This time I'm shifting my attention away from the Xbox One and over to the PS4, to play the Sony exclusive, Journey. Of course, it was originally released on the PS3 but I have shied away from playing it for all these years because it got somewhat overhyped and I tired of hearing how amazing it was, and how it proved that games were art. Some of us don't need proof, we know that games are just as valuable as books, movies, paintings and sculpture, but this game was held up by those insecure in their hobby as some kind of miracle. So now, all these years later, I can finally see what all the fuss what about. Let's begin!
Plot & Character: 7 out of 10
The plot of Journey is not explicitly spelled out for the player like all of the other games I have reviewed as part of the Summer Backlog Challenge so far, but it is present if you're paying attention. Every so often you will get a glimpse at a mural that depicts part of the back story, with the full picture coming into focus by the time you finish the game. This hadn't fully sunk in for me during my first time through, so I ended up going to YouTube to watch a very well made video explaining it all. It's not really the fault of the game that I missed certain details, it's more a symptom of my own ADD.
The gist of it is this: once upon a time there was magic in the land and resources were plentiful - life was good for the people who called this realm their home. Gradually over time the resources started to be depleted, so the people invented machinery to speed up and automate the process, as well as fearsome guardian robots to protect their riches. This inevitably served to speed up the downfall of this society, as the resources finally ran out. The once great civilisation ended up in ruin and the people died out, with the many gravestones scattered through the land their sad and lasting legacy. Just before all hope was gone and all life was extinguished, the last bit of magic created a new life, which is you - Billybob. Now it's up to Billybob to reach the top of the sacred mountain and sacrifice himself, which in turn will bring the magic and resources back to the world. The people will not learn from their past mistakes though, and eventually the whole cycle will begin again, and again, and again...
 |
| This was one of my favourite sections in the game - triggering giant scarf bridges to appear |
Graphics: 8 out of 10
Journey is a game that is not flashy, but does feature some impressive vistas and environments nevertheless. During your relatively brief time with the game you will travel through desserts, amidst the ruins of the old world and the many graves of the people who sadly died there. Then you will go under ground and encounter those deadly guardian robots, before coming out the other side into the bitter chill of the mountain. Finally, when Billybob's life force has been spent and he succumbs to freezing death, his life force will be released and he will be given access to Heaven, or Nirvana, or whatever it is known as in this fantasy world. This last part of the journey is full of vibrant colours, sunshine and waterfalls and is a great contrast to the bleak whiteness of the mountain that you were struggling through just minutes before.
Sound & Music: 9 out of 10
While there is no voice acting at all in the game, Journey really doesn't need it. The decision to show you story rather than tell you it means that dialogue would serve little purpose, and may have even detracted from the experience. Instead what you get is an absolutely amazing soundtrack by Austin Wintory, one that won him two BAFTA Awards upon the games original release in 2013. There are also some sound effects as well which fit in well with the overall atmosphere of the experience. Billybob can emit a cute little chirping noise which he can use to communicate with the magical scarf creatures he meets and other players should you be lucky enough to meet some, and those giant snake like robots make some really intimidating noises. For me, the sound was my favourite part of the Journey experience, but it works in tandem with the visuals and the game play to make the game as special as it is.
 |
| Billybob getting ready to scale the mountain and make the ultimate sacrifice. |
Game Mechanics: 7 out of 10
Unlike most of my reviews so far where this section is pretty long, this time I can be fairly brief because the game play of Journey is fairly simple at heart. It's really an adventure game, or something close to a "walking simulator" (a term that didn't really exist when the game first came out). There are a few sections of light platforming, puzzle solving and stealth (when you try and avoid the gaze of the guardian robots) but nothing is ever very taxing and it should be possible for the vast majority of players to reach the end without too much trouble. While the game is fairly good fun to play, it's really the presentation and the themes that elevate it to something special.
 |
| Billybob in the cave network, hiding from the guardian machines. |
Innovation & Cleverness: 8 out of 10
I feel that Journey really does deserve a fairly high score in this category because we had not really seen anything like it at the time. Of course other similar games such as Abzu have come along but back in 2013 this was a pretty unique experience. The subtle way the story is told and the fantastic presentation are hallmarks of just how clever thatgamecompany are at crafting amazing interactive experiences - Flower hinted at this but they truly perfected their craft with Journey in my opinion.
Value & Replayability: 4 out of 10
It can take a scant two hours to get to the end of Journey, which may well be a dealbreaker for some. If you are quite hard up for funds I can understand where you're coming from. If this is the case, then probably the best way of experiencing this game is the Journey Collector's Edition package, which also includes Flow and Flower. This can be had on Amazon for about £20, which is a decent price in my opinion. The game does have a little bit of replay value because there are hidden scarf upgrades dotted around the environment, and finding all of them will give you access to a special white robe which grants unlimited flight, as well as a trophy.
Overall: 8 out of 10
It may not take you very long to complete the Journey, but it is one worth taking. It's a shame that I put it off for so long because I was unable to experience the online mode when I did finally get around to it. I'm not sure if that would have enhanced the experience overall but it would be nice to see it for myself. At any rate, this is one game that will stick in my memory for quite some time, and one I shall probably return to before too long. If somehow you also haven't played Journey yet, then you really should - it does deserve all of the praise that was heaped upon it years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment