The profound indie title from That Game Company.
I had moseyed across the wind swept sands of a seemingly desolate wasteland, simultaneously taking in the beauty, while slowly deciphering the hidden meaning of this place. I would be lying if I said my guard wasn’t up, though — I wasn’t alone here and there was something terrifying lurking over the horizon that I was dreading. I would soon have to face my fear.
I would tentatively scan the surrounds every time I progressed even just a little. I expected to see them over every sand dune and amongst all the crumbling ruins of this bygone civilisation.
It didn’t take all that long before I spotted movement in the distance…
It didn’t take all that long for my suspicions to be confirmed, either… this was happening…
It was time to put all the psyching up into action. I took a deep breath and slowly approached. I was about to make first contact and I just hoped that it would be of the friendly kind.
It’s safe to say that I was late to the Journey party and not the fashionable kind of late, either. This was the kind of late where the other party guests pretty much assume you’re not going to make it at all. For the longest while I assumed that too, so I can’t really blame them…
The game was released in 2012 and it hadn’t gone unnoticed by me or the world at large. If you somehow managed to miss the positive press on almost all fronts, you couldn’t ignore the word of mouth on social media or even just the general chatter amongst your pals. That’s four solid years of enduring hype, swooning, and an impression that this was something special.
People spoke of Journey like it was a profound experience that moved them. They spoke about how it made them cry and stayed in their thoughts long after the credits rolled. Seemingly overnight this small indie title became the video game equivalent of required reading if you’re a fan of the medium. It was important. It was groundbreaking. It was a must play.
So, why didn’t I play it? Am I some sort of crazy person? The answer is a definitive yes!
Journey is not a solitary experience. It’s one that you play with another human, who you’re randomly assigned to share the world with. There was going to be a stranger in my game. I feel this gives a bit of insight into the terror of my opening paragraph. Well, it might give insight if you’re socially awkward like me and go out of your way not to play multiplayer.
I was genuinely nervous, but still curious to play something that looked so damn compelling otherwise. Sure, I could play with my PS4 set on offline mode to ensure a companion free adventure, but deep down I knew this mechanic was fundamental to the experience and I would be missing out. So, I braced myself and took a leap of faith out of my comfort zone.
My friends assured me that the multiplayer wasn’t going to be like I assumed. They talked vaguely of their own experiences and gave the impression that any interaction with this strange internet person could be as brief or meaningful as you want it to be. Some could be ‘passing ships in the night’, while others could be a close knit pal through the game’s entirety.
This little piece of reassurance went a long way and I just assumed that I would be polite with whoever I encountered, but mostly press on and do my own thing. That would be the plan.
I studied the shrouded figure in the distance for a moment. They hadn’t noticed me yet and were just going about their business of taking in the sights and sounds of our shared world. This would be my cue to either do the meet-and-greet thing or stealthily get out of there. I said I would be polite, though. I told myself I was going to embrace the game, so that’s what I did…
As first contacts go? This one went fine! Terrifying, sure, but less scary by the minute!
Journey doesn’t give you a whole lot of ways to have a conversation with your designated companion, so you improvise with the mechanics you’re given. We briefly followed each other around and established communications through sounds, mimicking each other in response. It was an interesting experience and they seemed nice, but soon enough we parted ways.
This is not a cooperative game in the sense that it needs two people to progress. Getting through this world can be done all on your own. There’s nothing binding you together. (Mechanically at least, but more on that later! Things are about to take a turn, my friend!)
So, embracing the whole ‘ships in the night’ notion, I moved on to work out what I needed to do to get through this particular section. Evidently my designated companion pal had started to work this out, as well. With the solution found, I started to make my way out of here. I saw them approaching. A funny thing happened that I did not expect: I waited for them…
There’s been so many pieces written about Journey over the years, that everything that’s worth saying has already been said, if I approached this like a straight review. It’s our unique experiences that makes one playthrough different from another. It’s what we project onto the game. It’s what we take away at the end. The personal angle is the one worth writing about.
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Full disclosure? I’ve been feeling sort of lonely and isolated in my day-to-day life lately.
Human nature is an odd thing, at least my particularly screwy brand of human nature…
Sometimes when I tumble down this specific rabbit hole I do things that don’t make a whole lot of sense. For example, I’ll turn down opportunities to hang out with my friends, because I don’t feel up for socialising due to the impact feeling lonely and isolated has had on me. This only makes me more lonely and more isolated. No one really wants to be alone, though.
That’s as true for life as it is for Journey and that’s not lost on me. I approached this game apprehensive about embracing the human element. Turns out it was exactly what I needed.
From the moment my designated companion pal caught up with me, we began to traverse the perils of this particular world side-by-side. Turns out the ‘ships in the night’ notion just wasn’t for me and I was all in. A bond began to form. I didn’t know any thing about who I was playing with, but we were in this together and we had each other’s back. An unexpected development!
Multiplayer can be a scary thing in a lot of games and is something I’m generally wary about…
Games will encourage you to be competitive, pitting you against each other. It doesn’t help that gaming culture can be all kinds of toxic, as well. People aren’t necessarily going to be kind to you. They’ll swear at you or be racist or homophobic and just generally unpleasant.
I’ve written about my love of true cooperative games in the past, where you’re positioned shoulder-to-shoulder with mutual objectives. That’s still not what Journey is, though…
This is a game that embraces shared humanity. The only reason to be there for each other is because you want to be there for each other. It sounds incredibly wanky and pretentious, but experiencing it is another thing entirely and something I found deeply moving.
Moseying through this world with someone by your side is like nothing else I’ve ever played in a video game before. We helped lead each other to collectables and points of interests, we waited for each other to catch up when we got separated, we ‘talked’ amongst each ourselves as we walked side-by-side. I felt a deep sense of solidarity with this internet stranger.
There was a beautiful moment that stood out from my playthrough: we were making our way through the snow during a treacherous blizzard. Visibility was low. The situation seemed particularly dire with life-and-death stakes. Even in this predicament we walked close, like we were huddling together for warmth. It was an instinctual thing to do, a human thing to do…
I wasn’t doing this because the game required it, but because it felt like the right thing to do.
Travelling together is always better than travelling alone and that’s what Journey is all about. It has something to say about life and the human condition. There’s a real depth here without being heavy handed. It’s up to you to interpret and reconcile this with your own experiences.
It’s bittersweet at the end of Journey when you have to say goodbye to your new found pal…
Though I spent the majority of the game with one companion, I was surprised to find I had actually crossed paths with four people throughout my adventures. I had no idea. This is a detail you’re told after the credits roll. It might sound silly, but I thought this was incredibly cool. I wasn’t able to distinguish between the individuals, because they were equally lovely.
After going through such a moving experience with these folks, I was tempted to send a message to thank them after. I can safely say I didn’t expect to have this reaction going in!
Journey didn’t renew my faith in humanity, because I already had plenty of faith to begin with. It didn’t give me any big life epiphanies either, but it reaffirmed things I already knew.
It reinforced my resolve to break my isolation from the world and be where the people are!
The game is profound, moving, and it totally did make me cry. If that’s not enough? It’s also insanely pretty and set to a stirring orchestral soundtrack! Believe the hype, friend!
Written by Dan Clarke. September 12, 2016.
Originally published at dcpresents.tumblr.com.
