filling you with the fear of being alone, while at the same time providing elation at the sight of a new friend. The entire package is unique in its delivery, and provides one of the most engaging and emotionally gripping multiplayer experiences that you will ever play. 

So what is Journey? However cliché this may sound Journey is much more than a game, it is truly an experience. Not unlike Thatgamecompany's last effort “Flower”, Journey takes a basic gameplay idea (in this case a 3d platformer), and transforms it into something akin to a piece of handcrafted art.

Who would have thought that playing as a flower petal could provide you with such a Rush

Honestly, I am having trouble with the formatting of this review, as I really am at a loss for where to start. So in Journey you take Journey. Well I guess that's a good enough place as any. You play as a mysterious robed figure who must travel across many different lands in order to do something. The story is very vague at first, but slowly unravels throughout the game in such an ambiguous way that surely there is room for interpretation. Journey's tale is similar to an abstract piece of art, perhaps there is no concrete meaning, the piece is whatever the audience perceives. From simply a visual standpoint, comparing Journey to a piece of art would not be completely out of left field, as the game is absolutely stunning in motion.

So here are the basics regarding the gameplay in Journey. You walk, and you jump. Bam that's about it. You will do a lot of walking in Journey, and sometimes you'll wish there is a run button. You can also control the camera with the six axis controller meaning you can look like an absolute nimrod if you so choose. For those who don't know, Thatgamecompany's last game Flower was controlled completely with the sixaxis and one button, while the feeling was so fluid and dynamic in that game, it's thankfully optional in Journey.

Oh did I say you can jump? Well only sometimes. You have to collect enough scarf things to light up your own personal scarf in order to jump. (It's abstract ok?) While this may seem like a problem for some, you are never out of reach of a place to recharge your jump, and if you are traveling with a buddy your jump recharges automatically if you are close. There are also a few scattered collectables that allow your scarf to grow which ensures that your jumps will be longer and more satisfying.

Now you are off! Although the game feels very open, as if you could travel anywhere in the world, you will never become lost as the game uses some very subtle visual cues to make sure that you stay on track. 

Oh you can also chirp by pressing the circle button, which leads me into the game's main draw the multiplayer. The multiplayer in Journey...dear god how awesome. You have never experienced a multiplayer situation like this before, and perhaps you never will again.

The multiplayer works like this, if someone is near your position in their game you will just bump into them. There are no loads, and no pop in, everything is seamless as if they simply exist in your world. The only way you know they are another player is by their appearance. They look like you. There is no verbal communication and you don't see the person's screen name. Ironically these communication restrictions allow you to become attached to your little buddy in ways that simply aren't possible in other multiplayer outlets. There are no intrusive alarms like“xWEEDSMOKA69x has joined the game,” it's just you are your cohort against the brutal elements.

I hate you, and everything you stand for.

If you get too far from your friend they simply de-sync from your game which leaves you with a feeling of guilt, and actually made me go back and search for my long lost partners on a few occasions.

However, if you stick with your buddy you are bound to have some impromptu adventures that are unique to your experience. At one point my friend and I were stuck on this high cliff and the only way to reach the top was by attempting a truly perilous jump. Not wanting to loose my friend, and yet needing to progress the story, I jumped out in reach of a ledge only to find my friend had jumped at the exact same time. It was as if we had read each other's minds and were completely synchronized in our movements. It was so fantastic and unexpected that it managed to solicit an audible reaction of “Woah.” These are the types of user made experiences that simply occur in Journey. Without spoiling anything, the climax of the game is best experienced with a partner at side, and is simply stunning. I have never felt more emotionally connected to a player controlled character in my life.

Journey, while not a perfect game, is an amazing experience that is well worth the 15 dollar entrance fee if only to experience a revolution in online multiplayer interaction. The game only goes for about 3-4 hours depending on how fast you rush through each scenario, but the short length ensures that the experience never overstays its welcome, and leaves the player in a state of awe.

I wanted to somehow work in the great soundtrack, but instead I'll just leave you with a sample for yourselves.

So yeah, that's all I have to say on the subject. It's fun XD SO RUMDUM. No seriously, go play this game. Till next time, stay safe.