Journey Review
The previous games from thatgamecompany have been beautifully and meaningfully minimalist, and Journey is no different. Both Flow and Flower are testaments to a beautiful marriage of simple mechanics and singular audio/visual trappings. While Journey's scope expands the palate quite a bit, the gameplay remains elegantly concise.
Players
control a robed avatar who awakens in a vast desert, tasked simply with
investigating a glorious light atop a distant mountain. They'll lead
their curious hero through amazing landscapes peppered with monstrous
architecture (a la Fumito Ueda), and as they travel, they'll discover
that with the help of some mysterious fabric, they can leave the ground
and soar effortlessly through the air. The further they progress, the
longer they can leave the ground, leading later in the game to some
truly exhilarating moments of flight.
Journey is an absolutely
gorgeous experience in terms of atmosphere. The massive, dwarfing
landscapes have an incredible out-of-time quality that makes them truly
ancient while feeling wonderfully alien. At the same time, the graphic
design is simple and gorgeous, achieving a storybook quality that is
guaranteed to catch the breath of even the most jaded gamer. Combined
with the moving soundscape by composer Austin Wintory, Journey becomes a must-play for anyone who appreciates video game artistry.
