To long-time console gamers, independent games are a rarity. Whilst 'Triple A' used to denote quality, now it simply means: 'available on consoles.' This means that when a game comes along that doesn't have an army of people behind it and doesn't have enough money to send every African to university thrown at it then it's naturally praised. Meanwhile, PC gamers are more weary of independent gaming; particularly in this dark age of Early Access. We're also in general more spoilt by such a vast library of games available to us, whilst console games these days are expected to conform to a specific formula. Steam also offers a platform where both Just Cause 3 and Undertale can sit side-by-side as equals.
But sometimes an independent game can hit on a console that makes us PC gamers fume with envy. We're supposed to scoff at consoles these days for just being under-powered PCs, compared to in the days of yore when they were a great convenience to gamers. Yet here we have a console-exclusive independent game about spiritual journey and enlightenment; available on both the PS3 and now PS4.
Journey is a third-person platformer released in 2012, which was sort-of a boom for lower budget, cult games. Hotline Miami, The Walking Dead, and my husband: Spec Ops: The Line. You play as an androgynous figure setting out on a journey (yep) to the heart of an ancient, long-dead civilisation. Along the way, you end up reviving this civilisation...along with what possibly killed it. Think Myst only without needing a walk-through, the official strategy guide, and Sherlock Holmes to complete it.
I love reading about the development of this game. The makers actually went bankrupt, and the game was delayed by at least two years. I have no idea why Sony didn't drop them like a wasp-spider on fire, but I'm very glad they decided to stick with this little game because it's rather good. Sony must have been unbelievably drunk for an entire two years for showing such a lax attitude to the development of an insignificant little indie piece.
"Hey! We've been delayed by a year!" "NO PROBLEM" "We've ran out of money!" "HAVE MORE" "We're another year behind!" "TAKE YOUR TIME" "Are you OK?" "I THINK MY LIVER IS MELTING"
There are signs of the developers having to compromise. The game is only about an hour long, which perhaps makes it overpriced. What is on display is exceptionally polished, however. I highly recommend a surround-sound set-up to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere. The cell-shading is basic, but the desert seems infinite. The mountains roll on forever. The ruins have layer upon layer. The ceiling underground stretches upwards and upwards. Behind the simple aesthetic is a gorgeous looking game.
Oddly, what I like the most is that you're playing an androgynous character. You have no real gender or identity. You're just a figure, and you really like walking. Meanwhile, you also have an awesome Doctor Who-scarf that powers your flight ability. Through either proximity to other players and nearby resources, you can charge your scarf and use it to fly for a brief period of time. I like how organic this is. There's no 'flight' bar. Instead, you have to look at your scarf. The bar is on your body. It really contributes to the minimalist sensibility of this game.
In fact, it's minimalism reminds me pleasantly of ICO. There's the same atmosphere that serves as a beautiful void of emptiness. The environments are huge, detailed, and empty. The sound is heavily layered, but empty. Everything is empty. It's just you, these halls, and silence.
But, there are several sections that don't really go anywhere. You meet this intimidating, dragon-like figure that's the closest this game comes to an antagonist. It flies around taking away your flight-power, and it shows up later to do this again, but it's not clear where this thing comes from and after the second encounter it just disappears from the game. Also, you can't die and you get your flight power back almost immediately afterwards; so, playing this section again, all tension is lost. There's also a section right towards the end where it the game skips a huge section of the journey. You're on the snowy mountains one minute, and the next second it's Deus Ex Machina time! Suddenly you're flying. This section is fun, but comes out of no-where and feels like the game's skipping ahead of a section they couldn't finish.
Perhaps the games biggest failing is that there is no challenge in the slightest. I remember having to look up the solution to some of ICO's puzzles because some were deceptively fiddly. Often you relied on Yorda, but she also relied on you. You had to help her across ledges, or else she would blindly jump to her death. On top of juggling with her, you also had to faff about with sticks, swords, levers, and those sodding bombs that never went where I threw them.
Here, the most complicated it gets is jumping onto a flying whale to reach a platform. Your not even under a time pressure so it's not a test of reflexes either. Your grandfather could play this game. Your dog could play this game. This is not the sort of game you pop in because you're buzzing after a good day - this is the sort of game you play when you're exhausted and just want something simple.
This meant there was no need for multi-player, as the platforming and puzzles are so easy you can do them by yourself. This brings about the inevitable question: "Well why does this have multi-player then?"
I do like how seamless the multi-player is. There's no message popping up saying that 'x13charlesmanford2001x has joined the game' nor is there any kind of interaction. You just stumble across another soul and wordlessly agree to follow each-other. No getting yelled at by kids; just a silent pact that adds much needed companionship to such an empty world. It's not even like Dark Souls where you get a message saying "bend over and brace yourself, a bored veteran has decided to ruin your game."
But this is still a human, so of course they're either going to run on ahead or get lost by falling off a platform. One player I journeyed alongside just kept jumping around like s/he had a scorpion up his/her robe. Another stood there like their brain had crashed. It's not as bad as some single-player games with multi-player elements *COUGH*Resident Evil 6*COUGH* but it's still immersion-breaking. It makes me remember that I'm playing a game, and there's some other idiot also playing the same game...badly.
I was a noble gentleman. When my companion lagged behind on the mountain, I stopped and waited so we could carry on together. When s/he fell, I jumped down and gave him/her more flight-energy - not that s/he really needed it since energy sources are everywhere. Like in the real world, such charity was not reciprocated. When I fell down a cliff, my companion carried on without me and was soon lost in the mountains - hopefully eaten by something hairy.
This is probably why the game is so easy; because if it required actual skill then you'd need to work together - and games that rely on teamwork are games that you've never completed unless you've bribed a real-world friend to help you out.
I remember playing Guild Wars (a fantasy MMORPG) years back and early on in the game, there was this one quest where you could venture into the dangerous Charr territory to find out what happened to a missing strike-team. To get into the land, you had to get a real person to open the door for you; and then the idea was you'd journey together through the land. What always happen was that the other guy would run off and get killed. They'd go "thx" and then the next time you'd see them, they were dead. Then I would die because I'm by myself behind enemy lines. I never completed the quest. Even once I'd become Supreme General Of Everything, there was still this small task left to do in my journal. The survivors are probably still out there, somewhere.
That's what Journey would have been like if the game actually required skill. By having to accommodate for other players being complete idiots, this makes a great case for why we shouldn't have multi-player in narrative-focused games - because it detracts from the experience. I still think that console-gamings focus on online elements is, far from promoting multi-player, actually destroying the concept. I really want to invite a friend round to play the PS4 with me, but I cannot think of any games that have local multi-player. I remember when an evening with friends would consist of beer and Star Wars Battlefront 2. Is this evolution? Sitting watching other people play games? How can you play with Australians but not your mate right next to you?
Actually: why is there no local multi-player for this? Nevermind, I'm getting off-track...
My companions could've been AI and I wouldn't have noticed anything. It could've been like playing any of the LEGO games where your friends can seamlessly drop in and drop out of multiplayer. It meant there wouldn't have been moments when my companion would vanish only to be replaced with another ten mins later. It's unsettling. It's like they're clones being produced off-screen.
Oh, and the game lets us either use the PS3/PS4's motion sensor to move the camera. Or you could just use the left analog stick like a real person. I have no idea what the developers were thinking including this option, because it's so awkward and pointless when you can just use the . I'm always up for innovation, but there is absolutely no need to change something that's perfect. Since Spyro The Dragon we've perfected 3D platforming (try playing Mario 64 again. It's aged horribly) and aside from adding gimmicks then all we can do to the genre is provide imaginative experiences like this one.
That's the game, really. It's an experience. Not a challenge, not a co-operative undertaking, but an experience. It's simplicity makes it meditative. It's really just you and your thoughts as you become lost in this dizzyingly large landscape. I recommend this game, but only if you can pick it up cheap...or steal it from someone.
