Following the games original 2012 release on the PlayStation 3, Thatgamecompany’s adventure title Journey is now available on the Playstation 4 through a collaboration with independent developer Tricky Pixels and continued support by publisher Sony Computer Entertainment. With no significant gameplay additions of note, not expanding upon its short-but-sweet two hour playtime, this edition provides returning players an opportunity to enjoy Journey’s profound environmental settings in 1080p and 60 frames per second. Granted the visual enhancements may not be enough to justify repurchasing the entire game for some, it serves as a fantastic starting point for anyone who has yet to experience one of the more unique PlayStation 3 games to date.
For those not familiar with it already, Journey is an adventure game which is devoid of several features that many video games include. There is absolutely no voice acting / dialogue, the game features two-player cooperative online multiplayer (With allies randomly being encountered) albeit with very limited intractability between players, no HUD and no traditional storyline structure. Instead, you begin Journey as an unnamed character in the middle of making his/her journey through the harsh desert to reach a target destination. As you guide the traveler through the game, they will encounter a number of obstacles, be left attempting to avoid some monolithic foes and continue their trek no matter what events and hardships they face. While you are not forced to find collectibles, deciding to not simply plow forward and instead searching hidden nooks will allow you to discover scarf pieces – making it possible for your traveler to jump and glide for a longer period of time when they can. It is a simplistic game at heart, but shines because it done well and is a sight to behold.
Although there are occasions when you can feel a little bit sick of the desolate, sandy environments presented for the first hour or so – I found it hard not to stop occasionally and enjoy the picturesque landscape which presented themselves at every opportunity. This was complemented by Journey’s non-intrusive but beautiful soundtrack performed by Austin Wintory. Combining the two, you can easily find yourself admiring the beautiful environments while being serenaded by some equally beautiful music. Comparing it against the PlayStation 3 edition, the visual improvements weren’t significantly different, but definitely looked better on the PlayStation 4.
While this will very likely differ between individual gamers, it took me quite a while to get into Journey. Possibly due to my personal taste in games and love of a complex storyline, I felt like I had to push myself through the first half an hour or so of gameplay, which mostly involved walking from Point A to Point B and working your way through simple obstacles. Once this period passed however and I was presented with more beautiful vistas, more distinct events and someone to enjoy the journey with – I found myself enraptured by the whole experience. Even without there being a direct storyline, you can slowly work out the events which are taking place through cutscenes marking the end of each “stage”, and the events that take place.
Through Journey alongside their other titles including Flower and Flow, Thatgamecompany have masterfully shown that beautiful visuals and simplistic gameplay ideas done well can deliver incredibly satisfying and complex gaming experiences. Although it can take a while to get into and may not appeal to some tastes in gaming with its slow pace and lack of several regular gaming features, it is one title I think that everyone should consider when browsing the PlayStation Store – if they haven’t already.
