More than two years later, we now sit on the edge of thatgamecompany's next release. Adhering to the minimalist to-the-point titling, Journey aims to shake up the traditionally solitary visions of past thatgamecompany releases, and instead blend in a curious online portion. As with all thatgamecompany titles, Journey also promises an interactive world driven by feeling and creative play, where learning and exploring the world are just as integral to the experience as anything else. Currently in a limited beta phase, PALGN was fortunate enough to go hands-on with Journey and experience first hand just what kind of magic it conjure.
An underpant's nightmare.
Unsurprisingly, Journey boots in a similar way to Flower and Flow, forgoing menus and lengthy introductory cutscenes in favour of putting you right in the experience as soon as the game begins. We are introduced to our character - a solitary, faceless figure draped in a flowing red cloak, upon which is stamped a unique symbol. Surrounding us, as far as the eye can see, are hills of sand, and in the distance a single gigantic mountain rises above the clouds. Closer inspection reveals ancient structures sitting quietly on the horizon, their surroundings littered by gravestone-like totems. Who are we? What happened to this world? Where are we going? This is Journey, a game about discovery.
Controlling our avatar in Journey is as simple as it is intuitive. Back-to-basics design means the left analogue stick controls movement and the right analogue stick controls the camera, exactly like any third person game. With no clear directive or set objective, it is up to the player where to go and what to do. Those aforementioned ruins are naturally the first attraction, and it is to them where we begin our exploration.
Basic character navigation isn't the only control at your disposal. With a single button, we are able to 'shout', emitting a chime from our character along with a flash of its symbol. This function appears integral to interacting with the world, immediately noticeable when nearby gravestones glow in response to shouts. At our nearest ruin we found some gravestones, and lighting them up activated a vision sequence, where we were presented with an ancient tapestry vaguely detailing events prior to our arrival. As with all things thatgamecompany, this minimalist story presentation leaves plenty of room for interpretation and wonder, something players will be doing plenty of as they discover the many vision sequences scattered throughout the game.
Watch out for sandworms.
Visions are not the only goal of playing Journey. Shortly after beginning the game players will come face-to-face with the ghostly apparition of a taller figure not unlike your own. This figure grants the player a magical scarf, which can be extended in length by finding similar figures throughout the rest of the game, giving players a second directive and reason to explore environments.
But more than just a visual gimmick, the scarf acts as a charge meter of sorts. Finding bundles of floating fabric around the environment, scarves will ‘charge’ with a certain number of uses, each use allowing the player to jump or glide. Though we only had the opportunity to extend our scarf’s length a couple of times, additional charges allow players to jump and glide further than before, giving access to otherwise out-of-reach areas. Both jumping and shouting are a part of the Journey experience, as these are the basic functions for exploring and interacting with the game world, the former used for exploration, and the latter for ‘activating’ fabric to unlock new areas and discoveries.
Not just a way to interact with the world, these functions are also the only means of interacting with online characters. Journey's unique online connectivity method means you will, by random chance, find characters similar to your own exploring the same world. Each character is stamped with their own unique symbol, their own earned scarf length, and various patterns on the fabric of their cloak, which are unlocked by discovering visions. Limiting interactivity and identification between players is an attempt to knock down barriers of age, gender and location, as players must rely on their shout ability and maneuverability to interact with one another.
Though this multiplayer idea is exceptionally intriguing, our experience was very disappointing, simply because we had difficulty finding other players in the world. Possibly due to the game being in a limited beta stage, we only ran into another character once, and they quickly left the match before we were able to delve into the multiplayer possibilities.
Lost, sandy civilizations await.
Perhaps most impressive of all, and really quite unsurprising considering Flower, Journey is without a doubt one of the most beautiful games we’ve ever laid eyes on. An exceptional meeting of technology and art, never before have mountains of sand been so alluring, with individual grains glistening in the sunlight, and sandy dunes pushed and moved by the winds. The effect of shifting sand beneath your feet, either from simply walking or excitedly sliding down hills, is nothing short of breathtaking, and is easily arguable as the most convincing sand effect ever seen in a videogame.
Yet it is the art that takes Journey to a whole new level. Simplistic colouring and patterns craft a distinctive Wind Waker-esque identity to the entire landscape, and expertly timed gusts of wind blowing mounds of sand breathe an unbelievable amount of life into an otherwise barren and lonely world. A cohesive art style covering ruins, structures and gravestones gives the impression that a world once existed here, one wholly defined and truthful to the rest of the game’s visual direction. Beholding Journey is truly divine, and the game stands with its head held high right next to all the best looking PlayStation 3 games.
The jury is still out on how Journey will shape up as a whole package, but as short as our experience with the beta was, it only made us more intrigued by what it promises. Much like Flower, Journey prides itself on a casual pacing, where every movement and goal is dictated by the player, giving the freedom to push forward to that mysterious ruin in the distance, slide down dunes to marvel at the gorgeous sand effect, or simply bask in the wonder of their surroundings. With a thick air of mystery, there's an undeniable desire to dig deeper into the world and lore, unsure of what exactly we will discover. Though we would have liked to experience more of the much hyped multiplayer portion, Journey is bound to satisfy thatgamecompany fans even with its solitary experience, and is worthy of attention for daring to be a little different.
PALGN will have more on Journey in the near future.
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