Previews// Journey

In this sea of first-person shooters, statistic-heavy action RPGs and ‘gnarly’ stunt racers that we call the video games industry, it’s refreshing to see a developer take a whole new approach to interactive design that proves both entertaining, and genuinely inspiring. With two cult classics under his belt in flOw and Flower, thatgamecompany’s Jenova Chen certainly proved to be one of those developers.

Now his artistic talent has turned to the concept of online multiplayer, and the level of power that the player commands in a game world. The result is Journey, a PlayStation Network title that puts you in the shoes of a nameless explorer. There’s really nothing more to it than that in terms of premise - Chen doesn’t even tell me what the goal is, or what the point in travelling through these beautifully striking sandy dunes is.

But to do so would be missing the point entirely. The fear of the unknown, the thrill of adventure and the cold grip of loneliness is what has driven the idea of Journey, immediately evident when the game first loads up. All you can see is a vast, foreboding, abandoned land, and your character standing in the middle of nowhere like a lost soul. Just as in Flower, subtle visual clues help direct your adventure.

As you start running towards a ruined temple at the top of a hill, the camera angle slowly draws backward to make your character almost microscopic against the blonde canvas of the game world, illustrating just how isolated you’ll be in this adventure. The feeling is further exacerbated by the many twists, turns and hidden areas that can be discovered if you dare to venture away from what might appear to be the main path forward.

Perhaps the most interesting idea is in Chen’s exploration of power. He explained to me that most video games that feature some kind of multiplayer include a ranking system or perks scheme that ultimately intend to make the player stronger and more resilient against the world and opponents around them. Instead of this, the developer wanted to create a world where the player had limited powers and had to compromise in order to progress.

Indeed, in Journey your character can’t really do much of anything. You can move around with the left analogue stick, jump a pretty pathetic height with the X button and communicate with others using the Circle button. Special abilities are ‘borrowed’ from the dusty landscape around you - finding scarf pieces will allow you to build bridges and also grants you the ability to fly a short distance.

But once these pieces have been depleted, they get returned to the area in which you found them. This give-and-take will no doubt be the key to certain puzzles in the world, and will help you in turn become much more resourceful and grateful for your newfound powers. When interacting with another player online your jump, fly and scarf-building capabilities are increased, adding more importance to the need to stick together in this lonely world.

Which brings me on nicely to the multiplayer ‘mode’ - which perhaps follows the concept of no-narrative, anonymous gameplay the most. It’s not really a ‘mode’ per se, but more of a persistent feature in your single-player journey. As you explore the land, a random player who is roaming around the same area as you will be placed into your game.

You won’t know their PlayStation Network ID, and the only method of communication is the aforementioned Circle button. Tap it lightly for a rather gentle ringing noise, or hit the button hard for an irritated ‘bong’ sound. Together, you can attract one another’s attention and tackle some of the obstacles with each other’s boosted powers.

I asked what would happen if your new friend decided to bugger off into the sunset whilst you fancied taking a more leisurely approach to the game - Chen said that players will be disconnected from one another just as seamlessly and easily as when they connected, and another random would join you instead.

Chen also hinted that, despite never knowing who the other player is, there may be a way for two anonymous Journey players to become good friends. Perhaps a menu will detail the usernames of players you encountered at the end of each session? Who knows - what I do know is that this is looking like a truly artistic endeavour.

I’m told it will only be three hours long in gameplay terms, but then flOw and Flower offered similarly short experiences. It’s how you absorb those experiences that counts, and it seems that Journey is going to be one wonderful ride.