In 1917, Marcel Duchamp famously turned a gentlemen’s white urinal on its side, signed it with a fake name and exhibited it at an art show under the title ‘Fountain’. Originally intended to provoke, nowadays it’s regarded by some as a major landmark in 20th Century art, sparking contextual debate about aesthetics and how beauty can be seen in everyday life.
Since then, all forms of media have jostled for attention and recognition as a valid art form. Although video games remain a subset still in relative infancy, there have always been those who have championed their artistic appeal as well as critics who have condemned them as nothing more than distractions.
This is where Journey comes into the debate. It’s difficult to review this title, because it’s unlike anything else I have ever played. It can’t be pigeonholed into a particular genre; it refuses to fit any presupposed template of what a game should be.
Journey is the final third in a trilogy from thatgamecompany, and builds upon the success of previous titles, flOw and Flower. It represents a natural progression for the indie developers, whose mission statement is to design ‘artistically crafted, broadly accessible video games.’
These ‘core games’ allow maximum exposure. Literally anyone can pick up a controller and immerse themselves in a powerful interactive experience. Indeed, these games would not look out of place at digital art exhibitions. This particular title would be a strong ambassador for the medium as a whole, reaching out to people who would otherwise have had no previous exposure.
Journey is the pinnacle of thatgamecompany’s development ethic. Featuring stunning visuals and a haunting score by Austin Wintory, this game has production values usually reserved for big budget movies. In retrospect, that’s how it is best approached.
A full play through of Journey can be completed in 90 minutes. thatgamecompany’s Creative Director, Jenova Chen, recognises the importance of this. Just like a film, Journey is meant to be experienced in its entirety in one sitting.
With only the slightest hint of hand holding, you will glide effortlessly through the entire game. The only real objective is to keep moving forward, and although we will all make the same journey, everyone will have their own experience.
The multiplayer component of Journey is another landmark feature. Players will drop in and out of your game anonymously. You’ll come across other travellers, making the same pilgrimage, and instantly be drawn to each other. There’s no Gamerscore, rank or insignia; no way of knowing who that person is (although a list of all the travellers you meet along the way is displayed in the end credits).
Other reviews have perhaps over emphasised the multiplayer ethos, claiming that people work together and cooperate better. The simple truth is that you can’t influence each other’s game in any way. There’s really nothing you can do to assist or hinder another player's experience. Taking away that ability (or temptation) is perhaps what ultimately brings people together. Like all social animals, we strive for acceptance and companionship; many people will stay close to their travel partners for the majority of the game without having to be incentivised.
Of course, there will be many people who play Journey and simply won’t get it, which brings us back to Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’. They will no doubt understand the spirit of the game, and perhaps even appreciate its intrinsic beauty, but ultimately they won’t leave feeling enriched by the experience. There’s nothing wrong with that. All too often these days, there’s pretentiousness around certain art forms that pressures people into affecting false appreciation for fear of seeming philistine.
Journey is not for everyone. But it should be experienced by everyone. It’s a landmark cinematic masterpiece that will hopefully bring video games to a wider audience. Just like watching your favourite films over and over again, you can revisit Journey many times and still take something from it.
As video games go, it’s certainly an acquired taste. But in my experience, the best things in life are.
Game reviewed on PS3.
(This review is NOT comparing Journey to a gentlemen's white urinal)
The composer behind Journey, Austin Wintory, recently had a chance to revisit the classic game, just in time for its tenth anniversary.
My fav indie game ever, played this on ps4 and ps5. Too bad it does not have a plat trophy.
Jenova Chen told us about the development of the game.
Today, veteran game developers with experience on games like Journey, Skyrim, Spider-Man, Edith Finch, Ratchet & Clank and more, have come together to announce a brand new game studio, Gardens.
Concept artist has a very distinct style and if they can translate that into the game well this studio will be making some visually stunning games.
Great review that gets me even more to purchase it (once I have all of my ducks in a row) :). It seems out of place for your 'Down' to be aimed at what some critics think of the game. You do state some of them overemphasize a core element of the game, but perhaps their experience with others was different. You're not really required to put a 'Down', since you gave it a 9 score anyway (imo).
Very well written review. This certainly isn't an easy one to tackle, and I appreciate your effort for clarity and objectivity, as well as some context for the type of conflicting reception games like this often get. Well done.
I think it's telling that this review, as with almost all of the others, spend only a few lines actually describing Journey and instead swirl around the insane notion that it is 'art'.
The reason is clearly because this game is so shallow, boring and empty of content that there literally is nothing to say about it.
In fact most of this review focuses on what the game isn't and what it doesn't have. "The only objective is to move forward", you say. Sounds like an utterly damning indictment.
Even the multiplayer aspect sounds awful. Players can't interact, communicate or even identify eachother? They can do all these things in Gears of War, from five years ago.
Between this, Fez and assorted other nonsense non-games this year, the medium looks to be taking a serious step backwards as an artform.
For those who tl;dr the long comments: It's just another case of a poster making complaints about a game he/she has yet to play. lol
Well, having now competed it I feel completely vindicated in what I’ve said, but, instead of going on about it all over again, I’ll just let my prior comments stand as they are.