From the makers of Flower comes Journey

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

The Bombcast this week mentioned the notion of playing with the obnoxious CoD types, but never knowing that's what they are. I encountered my first companion in the ribbon bridge area, way off in the distance, and I raced at them while they flew past me, both of us hitting our chime, excited to find someone. Turns out, according to the end, he was Xx_BoNg-MiTsFa_xX.

It's a clever way to handle the issue: the only tools they give you to communicate are poignant and beautiful. No matter how much CoDude wants to grief you, the only tools he has are fluttering, singing cheerfully, and wandering away.

Tyrian wrote:

The first time I saw another person in the game, I quit. Weird reaction, I know.

I came back about 2 hrs later, signed out of PSN and loaded it up again. Played another 15-20 minutes crossing more desert, playing with some, um... kite things, and then got to a large pit area. Climbed to the top of that, and noticed that maybe I had missed 2 scarf power ups in the vicinity (is that what those glowy things signify at the end gate?) and didn't want to go back down to look for them.

I turned it off and haven't loaded it again since.

Seems like you're right and it's not the game for you, or at least you were in the wrong frame of mind for it when you played. I can't imagine being a completionist the first time through this game, nor avoiding the other players.

The first play-through, for me, was simply an experience. Every time a player came around and I dashed around with them I got a feeling of joy, of finding someone in the vast desert who was much like me, going towards the same goal. The fact that I missed some of the glowing runes didn't concern me in the least as I kept seeing beautiful sights all around me, speeding down hills and seeing the story of the world.

Now that I've completed it two or three times I'm taking time to explore each area, trying to get all the glowing runes I can, find the hidden treasures, and I end up "mentoring" various new players I see along the way (read: chirping a lot and demonstrating key concepts over and over again until they go before me). But even then, if I miss something it isn't a huge deal, I'll just try something different next time.

bnpederson wrote:
Tyrian wrote:

The first time I saw another person in the game, I quit. Weird reaction, I know.

I came back about 2 hrs later, signed out of PSN and loaded it up again. Played another 15-20 minutes crossing more desert, playing with some, um... kite things, and then got to a large pit area. Climbed to the top of that, and noticed that maybe I had missed 2 scarf power ups in the vicinity (is that what those glowy things signify at the end gate?) and didn't want to go back down to look for them.

I turned it off and haven't loaded it again since.

Seems like you're right and it's not the game for you, or at least you were in the wrong frame of mind for it when you played. I can't imagine being a completionist the first time through this game, nor avoiding the other players.

The first play-through, for me, was simply an experience. Every time a player came around and I dashed around with them I got a feeling of joy, of finding someone in the vast desert who was much like me, going towards the same goal. The fact that I missed some of the glowing runes didn't concern me in the least as I kept seeing beautiful sights all around me, speeding down hills and seeing the story of the world.

Now that I've completed it two or three times I'm taking time to explore each area, trying to get all the glowing runes I can, find the hidden treasures, and I end up "mentoring" various new players I see along the way (read: chirping a lot and demonstrating key concepts over and over again until they go before me). But even then, if I miss something it isn't a huge deal, I'll just try something different next time.

There's a good chance it just isn't something that will appeal to me. I like cooperative games, but usually only with friends. I'm not big on the anonymous gaming scene. I have paid for the game (obviously) so I will probably try again, but something about the game just wasn't sitting well.

I also tend towards the OCD side of completionism. It's really hard for me to play a game and know that I have missed a sidequest, power up, better choice, etc. J/RPGs can be a giant pile of nightmares for me (despite how much I love them). The temptation to read a FAQ becomes more and more pressing (so that I'm not wasting time playing a game I know I won't be able to play again).

Tyrian wrote:

I also tend towards the OCD side of completionism. It's really hard for me to play a game and know that I have missed a sidequest, power up, better choice, etc. J/RPGs can be a giant pile of nightmares for me (despite how much I love them). The temptation to read a FAQ becomes more and more pressing (so that I'm not wasting time playing a game I know I won't be able to play again).

Well, this isn't a spoiler regarding the story or anything. It's about an overall game mechanic, though, so figured I'll put it in spoiler quotes just in case.

Spoiler:

You are going to have to play it multiple times to get all the trophies. Do your very best on the first playthrough not to be a completionist. Maybe just focus on getting to the end as quickly as possible just to give you a goal (that's not a trophy). Also, each time you go through a journey, colors get added to your cape. You may have noticed that other players had more colors on their cape than you.

Yeah, it probably won't be a game you'll like, but you may as well get to the end so you can say you completed it. It's not a significant time investment.

Pretendbeard wrote:

...I have to say that all of the writing that's burst forth about this game has delighted me; it's not all been great, but that's kind of the point. A lot of people have found something they want to try to explain, and are really struggling - I find this to be really interesting.

This is exactly how I'm feeling after a simply stunning Journey of my own - this is the first time I've ever felt deeply affected on an emotional level by a game to the extent that days later I am still reeling from the experience, unable to adequately process or communicate my feelings. What a game.

Pretendbeard wrote:

I've not read all of it yet, but I'm going to link this essay by Ian Bogost anyway. I have to say that all of the writing that's burst forth about this game has delighted me; it's not all been great, but that's kind of the point. A lot of people have found something they want to try to explain, and are really struggling - I find this to be really interesting.

That's a good write up and makes me wary of Tim Rogers ever writing about this game. Although, I do like the occasional Rogers piece though, just... they're like drinking a loaf of bread.

Got my girlfriend to play it the other day and she had no idea that the game connected players together. When she got to the credits and I hinted at the other players' names it blew her mind.

If you ever really want to help a lady friend to understand why it is you spend so much effort investing yourself in the search for videogaming experiences, TGC's catalogue is a pretty good place to hedge your bets in.

juv3nal wrote:

There's a decent interview with Jenova about Journey at the tail end of this Joystiq podcast.

Just finished listening to this. I have to really say - I love how Chen thinks, and I particularly love how he understands how to implement playtesting and iteration as a process that will help to refine an artistic vision, not hinder it.

Played it last night. I'll echo others here: play it in one sitting. At around two hours, it's like an interactive Miyazaki film.

Finished the game in one sitting tonight and just read through the thread. I definitely experienced frisson a couple times. What an amazing experience.

Spoiler:

- The section where you are sliding down and the sunset is in the background. Wow. Breathtaking.

- I was playing with someone for quite some time and then they sat down to log out. I genuinely felt sad. I was spamming the chime button and wanted to fall to my knees and plead, "We've come so far, you can't quit on me now! YOU CAN'T!"

- The underground level was scary. My partner and I walked around every corner slowly and would do a quick chirp when we were in cover. No one was being left behind.

- The snow level was when the connection between my partner and I was sealed. Trudging along, chiming here and there and huddling together was something else. Then in the huge field, my partner got caught by the dragon thing and spammed the chime until he/she was picked and and the scarf was torn. I felt awful. And then I got caught. Trudging along the snow both cut down was crazy emotionally effective.

- I feel like I will forever share a bond with the random PS3 gamer that I climbed the snow mountain with...

- When you got the super scarf and flew up the mountain. Glorious flying was glorious.

Zac Gorman made a great gif

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/jECqA.gif)

Sweet, they're releasing the soundtrack on CD! That Game Company also made up an image to thank everyone for their support.

IMAGE(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/6879909418_f73bc69516.jpg)

That's really cool. I enjoyed listening to that section of the podcast and agreed with pretty much everything.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Sweet, they're releasing the soundtrack on CD! That Game Company also made up an image to thank everyone for their support.

Awesome. Definitely getting that on release.

Oh man, I romped through this one last night. Playing through in one sitting is the way to go.

I love how the pause menu shows scenes from the spaces you had visited, and even later in the story there are some retrospective moments on the path that you followed to get to the end.

The glyphy-tapestries they use to illustrate the history of the world are really interesting, some of the glyphs took me a little while to recognize as they are introduced. Like I'm sitting there wondering what the images might be referring to. Figuring that out during the cutscenes was actually fun for me. And being simple icons they leave so much to the imagination!

This has probably been said before, but platforming through those gorgeous cavernous spaces with nothing but the music and the wind to keep you company, I was getting a total "Shadow of the Colossus" vibe at times. Not in the specifics of the gameplay, but in how the game felt like a meditation on an emotion I suppose. Shadow of the Colossus is a very different beast all together, of course.

I never realized there was a multiplayer component to the game at all until the final credits were rolling and they showed me the ID's of the other players who had visited. Apparently I played with like a dozen other players, but they all played so similarly to each other that I had assumed there was just a rudimentary scripted AI partner in the game that was helping to direct me around the world.

The other players helped a lot when it came to urging me forward when I might have otherwise floundered in those spaces. I'm definately a fan of that sort of low-key shared experience.

I'm glad I saw this thread, I'm totally gonna listen to this interview with Chen, and will probably end up downloading TGC's previous games soon as well.

Did someone already link this?

Go to about 59 minutes in for a great interview with Jenova Chen.

Just beat the game, like a lot of you, in one sitting. Holy crap, I'm kicking myself for not getting this day one. I actually teared-up a time or two. There were parts that were borderline magical.

And everything about it was sooooo intuitive that I just instantly slid into the world and didn't leave until after the credits had finished rolling. I probably haven't felt like that since the first time I read Lord Dunsany as a kid. Just utter awe.

Played through again and

Spoiler:

unlocked the white robe :D

What a beautiful game.

Played through this morning for the first time and was pretty gaga for it. For a stretch I was with someone who had clearly played it before, and they were such a generous tour guide.

Spoiler:

Huddling together against the cold is my new favorite game mechanic. Really sweet.

Bottle wrote:

Holy crap, I'm kicking myself for not getting this day one.

Is there some reason why getting this day one would have changed your experience?

It was a good and pretty looking game. I had a couple of nice moments of cooperation with the other player, but I'm sad to say I didn't find the game transcendent, heartbreaking, or have a religious epiphany like Rabbit et al. One of the people I played with was BarryWhite3000. I like that. I'm glad I played it.

After listening to the latest Conference Call, I played through it again for the second time. I can see this as a game to come back to from time to time. It will always be there on my PS3.

Also,

Spoiler:

I learned that you can skip levels! There is a chapter select of some sort on the first level. I was just exploring and all of the sudden I'm at the underwater tower level.

Really adored the game, and I have to reiterate how perfect the online system worked for me.

There was one player who was with me for a whole level-and-a-half who clearly was on his second playthrough and was showing me all the secret areas. We had major chirping contests. When I paused the game to answer my phone he also sat down next to my character to wait for me. When it turned out I had to leave, all of the ragequits of deathmatches and quitting in the middle of raids I have ever done came nowhere close to how big an asshole I felt for abandoning this guy just to go grab a pizza. I felt such a pang of guilt I almost considered quickly logging in again in the slight chance that I would end up teaming up with him again.

Do you all recommend a solo playthrough or MP the first time?

El-Producto wrote:

Do you all recommend a solo playthrough or MP the first time?

You don't get much say in the matter. So yes.

El-Producto wrote:

Do you all recommend a solo playthrough or MP the first time?

I'd say just play it and don't really think about it. It's not the kind of game to min-max to have a certain kind of experience. Just turn it on, and let go - let what happens happen.

shoptroll wrote:
El-Producto wrote:

Do you all recommend a solo playthrough or MP the first time?

You don't get much say in the matter. So yes.

Yeah, I get it now.. I read a little more.

I loved Flower, so I guess I'll pick this up.

carrotpanic wrote:

It was a good and pretty looking game. I had a couple of nice moments of cooperation with the other player, but I'm sad to say I didn't find the game transcendent, heartbreaking, or have a religious epiphany like Rabbit et al. One of the people I played with was BarryWhite3000. I like that. I'm glad I played it.

I echo this. I would say I really enjoyed the experience, but yeah I echo this.

demonbox wrote:
carrotpanic wrote:

It was a good and pretty looking game. I had a couple of nice moments of cooperation with the other player, but I'm sad to say I didn't find the game transcendent, heartbreaking, or have a religious epiphany like Rabbit et al. One of the people I played with was BarryWhite3000. I like that. I'm glad I played it.

I echo this. I would say I really enjoyed the experience, but yeah I echo this.

I'll also throw my hat in with that sentiment. I did think it was rather touching and it's one of the few games that delivers a narrative experience that you simply couldn't deliver through any other medium. It is incredibly smart and affecting and everyone should experience it but I didn't have any transcendent epiphany.

Spoiler:

To be frank I thought the ending sequence, looping you back to the start, was rather twee and trite and wholly unnecessary. It quite diminished the whole process for me, both removing any sense of mystery and rendering irrelevant everything you've worked through or felt.