For a game that garnered impossible levels of critical acclaim, I have surprisingly little to say about Journey. Journey is a game. You play as this red dude that jumps on things. It looks really pretty. The sand mechanics are impressive. I thought the flying was fun.
My review of Journey sounds like a bulleted list because Journey itself is a checklist of Good Game Design™, for better or for worse. "Good games show, not tell their stories." And so, Journey is a wordless game. "Good Games use gameplay to enhance the player's experience." And so, Journey's gameplay heightens our protagonist's highs and lows. "Good Games present the player with polished and professional art and music" And so, Journey is unbelievably polished. Journey is the closest a game has ever come to being objectively good. Pick the aphorism of your choice, and odds are, Journey already puts it into practice.
This polished design is Journey's greatest strength... but also its greatest weakness. Journey is a great game on paper, but it almost feels more concerned with being a great game on paper than being a great game.
What's missing from Journey is hard to quantify. It's not soul: I have to admit Journey has that in spades. No, whats missing is subtler. It's missing risk. Every single aspect of Journey is so carefully made it is impossible to find fault. And yet, as a result, Journey lacks a certain boldness that is the defining quality of the games I truly love. It's fitting that Journey is modeled after the Hero's Journey--a trope so old it literally originated in the first book ever written.
Metal Gear Solid massively overuses dialogue. OFF's core gameplay is essentially an afterthought. Stephen's Sausage Roll is maybe the ugliest game I've ever played. And yet, Journey isn't half the game these are.
This probably comes across as a negative review. Actually, I really enjoyed playing Journey. I easily recommend it; it's so absurdly refined it's impossible not to. Journey is short, poignant, and beautiful. But, it's not my favorite game. And it probably isn't yours either.
My review of Journey sounds like a bulleted list because Journey itself is a checklist of Good Game Design™, for better or for worse. "Good games show, not tell their stories." And so, Journey is a wordless game. "Good Games use gameplay to enhance the player's experience." And so, Journey's gameplay heightens our protagonist's highs and lows. "Good Games present the player with polished and professional art and music" And so, Journey is unbelievably polished. Journey is the closest a game has ever come to being objectively good. Pick the aphorism of your choice, and odds are, Journey already puts it into practice.
This polished design is Journey's greatest strength... but also its greatest weakness. Journey is a great game on paper, but it almost feels more concerned with being a great game on paper than being a great game.
What's missing from Journey is hard to quantify. It's not soul: I have to admit Journey has that in spades. No, whats missing is subtler. It's missing risk. Every single aspect of Journey is so carefully made it is impossible to find fault. And yet, as a result, Journey lacks a certain boldness that is the defining quality of the games I truly love. It's fitting that Journey is modeled after the Hero's Journey--a trope so old it literally originated in the first book ever written.
Metal Gear Solid massively overuses dialogue. OFF's core gameplay is essentially an afterthought. Stephen's Sausage Roll is maybe the ugliest game I've ever played. And yet, Journey isn't half the game these are.
This probably comes across as a negative review. Actually, I really enjoyed playing Journey. I easily recommend it; it's so absurdly refined it's impossible not to. Journey is short, poignant, and beautiful. But, it's not my favorite game. And it probably isn't yours either.