Journey

Ok, time for an alternative opinion ...

It's good, but if you're unsure and on the fence, be warned that you may not find it as good as most are making it out.

First off, it's not really a video game in the standard sense, it's more of a casual interactive experience. I don't know if it's possible to die or not, but I didn't die, and I've not heard of anyone else dying either. For me, this reduces any tension of the 'journey' as no matter what you come up against, well, at worst I just ended up a bit further back from where I was and I was able to continue easily. In addition, it's a pretty linear experience. Any time I tried to deviate from the desired path I met dead ends, or was literally forced back to where I should have been headed. If I wasn't progressing, subtle clues to where I should be focusing would appear on screen. There aren't really any puzzles to speak of, more just a case of taking the time to identify the usually signposted way to get to the next platform, and that is never that taxing. And so to the online multiplayer ...

One of the big aspects that people seem to go gaga over is the unique multiplayer experience. It's certainly different but for me it doesn't amount to anything amazing. Eventually you are joined by another traveller on the same journey. You can choose to ignore them or travel with them. This is where it fails somewhat for me. It really doesn't matter whether you interact with the other player or not. The game isn't any easier or more difficult no matter what you decide. Initially I more or less ignored my companion and finished the level without them. Then when I found him again I decided to try and work with him. It didn't change the gameplay other than create an additional challenge of making sure I stayed close while progressing. Later, I fell behind and again finished the level on my own. After catching up, he fell behind and I finished the level on my own.

The following may be a spoiler so I'll cover it.
So for me the multiplayer is only amazing if you want it to be. It's like two players playing a game, and one player eats ice cream while doing so. He thinks it makes playing the game even better, but both players are playing the same game, and eating ice cream doesn't make it better, it just seems that way to the guy who decides to eat the ice cream and enjoys it. But ice cream or not, it doesn't change the game. I can totally understand that the designers had to make sure the game could be played by a single player in their own way, but I would have liked if multiplayer co-operation allowed for some sort of different progression.

At one stage, I thought I could see that it actually would be necessary to co-operate to progress successfully, but it's not. There was one point where there was an element of co-operation which was somewhat satisfying and that was when
And to those saying they were amazed they couldn't put it down till they finished ... it's two hours long! That's hardly a marathon gaming session

So a two hour experience that's interesting, visually and aurally excellent, and like nothing you've 'played' before. If you're curious and the cost isn't a concern, I'd say go for it, but if you are unsure whether it's for you, hold off for a price drop. I don't see any significant replay value in it, as the first experience will always be the best. There are some really cool moments as you navigate from place to place, and overall I did enjoy it, but sorry, I just don't get the same buzz as everyone else on here.

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Interesting alternate opinion. I do agree with the 'one sitting' praise - it is very short

However, on your other points I personally am entirely able to forgive its lack of 'gamey' elements like traditional co-op or a 'fail' state

(out of curiosity, what happens when the flying snake 'destroys' all your scarf?).

Because I think it's a game that dares to break rules and distort expectations, and has crafted something that excels through it's careful dismantling of what we know. The experience was just so bewitching that I could not help but be utterly immersed.

I know all of that sounds incredibly negative, but I did enjoy the game, I just don't share the globally accepted 'game is a perfect masterpiece' feelings everyone else seems to have. I reckon there will be others out there like me (almost certainly the minority) so I'm trying to temper their expectations.

As for co-op, I can't lie and say I wasn't engrossed by the mountain experience.

When I was blown off an edge, and my partner followed me, it was a strangely moving moment. And when we realised that 'sticking together' raised body heat, it became a much more powerful crawl.

There is no traditional co-op because that's not what the developers want. They want something more difficult to quantify. IMO, they succeeded.

I agree, the developers succeeded in achieving what they wanted to do with this very abstract unique multiplayer. It didn't quite work on the same level for me, but I'm accepting of the fact that I'm in the minority. You can't please all the people all of the time after all

As for value for money? I think it's well worth the entry price. Have you ever paid a tenner (well, thirteen?) for a cinema ticket or a DVD? An inherently finite experience, and one where a revisit will only rarely be as bountiful. I can imagine revisiting this game in the future just for a reminder of that first journey, even if the returns will somewhat diminish, much like I rewatch favourite films. This game doesn't need replay value in the traditional sense: it's confident that once is enough.

It's rare that a game requires a new critical approach. But since Journey is so defiantly different, it is for me a slight injustice to critique it the way we critique other games.

I accept your opinion wholeheartedly, but disagree with it. With a 13 euro DVD, if I enjoy it, I will happily rewatch it many times, and feel that was value for money. If I disliked it enough to not want to rewatch, I'll feel it was poor value for money. I can buy a dvd for about 3-5 euro after 12 months if I wait for a sale, and it's at that price that I compare 'once off home viewing experiences'. The better comparison is the cinema experience. Personally I cannot recreate that at home, and obviously it's a once off experience for the price. Therefore I'm more willing to accept the value of 10-15 euro it might cost me. The Journey for me is also a once off experience, (I really can't see much point in replaying it) and unlike anything you've 'played' so it's value is raised. However unlike the cinema, the journey will drop in price in time, and the experience will be exactly the same then as someone who paid full price. For me, I would say it was worth about 8 euro. I don't regret paying full price as I'm supporting game developers who really are trying to push the boundaries of game design and the more successful they are, the more they can go on to achieve. I just wouldn't say I got great value for my money with The Journey.

Again, I'm not trying to say The Journey is a waste of time, or a failure. Nor am I trying to belittle the literally joyous experiences it seems many have had. It's fantastic that so many felt this way from 'playing' The Journey. I just know I will not be the only one in the world who didn't feel the same euphoria, so wanted to state my (hopefully spoiler free) views here in case it helped others who might identify with me in making their decision. Nothing worse than having your expectations set too high and find your enjoyment lessened as a result.