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Journey |OT| Perfect Strangers

B

BaronLundi

Member
Amir0x said:
It's funny that the length complaints seem to me so foreign now, even when I myself was making them immediately prior to release.

Because it's clear to me that this is a game that virtually DEMANDS you complete it in one sitting, and that there would be no other way to have the same impact otherwise. If the game was 4 hours long, it'd be impossible to have a synchronized experience with a single individual on a journey. And that's basically the only way for it to have its maximum impact, as far as I am concerned.
Click to expand...

Absolutely (dammit I'm agreeing with you :p). When I met my companion, at first I kept thinking "please don't be an asshole who'll want to rush though or leave midway" but after 15 minutes or so it was crystal clear that we were gonna go until the end together. I had no idea of the length of the game but there was no way I would have put my controller down (even timed my smokes to coincide with saving point).

It was the guy's first playthrough I'm sure and we discovered everyhing together along the way, most importantly how to help each other. When I realize we could time our singing to reach higher places, it felt exhilarating.

And god, that
snow trek
was heartbraking - especially since we had almost lost each other because of the wind gushes. We kept each other close in a vain attempt to delay what seemed inevitable. The feeling of the next part was on par, just at the other end of the emotion spectrum.

I don't even know how long it lasted... Two-hourish ? Anyway it was the perfect length !
 
D

DashReindeer

Lead Community Manager, Outpost Games
Amir0x said:
It's funny that the length complaints seem to me so foreign now, even when I myself was making them immediately prior to release.

Because it's clear to me that this is a game that virtually DEMANDS you complete it in one sitting, and that there would be no other way to have the same impact otherwise. If the game was 4 hours long, it'd be impossible to have a synchronized experience with a single individual on a journey. And that's basically the only way for it to have its maximum impact, as far as I am concerned.
Click to expand...

'struth. Stopping this game halfway through is akin to walking out of the theater part way through a movie. Sure, you get the gist of things, but without being able to connect the sequences together in a logical flow, the emotional resonance may be lacking. Additionally, if the game were any longer, it would be really hard to showcase to your friends in the way I've been doing since I picked the game up. This is absolutely the type of experience that I want to share with my friends, and the brevity really allows for that.
 
N

Not a Jellyfish

but I am a sheep
Love that Jenova posted this on his twitter today. lol

i-ScKFwb2-X2.jpg
 
C

Canova

Banned
Glad to see the universal praise this little game got.

Anything that can take my attention away from 5.5 months of Dark Souling is A OK in my book
 
N

Nezabyte

Neo Member
Started and finished it last night. The experience was really unique and a thing of beauty. One of those really rare moments of bliss. And perhaps the only game I've ever played in which I felt bonded to a stranger.

Definitely worth the $15 tag. Usually not a fan of short games, but I felt so many degrees of emotions during my playthrough, enough to represent a much longer game imo.
 
N

namDa65

Member
Has anyone seen the up at noon video with greg miller?

Jenova Chen mentions one of his early ideas for a theme and he says something similar to the lines of this :

"you wonder what it would be like to climb the tallest mountain, to measure the size of the ocean, or to stand on top of the moon.
but we never wonder about that man you saw crossing the street, that woman sitting on the bus, or those people whose glances you catch briefly.

we never wonder. "




This captures one of Journey's themes beautifully. One of the most inspiring things I've ever heard ever. Makes me want to hug random strangers.
 
R

Ra1den

Member
namDa65 said:
Has anyone seen the up at noon video with greg miller?

Jenova Chen mentions one of his early ideas for a theme and he says something similar to the lines of this :

"you wonder what it would be like to climb the tallest mountain, to measure the size of the ocean, or to stand on top of the moon.
but we never wonder about that man you saw crossing the street, that woman sitting on the bus, or those people whose glances you catch briefly.

we never wonder. "




This captures one of Journey's themes beautifully. One of the most inspiring things I've ever heard ever. Makes me want to hug random strangers.
Click to expand...

<3 Jenova Chen.
 
B

Brewster's Wallet

Member
Clear said:
No surprise, Tom Chick didn't get it.

/le sigh
Click to expand...

Well at least I'm not alone. Just played through in one sitting after seeing all the universal praise. I don't understand what's to get about this. It's interactive art, and is very beautiful, but the whole emotional attachment seems very emperor's new clothes to me.

Saying that, if people are getting something out of this, then of course that's brilliant and I'm not going to be an ass and say one is wrong and the other isn't. It's just not my cup of tea.

Although i could be a child/student like Ra1den
 
Liberty4all

Liberty4all

Banned
I just realized something while listening to the soundtrack.

When I die and ascend to heaven I hope the music sounds like Apotheosis
 
B

BlazingDarkness

Member
Brewster's Wallet said:
Well at least I'm not alone. Just played through in one sitting after seeing all the universal praise. I don't understand what's to get about this. It's interactive art, and is very beautiful, but the whole emotional attachment seems very emperor's new clothes to me.

Saying that, if people are getting something out of this, then of course that's brilliant and I'm not going to be an ass and say one is wrong and the other isn't. It's just not my cup of tea.

Although i could be a child/student like Ra1den
Click to expand...

If you have the time, then play it through a couple more times
While a lot of the praise is down to it being a unique emotional experience there's actually a fun game in there if you give it time, maybe just jump into some of the levels and spend some time flying around with other plays, good stuff!
 
B

Brewster's Wallet

Member
BlazingDarkness said:
If you have the time, then play it through a couple more times
While a lot of the praise is down to it being a unique emotional experience there's actually a fun game in there if you give it time, maybe just jump into some of the levels and spend some time flying around with other plays, good stuff!
Click to expand...

Cool. Will give it another playthrough to see if it changes my attitude to it. The big issue might be that I'm just not a fan of co-op gaming in any sense and like to explore on my own in exploration games. Or if not explore, i like to plough through at my own pace. My gaming syle may just be not suitable for this type of experience
 
Liberty4all

Liberty4all

Banned
namDa65 said:
Has anyone seen the up at noon video with greg miller?

Jenova Chen mentions one of his early ideas for a theme and he says something similar to the lines of this :

"you wonder what it would be like to climb the tallest mountain, to measure the size of the ocean, or to stand on top of the moon.
but we never wonder about that man you saw crossing the street, that woman sitting on the bus, or those people whose glances you catch briefly.

we never wonder. "




This captures one of Journey's themes beautifully. One of the most inspiring things I've ever heard ever. Makes me want to hug random strangers.
Click to expand...

Wow. It's so true too. After years of garbage racists on Live/PSN Journey reaffirms my faith in humanity. And the funny thing is you just might be playing with somebody you would never get along with otherwise. The game is as much a journey of humanity as it is a journey to the mountain.

This will be a game I remember for the rest of my life.
 
S

SmithnCo

Member
Brewster's Wallet said:
Cool. Will give it another playthrough to see if it changes my attitude to it. The big issue might be that I'm just not a fan of co-op gaming in any sense and like to explore on my own in exploration games. Or if not explore, i like to plough through at my own pace. My gaming syle may just be not suitable for this type of experience
Click to expand...

You can go off on your own and just leave your co-op partner if you want.
 
B

BlazingDarkness

Member
Brewster's Wallet said:
Cool. Will give it another playthrough to see if it changes my attitude to it. The big issue might be that I'm just not a fan of co-op gaming in any sense and like to explore on my own in exploration games. Or if not explore, i like to plough through at my own pace. My gaming syle may just be not suitable for this type of experience
Click to expand...

That's actually exactly how I feel about multiplayer, but with Journey it's not really an issue for me, the communication is so minimal and none intrusive that you can pretty much go at your own pace anyway for the most part - failing that, just go offline
But yeah, I pretty much entirely dislike multiplayer of all varieties, but when you find that certain someone who gets that you like to explore at your own pace, then it turns extremely fun because they're very receptive to your play style. It's pretty wonderful how different people's personalities come through very evidently despite the means to communicate being so limited
 
G

Gilby

Member
I found out on Thursday my grandfather is dying from leukemia, and only has about a week left. I flew back home the next day to see him one last time and say my goodbyes, and was staying at my aunt's house for the weekend. My cousin has a PS3 and I needed some sort of distraction so I bought this game. It's beautiful. My sister ended up watching me play it all the way through (that never happens normally), and I came very close to crying at one obvious point. The next morning I played through it again with online enabled (I meant to show my Mom the visuals for a couple minutes, but she wound up watching the entire thing). I wound up going through with someone I didn't know, helping each other and communicating quite clearly with only a single repeating note (he definitely said "sorry at one point for getting me hurt, I think he knows I said "o.k."). Those couple of hours travelling through a gorgeous imaginary world with him/her really made me appreciate human connection.

In the end, I guess it's all about the experiences you have and the people you have them with.

(sorry for being overly sentimental).
 
R

RoboPlato

I'd be in the dick
Gilby said:
I found out on Thursday my grandfather is dying from leukemia, and only has about a week left. I flew back home the next day to see him one last time and say my goodbyes, and was staying at my aunt's house for the weekend. My cousin has a PS3 and I needed some sort of distraction so I bought this game. It's beautiful. My sister ended up watching me play it all the way through (that never happens normally), and I came very close to crying at one obvious point. The next morning I played through it again with online enabled (I meant to show my Mom the visuals for a couple minutes, but she wound up watching the entire thing). I wound up going through with someone I didn't know, helping each other and communicating quite clearly with only a single repeating note (he definitely said "sorry at one point for getting me hurt, I think he knows I said "o.k."). Those couple of hours travelling through a gorgeous imaginary world with him/her really made me appreciate human connection.

In the end, I guess it's all about the experiences you have and the people you have them with.

(sorry for being overly sentimental).
Click to expand...

No need to apologize. My mom is fighting breast cancer and games have been my escape right now. I'm almost a year out of college but I have to stay at home to help her out. I was super sick when I played through this and it helped me forget all that for a while. It's really cool that your family was willing to watch through this game.
 
R

Ra1den

Member
Gilby said:
I found out on Thursday my grandfather is dying from leukemia, and only has about a week left. I flew back home the next day to see him one last time and say my goodbyes, and was staying at my aunt's house for the weekend. My cousin has a PS3 and I needed some sort of distraction so I bought this game. It's beautiful. My sister ended up watching me play it all the way through (that never happens normally), and I came very close to crying at one obvious point. The next morning I played through it again with online enabled (I meant to show my Mom the visuals for a couple minutes, but she wound up watching the entire thing). I wound up going through with someone I didn't know, helping each other and communicating quite clearly with only a single repeating note (he definitely said "sorry at one point for getting me hurt, I think he knows I said "o.k."). Those couple of hours travelling through a gorgeous imaginary world with him/her really made me appreciate human connection.

In the end, I guess it's all about the experiences you have and the people you have them with.

(sorry for being overly sentimental).
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your grandfather. It's good that this game was able to offer you some comfort during a time like this. Journey has a way of speaking to everybody personally. That's certainly one of the reasons it is getting such uniformly positive reactions...the themes it presents are universal and the feelings it brings out of us are reflections of our own lives, and are different for each person playing it. Seems like the ideal way to tell a story.
 
G

Gilby

Member
Clear said:
Never apologise for that.

Sincerely.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I'm normally very emotionally distant (an unfortunate tradition on my father's side), this past week was the first time I've cried since I was about 16.

RoboPlato said:
No need to apologize. My mom is fighting breast cancer and games have been my escape right now. I'm almost a year out of college but I have to stay at home to help her out. I was super sick when I played through this and it helped me forget all that for a while. It's really cool that your family was willing to watch through this game.
Click to expand...

It's great that you're back with your mom helping her out, I'm sure it means the world to her. It really is a testament to how universally absorbing this game is that my family watched it, it's not a normal thing.

Ra1den said:
Sorry to hear about your grandfather. It's good that this game was able to offer you some comfort during a time like this. Journey has a way of speaking to everybody personally. That's certainly one of the reasons it is getting such uniformly positive reactions...the themes it presents are universal and the feelings it brings out of us are reflections of our own lives, and are different for each person playing it. Seems like the ideal way to tell a story.
Click to expand...

It's really a beautiful work of art. The environmental theme was handled very well too, which is nice to see considering how clumsily most things seem to do that lately.
 
R

Ravensmash

Member
I bought some PSN credit from GAME earlier specifically for this, but have a lack of code atm...

Pretty much decided on the purchase because of this thread, so thank you GAF for the positive impressions - really excited about what could be a fantastic experience.

Hopefully I'll wake up and get to playthrough before class, but if not I may just purchase anyway :)
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
Gilby said:
I found out on Thursday my grandfather is dying from leukemia, and only has about a week left. I flew back home the next day to see him one last time and say my goodbyes, and was staying at my aunt's house for the weekend. My cousin has a PS3 and I needed some sort of distraction so I bought this game. It's beautiful. My sister ended up watching me play it all the way through (that never happens normally), and I came very close to crying at one obvious point. The next morning I played through it again with online enabled (I meant to show my Mom the visuals for a couple minutes, but she wound up watching the entire thing). I wound up going through with someone I didn't know, helping each other and communicating quite clearly with only a single repeating note (he definitely said "sorry at one point for getting me hurt, I think he knows I said "o.k."). Those couple of hours travelling through a gorgeous imaginary world with him/her really made me appreciate human connection.

In the end, I guess it's all about the experiences you have and the people you have them with.

(sorry for being overly sentimental).
Click to expand...

The developer's intentions were met, it seems. Real sorry to hear about your grandfather. This game has some sort of power in that relief, and is blatant in reminding us what is important in life.
 
N

NoirVisage

Banned
Ra1den said:
<3 Jenova Chen.
Click to expand...

namDa65 said:
Ra1den can we hug?
Click to expand...

Brewster's Wallet said:
Well at least I'm not alone. Just played through in one sitting after seeing all the universal praise. I don't understand what's to get about this. It's interactive art, and is very beautiful, but the whole emotional attachment seems very emperor's new clothes to me.

Saying that, if people are getting something out of this, then of course that's brilliant and I'm not going to be an ass and say one is wrong and the other isn't. It's just not my cup of tea.

Although i could be a child/student like Ra1den
Click to expand...

Did you play it offline/alone?

Ra1den said:
<3 Jenova Chen.
Click to expand...

namDa65 said:
Ra1den can we hug?
Click to expand...

*Group bro-hug.*
 
N

Nintaiyo

Member
JWong said:
In the Obsidian thread, 1 percent difference in Metacritic was all that matters from their studio getting a bonus.

It's a pretty sad situation that idiots get to control that.
Click to expand...

If by idiots you mean the suits giving studios bonuses based on a one percent difference on Metacritic, then yes, I agree completely.
 
Liberty4all

Liberty4all

Banned
4th play through tonight. Meeting more and more white cloaks. I have the trancendence trophy (have got all the scarf power ups) but I'm missing a few wall glyphs. Do I need all those to don the white?

I really like the mentor/student relationship between brown and white cloaks. The joy white cloaks get at showing browns the "path" to enlightenment only transcended by the joy of browns with every secret revealed.

How will I know I have the white? Will I just start a new journey one day and have a white cloak on?
 
U

Unicorn

Member
Bamelin said:
4th play through tonight. Meeting more and more white cloaks. I have the trancendence trophy (have got all the scarf power ups) but I'm missing a few wall glyphs. Do I need all those to don the white?

I really like the mentor/student relationship between brown and white cloaks. The joy white cloaks get at showing browns the "path" to enlightenment only transcended by the joy of browns with every secret revealed.

How will I know I have the white? Will I just start a new journey one day and have a white cloak on?
Click to expand...

In the big open area, where the other altars are for stage selection. If you are standing on the large collapsed middle where you activate the 4 decrepit banners and then you look at the first Journey gate that has the cutscene and turn to about 2 o'clock
you'll see some white banners flying up from the ground. Go touch them.
 
J

JWong

Banned
Nintaiyo said:
If by idiots you mean the suits giving studios bonuses based on a one percent difference on Metacritic, then yes, I agree completely.
Click to expand...

No, the reviews and metacritic are at fault.

A company does not have many other tool's to gauge quality since consumer and journalist take metacritic seriously.
 
N

Nezabyte

Neo Member
Unicorn said:
In the big open area, where the other altars are for stage selection. If you are standing on the large collapsed middle where you activate the 4 decrepit banners and then you look at the first Journey gate that has the cutscene and turn to about 2 o'clock
you'll see some white banners flying up from the ground. Go touch them.
Click to expand...

Woohoo, thanks! Did my 2nd playthrough, and I ended up with a white cloak that helped me obtain my own. So much fun flying around when staying in sync.
 
Liberty4all

Liberty4all

Banned
Unicorn said:
In the big open area, where the other altars are for stage selection. If you are standing on the large collapsed middle where you activate the 4 decrepit banners and then you look at the first Journey gate that has the cutscene and turn to about 2 o'clock
you'll see some white banners flying up from the ground. Go touch them.
Click to expand...

Thanks unicorn much appreciated :). I am indeed a white cloak.
 
R

Ricky_R

Member
It's so weird. I feel like I'm not enjoying the game that much anymore, but I feel the need to keep playing and completing it over and over. This game is doing things on me I never thought could be done

TGC are sorcerers. Won't buy any more of their games. ;)

BTW... I just completed the game with Vatican04, both with white cloaks and it was kinda cool to fly most of the time. We completed the playthrough pretty fast too.
 
B

Brewster's Wallet

Member
JWong said:
No, the reviews and metacritic are at fault.

A company does not have many other tool's to gauge quality since consumer and journalist take metacritic seriously.
Click to expand...

I don't think you could be more wrong. It should use one very easy tool, in my opinion: sales. Blaming reviewers for a person's bonus means that they have more reason to not be as objective on the review.
And your comments also insinuate that it's the reviewers' fault they didn't give the game a score that was the level expected by the management of the developer or publisher, which is bonkers
 
T

Tomodachi

Member
Brewster's Wallet said:
I don't think you could be more wrong. It should use one very easy tool, in my opinion: sales. Blaming reviewers for a person's bonus means that they have more reason to not be as objective on the review.
And your comments also insinuate that it's the reviewers' fault they didn't give the game a score that was the level expected by the management of the developer or publisher, which is bonkers
Click to expand...
I don't know, as much as aggregators are essentially flawed, I think I prefer this method slightly. I wouldn't want to reward a company that produces games only to sell billion copies, I'd rather reward the one who gets appreciation from the press, all things considered.
That doesn't mean there's something wrong in a journalist giving a score so different from what I would have given to a game, of course. Different opinions etc.

EDIT: of course the whole Obsidian thing is messed up, I don't think it's fair on the publisher's side to negate that bonus because the game failed for only one point on metacritic, being that score so unpredictable and poorly reflective of the real quality of the game. Still, it's better than sales for the consumer, it means the developer aimed at a higher quality than at a higher appeal for the casual gamer.
 
E

Endo Punk

Member
I don't understand the notion that Journey not being gamey, and I feel the same way when Flower was also given such criticism. You have full control over the wanderer; jumping, fying, shouting. The character doesn't have arms so forget about the shooting ><
 
T

Tomodachi

Member
CepPyBoy said:
I don't understand the notion of Journey not being gamey, and I feel the same way when Flower was also given such criticism. You have full control over the wanderer; jumping, fying, shouting. The character doesn't have arms so forget about the shooting ><
Click to expand...
No shooting = no game, it appears.
I don't know how someone could say it isn't gamey when flying around is so rewarding once you get the hang of it.
 
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