[Gamer's Review] Indie Games: Journey

Journey's Title Screen | Thenerdpocalypse.com

Yesterday I went to GameStop to buy Journey, an Indie game developed by thatgamecompany.  It's a third-person game that I would best describe as a cooperative platformer.  I had first learned about Journey from Penny Arcade and was intrigued by the concept of the game.

Basically you're a robed figure (that looks kind of like a Garo Robe from Majora's Mask) on a journey across a vast desert to a large mountain.  You start this journey alone on the far side of a fairly large hill, and as you climb to the top of the hill and explore the ruins on the other side.  The controls are very simple, the left analogue stick makes you move, "Circle" lets you communicate and interact with the environment through what I can only describe as song.  "X" eventually allows you to jump and glide.  The camera can be manipulated with the right analogue stick or if you have the proper controller, simply by tilted or leaning the controller in one direction or another.

Your intrepid traveler. | MasonicGamer.com

The developers of the game really don't hold your hand much throughout the game, instead forcing you to use things like observation skills and common sense in order to figure out what you're supposed to do.  The only real "tutorials" were when I learned that "Circle" lets me communicate with others and "X" lets me jump and glide.  Everything else you have to learn either through watching the cut scenes or by observing your traveling companion.

Speaking of your companion, you're not alone in your travels across the scorching desert.  Shortly after learning the controls (all three of them), you run into your companion for the rest of the game.  Or at least I did, I have yet to do a second play-through of the game to be absolutely sure.  You aren't told your companion's name and you can't use a headset to talk to him or her.  Rather, you're forced to rely on pantomiming your actions and using "Circle" to get his or her attention so they watch you do something.  It takes some getting used to, but my companion and I figured out how to work with each other shortly after solving the first puzzle.

As it turns out, we were both fluent in "hieroglyph." | Stevivor.com

I did learn at the very end that it is possible to write short messages in the ground, which usually leaves footprints behind for a couple of seconds.  I wrote out "Hello" in barely legible cursive for my companion last night, but I don't think he noticed.  Next time I hope to discuss the socioeconomic status of Poland with a complete stranger.

The game does offer a single player experience, or at the very least you can play without an Internet connection.  I'm not sure how that would work, as there were several times that without my traveling buddy I would have been completely screwed.  You see, there are some puzzles that are easier to solve with two people, and by "singing" you can recharge the runes on your companion's scarf, allowing them to continue jumping and gliding.  Without such a companion, you'd be forced to rely on the environment to recharge the runes, which while possible, would certainly make things more difficult for you.

As you can probably tell from the images throughout this article, the visuals on this game are simplistic, yet I found them to be stunning.  Maybe I'm just an artsy kind of guy (I'm not), but I found myself enthralled by the Wind Waker-esque graphics style (what is that, two Zelda references in this article?).  In a way, the graphics style reminded me of some of the paintings I've seen from the three museum trips I've made during my twenty-year-long life.  I may have visited one of those museums twice.

The game's soundtrack, which seamlessly switches between calming and almost Zen-like to tension-filled and "Oh shit don't let those flying robot snakes find you!", was composed by Austin Wintory, who has composed soundtracks for several Sundance Films and video games, including fl0w, also by thatgamecompany.  The music remains subtle throughout the game, but without it I firmly believe that Journey wouldn't have been nearly as good as it is.

"Are we there yet?" | Thatgamecompany.com

I realize that I've been gushing over this game for the past 641 words (don't believe me?  Count 'em up, I'll wait.), so I'll dive into the critiques and criticisms portion of this article.  The only real beef I have with Journey is the fact that it's so short.  The game only took me two hours or so to complete.  The game play and my overwhelming desire to get to the top of the mountain made that time fly by, so it seemed ever shorter to me.  However, I don't think that the developers could add anything to Journey that wouldn't ruin the game, so it would be best for everyone if they ignored that complaint.

While I understand Journey's an indie game and therefore has a smaller budget at their disposal, it would have been nice if I could have done a little character customization.  Even changing my brown cloak into a nice red would have been enough for me.  It is possible that such a thing would ruin the experience of the game, since it's supposed to be about two strangers helping one another on their mutual quest, but it'd still be nice.

"You go first."  "No man, you go first." | Gamecatalyst.com

 Journey is not a game for everyone.  If all you look for in a video game is awesome graphics, intense game play, and lots of sex and violence, there are other games to spend your money on.  If you like cooperative game play and puzzle solving (something I never thought I'd like), then look in between your couch cushions for $15 in change, because that's all that Journey will cost you.

All in all, I loved this game.  If I had to assign an arbitrary number to Journey (say, between 1 and 10), I'd give it a 9.  If you have $15 and two hours of free time, I definitely recommend that you give Journey a chance.