Journey

I hung out with a friend yesterday. He had talked about this game called “Journey” he had played for the PS3, which had recently been declared IGN’s Game of the Year. Then he let me do a playthrough (thanks JT!)

What a game. You are a faceless character, starting off in a barren desert, with a clear goal – get to the top of the mountain in the distance. This is communicated to you without uttering a word. In fact, the game features no text.

Along your journey, you’ll encounter others like you. These aren’t AI characters, but other people at their PS3’s. They’ll plop in and out of existence, communicating through blips and aiding each other along. The way this game is set up, it isn’t possible to have your experience impinged by the presence of others.

The game is stunning. The individual beads of sand shine and flow around you. You are treated to beautifully realized landscapes. The clever play with the camera enhances the experience to provide vistas like that below.

The orchestral music dynamically and organically comes in and out, holding the simple narrative together. Great work. The game is short; I finished it in under three hours. But what you have is a game that is absolutely satisfying.

If you have a PS3 and haven’t played this, I strongly recommend it. It’s the perfect children’s video game: no violence, no complex story line. Just a sweet journey. For adults, the appeal isn’t lessened one bit. Check it out.