Game Introduction
I played Journey on IOS! From its app store page, it seemed to be for anyone 4+ who owns a smartphone. This game could be played solo or with a fellow player as you explore the landscape together.
Journey sets you in the role of a mysterious robed traveler with a red sash exploring the desert. They kneel before certain statues and are able to float and glide upon encountering red pieces of cloth that seem to become alive and mark the traveler’s sash.
Critical Formal Elements
You, the player, are only able to change your perspective of the world and walk around. It’s a walking simulator! There is one additional mechanic — you can chime to let other players know you are there on the same journey. This chime also transforms the red pieces of cloth into something more alive.
Aesthetics, Dynamics, Mechanics → Discovery
It seems like all there is to do is explore! That curiosity for exploration is often rewarded — you can find extra orbs of light that extend your sash and therefore your ability to float. There don’t seem to be a major quest to complete, but each screen you step into has a few major objectives to complete like climbing up ribbons to unlock magic red rugs or pieces of cloth.
I find that this tells the story by moving seamlessly into cut scenes. They silently move through some wall glyphs that give some glimpses into what the traveler might be traveling to as well as communication with a large white figure, robed in the same clothes as the traveler. Sometimes when the traveler even steps into a correct area in their exploration, a short scene will start. By having the player only be able to walk to the structures that you’ve placed for them, you’re giving them some creative freedom in determining what tasks they want to complete first. In the end, however, the player has to finish all the tasks the designer has created for that area to move forward. There’s nothing out there to explore unless you walk towards the structures that appear in the same direction, which tells the user to keep walking in that direction or to keep searching for structures for a hint as to where to go next.
8/10 game!
Signing off,
Annabelle
