Article first published on my personal blog at HIVE.
ThatGameCompany always has given us interesting proposals. Maybe Journey is the one that stands out the most for its deep narrative disguised as visual simplicity. It is a work of art, a unique journey into the unknown.
To begin to play Journey is to embark on a journey into a melancholic, lonely and quiet world. Maybe, few games like this one make us feel extremely small in front of a world that opens at our feet in a unique way, standing out for its desolate landscape but with a certain magical charm.
With no texts or arrows, the game guides us little by little. Just by looking at the horizon we will see our only goal: to move forward.
The game stands out for its extreme simplicity, eliminating everything that is not extremely necessary. From the beautiful landscapes, ruins and even our character, everything has gone through a process of simplification and reduction to its most basic aspect, but without sacrificing realism or beauty. There is no dialogue or names as a player because Journey seeks, in its silent anonymity, to make us feel that none of this matters in a larger story.
From the encounter with the first ruins, parts of a deeper plot, of the history of a civilization, are revealed to us. Our way of interacting with the world is totally magical and simplified. Just a few sounds will awaken in us the power to jump and even fly. Every little moment of our journey will be unique: freeing a red carpet, getting a new fragment of our scarf, being able to make a big jump. All of this took its own journey. And it is that in this journey, either alone or accompanied, we will grow, being someone totally different with each new scenario, although on the outside nothing has changed.
Music is another aspect that has no loss. It will mark our progress and the rhythm of the adventure, with frenetic peaks of emotion or the most relaxing chords. Perhaps always with a touch of hope.
The graphics are a mime of realization. The sand, the snow, the wind, everything is beautifully detailed. The physics give us an excellent realism that mysteriously combines perfectly with the minimalist design of our character. The light in Journey is just another character in the scenery and, as such, has its nuances and depths. The artistic beauty makes it an undisputed masterpiece.
Journey leaves us with more questions than answers. Is all lost? Are we part of a cycle? Isn't life just that, parts of a higher journey, beyond us, and that doesn't end with our end, but goes beyond, making us ourselves part of the story? In its barely two playable hours, Journey manages to capture us and it is definitely not a game for all audiences or for all moments.
Thank you very much for reading this far. It has been a pleasure to share this review with you. I'd very much like to read your views in the comments, best regards and lots of success! See you next time!
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
I apologize if there are any grammatical errors, English is not my native language, I have tried to be as careful as possible.
All screenshots are my own, used under ‘Fair Use’ for critique and commentary.
