Enchanting Journey: A Revolutionary Gaming Experience in Pure Exploration and Collaboration

REID MCCARTTER MARCH 26, 2012

Please do not read this week's column if you haven't played Journey and plan to do so in the future. The game's impact hinges on the surprise of discovering its intricacies and mechanics.

Recently, a gaming experience unlike any other swept me off my feet with pure enchantmentthe game Journey. Although I approached it cautiously after finding Flower by its developer, thatgamecompany, somewhat underwhelming in comparison to its hype, within just ten or fifteen minutes, I was completely ensnared. Time seemed to melt away as two hours passed, feeling like merely a quarter of their actual length. Usually, when enjoying games, I'm aware of the ticking clock and life's mundane chores that require attention, which is not the case with Journey.

The journey begins on discovering a mysterious world filled with sand dunes and buried mechanical structures. A few moments later, intuitive button prompts appear on screen guiding how to jump, communicate and maneuver the camera. The player embarks on their own adventure from this point forward, guided solely by curiosity and the desire for exploration.

This is when Journey truly shines. As the protagonist, a red-clad figure with a black mask and glowing scarf, I began learning to jump, glide, recharge scarf's power and slide across sand dunes. The game gradually increases its level of challenge following these foundational skills until it reaches an engaging climax where players have mastered mechanics and feel in control.

What makes Journey remarkable is not just the masterful design but also another integral concept: communication between players. Other gamers drop in anonymously through their red cloaked, black masked avatars, busying themselves with tasks parallel to those performed by the mn character. No PlayStation Network ID reveals identity here, and there's a unique sense of companionship established where talking occurs only via pressing the circle button that emits chirping sounds.

Despite using tones without language or personal context and being separated by oceans, languages, and cultures, bonds are formed between four strangers playing together in Journey. The necessity to interpret communication on an individual level fosters a sense of companionship which no other game has enabled me to experience.

All of these elements come together to create more than just a fun-to-play videogame; it's a milestone for the medium itself. Journey instills excitement not only in seeing what thatgamecompany does next but also how games will progress in the future, revolutionizing player interaction and companionship within gaming.

REID MCCARTTER is a writer, editor, and musician residing and working in Toronto. His work has appeared in Kill Screen, The Escapist, and CGMagazine. He founded digitallovechild.com, edits it frequently, and tweets @reidmccarter.

REID MCCARTTER

REID MCCARTTER is a writer, editor, and musician based in Toronto. His contributions have been featured on sites such as Kill Screen, The Escapist, and CGMagazine. He mntns sasquatchradio.com where he shares his thoughts on literature and music.

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