Name: Journey
By: ThatGameCompany
Platform: PS3,PS4
Played: 2015 and 10/24/18
Location: PlayStation Store
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Explanation
Journey is an indie game that excels at emotional storytelling through game-play mechanics and world building. The player controls a robed figure that’s on a journey to the top of a mountain. The game never gives you instructions on where to go but the way the level are design guides you forward in the right path.
The game has a unique form of multiplayer. While traveling, sometimes a player joins you and can travel with you. The only form of communication between them are small chirps that can be extended to make them loader and shine brighter. The names of the players are never shown so you never know who you play with until the end of the game. The chirping sounds are also use to interact with the world. Throughout are hidden hieroglyphs that represent a developing story of what happened to the world in the past.
The character has a scarf that’s length grows through the collection of glowing energy that are hidden throughout the world. The length of the scarf effect how far you jump and how long you can glide in the air. This allows you to explore more areas as you progress thought the game.
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Dynamics
Because the only way to interact it the chirping, you get interesting interaction with other player. players seem to naturally adapt and learn to communicate with chirping by making patterns to show the other player they found something or that there is danger ahead.When the chirping is held down you refill the other players scarf allowing them to jump again. You can help each other explore places you normally cant reach alone.
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Additional Notes
There isn't any story that is given to the player. the player gets to interpret the meaning of the narrative through the symbolic hieroglyphs that are found throughout the world.The world itself tells a story through level design. From the open areas in the beginning that uses bright colors and happy music to the darker descent downward into the mountain with darker colors like black, purple and blue.The weather in the game also plays along with the design narrative from the warm sunny weather in the begging to the cold weather at the end that end up killing the player before he is revived by the unknown entities at the end.Restricting elements in the game like communication can actually make the act of communication more impactful and meaningful.
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Similar Games
ABZU is created by the same indie company and the idea behind it is similar to Journey. It realize on world building and exploration to explore the story.
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