Journey Is A Mirror
- Thread starter Dennis Scimeca
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Play, for our species as well as others, has always been about learning to relate to others. We learn to compete, we learn to cooperate, we learn to steal and lie and share and love all through play. That is, until play started having a "point." Then play became about winning, or sometimes even just about making the other person lose. Somewhere along the line, the game itself became more important than our playmates.Dennis Scimeca said:
Maybe it's a natural beast living in us that does this, but I know it's not the only (or the best) side of our nature. Games like Journey give me hope that, as grown-up gamers, maybe haven't completely forgotten how to really play.
Thanks for sharing your journey. It really made for a stirring read.
I really felt nothing whilst playing it with regards to an emotional response (minus the trappings of tedium towards the end of it's 2 hours); it didn't made me think, or feel, and so my only feelings towards it are that it is perhaps a shining example of style over substance.
And I've said this all over the place now[footnote]*cough* [a
href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.357035-Woodsey-Weviews-Journey]User review[/a] *cough*[/footnote], but it is such a trite, and subsequently inane, metaphor, it really is; it feels so much like they just picked out of a book of 'common, extended metaphors' and went, "yeah, that'll do,". Ultimately it makes the whole thing an incredibly impersonal, hands-off experience. As if it wasn't a theme that anyone on the team felt passionate about; they just needed a theme to get them going.
There's a difference between demanding co-operation and encouraging it effectively; Journey just sticks it out in front of you and seems to expect enlightenment.
And I've said this all over the place now[footnote]*cough* [a
href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.357035-Woodsey-Weviews-Journey]User review[/a] *cough*[/footnote], but it is such a trite, and subsequently inane, metaphor, it really is; it feels so much like they just picked out of a book of 'common, extended metaphors' and went, "yeah, that'll do,". Ultimately it makes the whole thing an incredibly impersonal, hands-off experience. As if it wasn't a theme that anyone on the team felt passionate about; they just needed a theme to get them going.
There's a difference between demanding co-operation and encouraging it effectively; Journey just sticks it out in front of you and seems to expect enlightenment.
Whilst I didn't like it, this is a ridiculous response. "Too niche to be talked about," my arse.Metalhandkerchief said:
Things do not need to be applicable to everyone to be worthy of discussion. (Especially if it means that I get to tell everyone else how wrong they are.)
Sort of similar to how I feel whenever I'm playing Journey with someone. I hate being separated from them, as I fear they got lost or they got disconnected.
I ended up reaching the end by myself on my last playthrough. It kinda made me sad in a way, I enjoy experiencing the ending with someone by my side.
I ended up reaching the end by myself on my last playthrough. It kinda made me sad in a way, I enjoy experiencing the ending with someone by my side.
Easily the best game I have played of this generation, and one of the best games of all time, and I do not say that lightly. Journey is a masterpiece, and one of the only ones that I would consider showcasing the statement that "videogames are art".
I wish more developers would think as much about their game as ThatGameCompany did for Journey.
I wish more developers would think as much about their game as ThatGameCompany did for Journey.
I guddamn love onions.Dastardly said:
Anyway. I'm playing it right now, dressed in my white cloak. It's interesting: I've found that people generally sing to you less sporadically with the white cloak, only doing so when there's something noteworthy nearby, or for help (to get scarf back, etc.), and I'll end up taking the lead most of the time. Even so, I never feel like I'm being patronizing to the other player - I've simply got veto power over where we go. They still always get a vote.
They've done this before - their cloak has the mark of a third playthrough. They know what's coming next, where to go, what to do. This is my seventh time playing - I've memorized every single important article of information in the game. I definitely do not need assistance.
But we're still sticking together like glue.
Why stick together?
Why the hell not?
The first time I saw my partner sit down, then disappear into dust on the wind, I nearly freaked till I realized the game mechanic behind it. I love the game for incorporating the mechanics into the game into something that can evoke that sort of emotional response. It makes it more real than so many other games I've played lately. The best kind of catharsis.
My very first journey, I had the same partner throughout the whole game and through every hardship, through every territory and every puzzle, we stuck together. Guiding each other to the upgrades for our scarves and finding all of the secrets, it was such an amazing experience I will never forget. But what I did forget, was the name of my partner and he/she never replied back to me, I didn't even hear or read a word from them but it made me very sad to see them go. Ever since, the partners I have had aren't the same indeed, most just leave or I go too far ahead and they disappear, one even sat down before me and faded away. I don't regret buying this game despite how short it is and I highly recommend those who have yet to try it do so, I'm sure if the development team wasn't under contract. It would be on xbox as well, I truly feel sorry for those who won't be able to experience the same feelings I had.
The last time I played through the game, wearing my white cloak like a baws, I was with the same person since the beginning to the very end.
I've played through the game several times, but it still managed to evoke an emotional response from me, it's amazing.
So as I ended my journey, my partner right next to me, the credits roll and I smile to myself as everything runs to a close.
Then I get a message telling me that it was the best journey that person had ever had.
That was nice.
I've played through the game several times, but it still managed to evoke an emotional response from me, it's amazing.
So as I ended my journey, my partner right next to me, the credits roll and I smile to myself as everything runs to a close.
Then I get a message telling me that it was the best journey that person had ever had.
That was nice.
For me there was still a sense of competition in Journey, but with a mentality of who could get where first. And if I got to the glowing glyph or whatever platform first, I'd wait and guide my partner and vice versa. And you can't tell me that sunken city sand surfing area didn't feel somewhat like a race. But there was always a sense of mutual respect and companionship.
But as you said, what we take out of Journey is more about what we see in it than what it actually tells us.
That analogy of the duo-flying was pretty good.
But as you said, what we take out of Journey is more about what we see in it than what it actually tells us.
That analogy of the duo-flying was pretty good.
I always end up racing people at that part, just because that's the way I amCasual Shinji said:
But when I get to that area where the camera pans to a sidescrolling view, with the sunset beaming through the city ruins, with that music...
It's just amazingly serene.
Pretty well-timed article for me since I literally just finished my first journey a few hours ago (and actually came here because I was curious about other people's experiences with the game).
Interesting to me especially since I had a very similar experience but came away with a completely different interpretation. The elaborate decorations struck me more as a symbol of office than being particularly evocative of femininity, the mark of an elder or somesuch. With that in mind our interactions felt more like that of a teacher and a student, with the other player patiently waiting for me and subtly guiding me towards safety for quite a while until we reached the snowy area where we were able to support one another as equals (especially after being equally bashed about by that horrible monster and working together to regain our bearings).
Incidentally, random note, I didn't actually realise you could *sing* to one another to charge up your .. cloak, I guess? Though in retrospect it should be self-evident. Taking my cues from my companion we were fairly quiet unless we'd lost one another and had to regroup, or something needed pointing out, like a particularly nice vista or a particularly horrible monster, so we ended up just walking very closely through the snow mostly in stoic silence.
Amazing that you can fly, though.
Interesting to me especially since I had a very similar experience but came away with a completely different interpretation. The elaborate decorations struck me more as a symbol of office than being particularly evocative of femininity, the mark of an elder or somesuch. With that in mind our interactions felt more like that of a teacher and a student, with the other player patiently waiting for me and subtly guiding me towards safety for quite a while until we reached the snowy area where we were able to support one another as equals (especially after being equally bashed about by that horrible monster and working together to regain our bearings).
Incidentally, random note, I didn't actually realise you could *sing* to one another to charge up your .. cloak, I guess? Though in retrospect it should be self-evident. Taking my cues from my companion we were fairly quiet unless we'd lost one another and had to regroup, or something needed pointing out, like a particularly nice vista or a particularly horrible monster, so we ended up just walking very closely through the snow mostly in stoic silence.
Amazing that you can fly, though.
Every time I play it just feels like a dream, there are times I've gotten scared from the giant machines, turning it into a nightmare and when I see their spotlights I freak out and run away in sheer terror. I don't want to lose my scarf, but mostly, the monster would destroy me and send me flying, I feel no physical pain but it looks so horrible, so sad and I cringe every time. That happened to my first partner, we were walking through the dark cave and the spotlight managed to reach only him, I escaped in time and I watched him get attacked and fly through the air, I ran up to him as fast as possible. I truly felt bad for him and I couldn't help him in that situation, but he managed to survive and we finished the game together in the end. I just wish I could remember his name!
Also, captcha: hobby-horse
...what?
Also, captcha: hobby-horse
...what?
I would argue that the style actually is the substance.Woodsey said:
Certain visuals along with music can put you in a state of emotion that no dialoge or clear narrative ever could. Some of the best music videos can attest to that. Just as a picture can seemingly tell its own story with no words at all.
To be honest I loved the co-op in this game, the fact I had no idea who the person was peaked my curiosity and I asked myself questions. Like, "is this person gonna help me find this or that? Are they gonna disappear and leave me all alone?" Things like that. I've never had a person leave me by myself in the situations with the monsters either, they either followed me or I followed them and I truly felt at least a little teamwork, with a complete stranger. Plus since there is no mic support or even a name till the end, I won't end up hating the person along the way if they're an obnoxious jerk too.