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Review: Mesmerizing Journey Weaves a Wordless Game Story

Journey's enigmatic cloaked figure remains mostly a mystery even after you complete the game. Image: Sony

Jenova Chen, the visionary game designer behind Cloud, fl0w and Flower, told me last year at his Los Angeles studio that he foresees a day when videogames won’t be labeled as “games.”

At the time, I didn’t exactly grasp what he meant. I’m still not sure what exactly Chen believes games will eventually evolve into. But I have a better idea of what he was talking about now that I’ve played Journey, the latest game from Chen’s studio Thatgamecompany. It constantly challenges your ideas about what videogames can be.

This downloadable PlayStation 3 title, available March 13, is a multiplayer game. But you can’t choose who you play with, and when you meet other players online, there is no way to speak to them over a headset or inflict harm on their character. This forces players to learn to interact with each other and the game’s world in new ways.

One might worry that by eliminating most videogame conventions, Journey runs the risk of sacrificing its entertainment value. But despite all of the traditional game concepts Journey lacks, the game is never boring. In fact, it’s one of the most genuinely mesmerizing videogames I’ve experienced.

In Journey players assume the role of a red cloaked figure whose sole ambition is to reach a massive mountain on the horizon. On the way to the mysterious mountain, players traverse sun-scorched wastelands, subterranean caves and arctic lands where visibility is obscured by a relentless blizzard.

Journey‘s worlds are simultaneously barren and beautiful, a duality echoed by the game’s minimalistic but moving musical score.

Players will often encounter other players online, which creates an interesting dynamic since you can't communicate with them via voice chat or messages. Image: Sony

Aside from walking around and moving the camera, players can only perform one enigmatic action: Release a strange symbol into the air. This single action has a wide variety of uses. It can help you glide through the air in short bursts, but it can also be used to get the attention of other players.

Even without a storyline, I experienced a wide range of emotions throughout my journey — wonder, fear, even sadness. And this was all done with sparse graphics and minimalistic animation, not with cinematic cut scenes or epic battles.

At any point in the game you may run into other players. It’s up to you whether you simply pass them by or join up with them to experience the game together. I was amazed by how, even without traditional means of communication, I could work together with other players to solve puzzles I couldn’t do on my own.

It’s a shame that the experience only lasts a few hours. I imagine most gamers will complete Journey in one sitting. After my own travels were at an end, I instantly regretted not spending more time exploring and getting lost in its gorgeous world. There is a pleasant, unexpected surprise at the game’s end, though.

Even though I often struggled to find meaning within the game’s mysterious world, Journey doesn’t need to be explained. It’s still a fulfilling experience.

WIRED Stunning visuals and world, delivers an emotional, engaging experience without health bars, voiceovers or dialogue, online play can’t be hindered by griefers.

TIRED Unfortunately brief.

Rating:

$15, Sony

Read Game|Life’s game ratings guide.