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Journey |OT| Perfect Strangers

Brick

Member
I know this sounds pretentious, but I was truly moved by this game. The music at the end as it built toward reaching the summit was incredible.
 

Quote

Member
Wallpaper: The Video Game

You could literally take a screenshot at any point and it'd be a better wallpaper than what your desktop currently has. They really should have made screenshot a feature.
 
UK gamer here, and not a member of the PS+ monarchy (anymore), so I downloaded this as soon as possible, ie.. right now. Loved Flower, been hyped for Journey for months, so exciting times ahead. I'm almost grateful the game is as short as it allegedly is, because my backlog is huge now.
 

Senoculum

Member
I know this sounds pretentious, but I was truly moved by this game. The music at the end as it built toward reaching the summit was incredible.

I don't think there's any pretense in saying that. I was moved as well.

The game is well crafted. Really immersive and minimalistic; even the sound effects have a musical quality to them. The graphics, the camerawork, and how the sand moves; it is all photographical. Very filmic.

Amazing little experience.
 

Seraphis Cain

bad gameplay lol
One thing that happened to me during my first playthrough that took me out of the game just a bit. My partner and I got a little bit turned around, and ended up climbing up the wrong sand dune and ended up reaching the boundary of the skybox
underground
. Could see where the edges met and everything. :lol
 

Dizzy-4U

Member
I got about 4. Cool to see that I ended up playing with someone on GAF. I think you were with me at that part
I was freaking out when that flying monster got my partner hiding in the rubble

Bro-fist/Journey duet.
Yeah, that was probably me.
I was looking up and didn't see the monster when we were at the second rubble. Then I lost my companion at the windy part but I caught up with him at the climbing the mountain part where we both died.

Fantastic game. Will play it again tonight.
 
At the ending
I was by myself when walking towards the bright light on that last ledge. Anyone else do what I did where I barely pressed the controller forward and walked as slowly as possible? I was just taking the whole experience in. Incredible!
 

zoukka

Member
Journey has demonstrated the potential for videogames, online gaming experience and dynamic audio better than any game to this point. I just finished it and I have never encountered such a perfectly crafted and smooth gaming experience. Not a single step I took was not foreseen by the developers, but every one still felt like my own.

The visuals were best yet seen in any 3D videogame. I have not forgotten myself in visuals like this since I was a kid. Journey made me believe what I saw and I honestly can't remember the last time that has happened to me.

I've become jaded towards games so it's inspirational to see games like Journey being made. This is what videogames are about.

Buy it.
 
At the ending
I was by myself when walking towards the bright light on that last ledge. Anyone else do what I did where I barely pressed the controller forward and walked as slowly as possible? I was just taking the whole experience in. Incredible!

I did that too, it was simply a moment that filled me with awe all around.

Journey has demonstrated the potential for videogames, online gaming experience and dynamic audio better than any game to this point. I just finished it and I have never encountered such a perfectly crafted and smooth gaming experience. Not a single step I took was not foreseen by the developers, but every one still felt like my own.

The visuals were best yet seen in any 3D videogame. I have not forgotten myself in visuals like this since I was a kid. Journey made me believe what I saw and I honestly can't remember the last time that has happened to me.

I've become jaded towards games so it's inspirational to see games like Journey being made. This is what videogames are about.

Buy it.

You know, I totally agree with you and reading your reply actually made me think... most big players in the videogame industry push towards better and more realistic graphics which seems logical but Jorney showed me it's not realism and realistic graphics what should drive games forward but to make visuals that make one believe you are actually in the world you play if that makes any sense. Of course that's just my opinion.
 
Just finished.

Wow. WOW.
Every part of this game, every rock, every pixel, every seam, has been thought out brilliantly. The emotional impact of this game is simply the best in the industry, bar none. I really am terribly sad I won't get to play it for the first time again, and find a first companion again, and grow with them again.

The part with
the monsters was utterly stunning, imposing and beautiful. I actually said "No!" when my companion got hurt by them.
And close to the ending,
brilliant. The way you get reduced to nothing, and your companion falls a mere moment before you do. And the vibration in the controller of your heartbeat.
Just... Wow.

This is a work of art. Congrats, TGC. You've floored me.

I lost my companion near to the end. :( It was all kinda bittersweet after that.
 

XOMTOR

Member
Just played through again and it was an even better experience than the first. It's cold and snowy here today so I pulled my gaming chair up by the fire, put the headphones on and immersed myself in it.

Played through the entire game with the same player but we got separated at
the very end after we collapsed in the snow and began ascending
. Grrr, it's so easy to get separated there it seems. I waited around and called out but nothing. Oh well, that's part of it I guess. Anyway, if anyone here has a PSN name of Doctor_Colossus, thanks man it was a great experience.
 
I feel like it's pretty tough to get someone else to meditate with you because nobody knows that you have to hit the Select button to do it.
 

TheOddOne

Member
This game is utterly fantastic. Finished it and have to say if more games come out that push it like Journey, then we have a great future ahead of ourselves.
 
The one thing that does bother me is the trophies that rely on someone else to get them. Finishing most of the game with another person seems rather difficult. Too many ADD people out there who will just jump off after 10 minutes. I had 10 partners on my first Journey!
 

OnPoint

Member
The one thing that does bother me is the trophies that rely on someone else to get them. Finishing most of the game with another person seems rather difficult. Too many ADD people out there who will just jump off after 10 minutes. I had 10 partners on my first Journey!

I played through the entire game with one person on Sunday night. Try during times when there are less people active maybe?
 

boingball

Member
Got all collectables yesterday as well
and got the white robe
. Played solo since I did not want to disturb the newcomers experiencing the game for the first time.
First time I walked through the snow alone, that felt very lonely without a companion. In my previous plays I never died alone.
 
The one thing that does bother me is the trophies that rely on someone else to get them. Finishing most of the game with another person seems rather difficult. Too many ADD people out there who will just jump off after 10 minutes. I had 10 partners on my first Journey!

Regarding needing other people for some of the trophies, I happened to find many of the glyphs/symbols on my own during my first run. On my second, I had a cool partner that showed me a bunch more and thought that was awesome. It's like a metaphor of having someone teach/show you how to do things and I like that as a player, you can pass that knowledge down to the next person simply by leading the way.

As for finishing the game with a partner, I found that constantly calling out (as well as checking the bottoms of the screen to see if someone was around) and staying within viewing distance helped a lot. It's really easy to lose your partner during the last level though I tend to constantly call out just in case.

How can people play a game like this to chase trophies? Incomprehensible.

Well, when you play through multiple times and see
white-robed partners
it's easy to chase trophies. Also, I spent hours getting trophies in flower - did not diminish my love for the game at all. Besides, TGC puts little easter eggs that reference their previous work so I like that fact.
 

forrest

formerly nacire
Just had my second play through and it was soo good. I had an amazing companion who was really great. Cooperative, patient, and flat out friendly! theanimation, thank you for an awesome Journey!

The one thing that does bother me is the trophies that rely on someone else to get them. Finishing most of the game with another person seems rather difficult. Too many ADD people out there who will just jump off after 10 minutes. I had 10 partners on my first Journey!

I had 7 on my recent journey, 6 of which apparently came and went before I got too far in. The last guy stuck around and I got the achievement. I imagine you'll get it sooner than later!
 
How can people play a game like this to chase trophies? Incomprehensible.
I know. I mean, it doesn't even have a platinum. It's a waste of $15.

But seriously, I think most people who are talking about it have finished the game (maybe even multiple times) and are only now worrying about the trophies.
 

sophora

Member
reading all the impressions, pretty happy about my first run through it and staying with the same partner the entire time. Actually considering sending the other player a friend request now haha.
 

JWong

Banned
Regarding needing other people for some of the trophies, I happened to find many of the glyphs/symbols on my own during my first run. On my second, I had a cool partner that showed me a bunch more and thought that was awesome. It's like a metaphor of having someone teach/show you how to do things and I like that as a player, you can pass that knowledge down to the next person simply by leading the way.

As for finishing the game with a partner, I found that constantly calling out (as well as checking the bottoms of the screen to see if someone was around) and staying within viewing distance helped a lot. It's really easy to lose your partner during the last level though I tend to constantly call out just in case.

Yeah, the last level is tricky. If there is any fault, it is that.

Also, I think because you can get separated easily on the last level, they increased the distance threshold of when they bring in a new stranger. So that would increase the chance of finishing up alone.
 

Zeliard

Member
Well, when you play through multiple times and see
white-robed partners
it's easy to chase trophies. Also, I spent hours getting trophies in flower - did not diminish my love for the game at all. Besides, TGC puts little easter eggs that reference their previous work so I like that fact.

I'm just saying that if people are getting annoyed that other players don't stick with them just so they can get a trophy, that seems like it would lead to some frustration that this game probably isn't meant to evoke. :p
 
What do you mean by this?

On my screen, I can tell if someone is close by due to the bottom of my screen glowing white (either the sides/bottoms corners or just the bottom in general). When the white glows brighter, that usually indicates that someone's around and if it's really bright, you know they're like next to you or behind you.

At least, it's what I was observing while playing the game and it's usually how I know I can partner up with someone - should they choose to.

I'm just saying that if people are getting annoyed that other players don't stick with them just so they can get a trophy, that seems like it would lead to some frustration that this game probably isn't meant to evoke. :p

Yeah I get that. Granted though, when I was trophy-hunting, I would actually level select and if there was someone around that wanted to partner, I'd drop everything and stick with them.
 

Kaako

Felium Defensor
Had my second playthrough with a guy that had the white cloth and everything maxed out it seemed; it was freaking amazing. He showed me all the secret places and hidden creature(s). It was absolutely sublime. The entire journey was probably the best co-op experience I've ever had. I dare say it was even better than my first experience eventhough that blew my mind. When both travelers are on the same page it just clicks so well, it's kinda hard to explain. Just sublime.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
I guess I will be one of the few who feel this way, but Journey wasn't as good as Flower for me. For some reason Flower was much more emotional for me and I felt much more connected to the game and the world.

I played through Journey in one sitting as recommended. But due to various reasons, I ended up with 5 different partners by the end. Switching partners at various points of my Journey lessened my connection to the other avatar for me. Also I could not help but feel like I was being rushed through the game by my partners at times. It made me hesitant to just hang around and take in the scenery or explore the nooks and crannies of the world. I felt like I was being a drag if I did not keep up with my companion's pace, and did not feel like I was playing or discovering things for myself.

I would even go as far as to say I felt performance anxiety at times. I was afraid of doing something stupid like fall off a bridge in front of the other player. This made the game less relaxing that it probably would have been solo. I suppose I had the same kinds of feeling playing Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. But in those games you were supposed to feel anxious and tense. In this game it hurt the experience for me.

It's still a very interesting game I would recommend it to anyone just because the visuals are so gorgeous. But I wish I had played it the first time through solo.

I also wish I could play through this from start to finish with an actual friend. Sharing the whole experience from start to finish with someone who is not a complete strange might have been better for me.

I don't know, maybe I was not in the mood to play this tonight. Also there was kind of a big earthquake right in the middle of my play session that probably added to my anxiousness a bit as well. I'll run through it again tomorrow solo and see if I like it better that way.

I feel almost exactly like this. I just played through the (extremely short) game, and it was a very pleasant experience (joining up with people you happened to come across felt really nice, but yes, it also made me feel a bit rushed), but it wasn't as powerful to me as Flower was the first time I played it. The latter was one of my most emotional gaming experiences ever, can't say the same about Journey. But I'm gonna make another journey again soon for sure, feel like I missed quite a lot the first time through.

Also, you can die? I found the game to be almost completely free of any challenge, so I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding how that could happen. I even let the
big flying things get me on purpose a few times, just to see what would happen, and the only thing that happened was that my scarf got shorter
. So how do you do it?
Fall down toward the end
? Even that seems difficult to accomplish, with all the different fabric things around.
 

Zeliard

Member
Not the first time through, but in subsequent playthroughs? Why not?

Just strikes me that some of the trophies in this game aren't meant to be gunned for, but rather gotten basically as "rewards" for things you happen to get done. Something like playing through the game with someone who doesn't leave can be difficult due to the random nature of the co-op, so I don't think you're really meant to be going for it. It's just something you happen to get if you do complete the game with someone.
 

ironcreed

Banned
Not the first time through, but in subsequent playthroughs? Why not?

I am not even a trophy whore/achievement hunter, yet I am compelled to do it with this game. I have beat it 4 times now since last night and just got my white cloak with regenerating scarf. The more I play, the more little things I see and more emotions I feel. Jaded with shooters and all of the usual suspects? Here is the cure.
 

spats

Member
Just strikes me that some of the trophies in this game aren't meant to be gunned for, but rather gotten basically as "rewards" for things you happen to get done. Something like playing through the game with someone who doesn't leave can be difficult due to the random nature of the co-op, so I don't think you're really meant to be going for it. It's just something you happen to get if you do complete the game with someone.

I got that on my first playthrough. My partner was a real champ.
 
Ending spoilers

I was disappointed that the whole world didn't turn all green and lush at the end when I did whatever it is I did. I thought thats what the pictograms were hinting at. Was I totally off base
?
 
Just finished. Easily one of the greatest games I've ever played.
The moment when the guardians bring you back from the dead, and you launch yourself towards the light...and finally walking into the light inside the mountain...the music...pure perfection.
 
D

Deleted member 59090

Unconfirmed Member
Just finished it. Such an awesome experience. I met 4 people because I keep getting disconnects today for some weird reason. I felt really bad when the message about getting signed out of psn popped up and I lost my first companion with whom I completed over half the journey.
 
Ending spoilers

I was disappointed that the whole world didn't turn all green and lush at the end when I did whatever it is I did. I thought thats what the pictograms were hinting at. Was I totally off base
?

I never got the impression that I was going to restore the world to a green and vibrant world like you do in flower. Rather, I figured that since you kept meeting 'the gods' throughout the journey, I thought that you would eventually meet them. You more or less do since you 'transcend' from your former self, become that shooting star during the credits and are then reborn to start the journey again - since the game is a life/death metaphor for the most part.
 
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