Journey Preview

By Dan Whitehead Published 24 February, 2011

A line in the sand.

A games industry press event is not a good place for quiet contemplation. For Sony's PlayStation Experience, a raft of boisterous blockbusters have been crammed into a converted tram shed in Hackney. Each adds its own combination of explosions, gunshots and super powered slam attacks to the cacophony.

Resistance 3 and Killzone 3 are bellowing away mere feet away from DC Universe, while SOCOM Special Ops and inFamous 2 try to outdo each other. Any lull in the aural onslaught is filled with dance music piped over the speakers.

There is, however, a cordoned-off oasis for the weary, tinnitus-addled games journalist. Shielded by sound-soaking curtains, positioned inside pristine white walls decorated with serene concept art, Journey waits to soothe the savage beast.

There's a zen-like calm here, in direct contrast the sturm und drang elsewhere. While the AAA titles are hammering away, this prime marketing space has been set aside for just one game, a downloadable title at that, and one which is striking out in the exact opposite direction to its show floor peers.

Journey is the latest offbeat offering from thatgamecompany, the Californian studio responsible for such chilled out gaming experiences as flOw and Flower. Talking us through the game are designer Jenova Chen and producer Robin Hanicke, and it soon becomes clear why such a separate space was necessary.

1

First person to mention Tatooine gets a slap.

Not only is the game typically graceful and contemplative, but Chen is so soft spoken that it later turns out that most of his words are little more than a whisper on my digital recorder. Luckily, what he has to say about game design is distinctive enough to stick in the mind.

Hanicke helps out with expressive (and apparently subconcious) hand gestures to help illustrate Chen's points. He talks about flying and her hands instinctively start fluttering. It's part interpretive dance, part sign language. It also provides a rather neat segue into Journey itself, a game built around physical communication and silent collaboration.

At its most fundamental level, Journey is incredibly simple. The game starts with the player as a delicate masked stranger, in the middle of a desert. There's nothing else around, apart from a curious mountain in the distance. Getting there is the goal of the game.

Chen explains the thinking behind this sparse design by once again inverting traditional videogame power fantasies. Most games focus on the joy of becoming stronger and tougher, a constant self-fulfilling escalation that can easily tip into mindless grind.

2

There's always something of interest on the horizon, drawing you forwards.

For Journey, the aim was to instead create a game based around the opposite of empowerment, where you were essentially helpless, lost and uncertain, and in doing so evoke a natural sense of wonder and discovery.

Key to that mood is the environment, barren and mysterious yet strangely enticing. Where Flower was a game about air, Journey is a game about sand, and a lot of time has been spent getting the tactile feel of the game just right.

As Chen guides his mysterious avatar up the dunes, the trail of footprints he leaves behind sags and settles as if made from millions of grains rather than pixels. At the top of the dune, he slides down the other side, carving a furrow through the desert surface.

Good old human curiosity provides your signposting, always tugging you to see what that curious ruin in the distance might hold or what the unusual silhouette over the next ridge could be. It's lovely, and incredibly inviting.

There is a game behind these mellow moments, though. Secret runes lengthen your character's poncho-styled cape and add patterns to it. Patches of cloth can be found fluttering in flocks, and can be collected. These then allow you to fly for a short time, although using them sends them flying back to their nesting spot to be reused later.

Flying up ragged banners restores their symbols and in turn affects the gameworld. Chen demonstrates this in an area filled with half-buried ruins and a gigantic derelict bridge. Each banner found and restored helps to fix the bridge, which will lead to a new area. Like everything else in Journey, it's simple and effective.

But there's more to Journey than going walkabout and playing with tapestries. It's a two-player game, of sorts, and it's this area that really seems to inspire Chen. Although you'll be able to share your journey with another player, don't expect the typical co-op play setup.

For one thing, you'll have no choice over the player you're paired with. For another, you won't know anything about them – not even their PlayStation Network ID. And the only way you'll have to communicate will be through a simple sing-song call and a distinctive runic symbol. No voice chat, no lobbies, just the desert.

It all makes Hanicke's impromptu mimes all the more charming, as Chen explains that he wants people to form a connection with another human being, free from assumptions about age, race and gender.

3

Restoring ruins is as close as the game gets to traditional gameplay goals.

Indeed, one early build of the game had the flight-enabling cloth scraps as a finite resource, but it soon became clear that players were competing to get them first, and to get more than their partner. The idea was duly scrapped, and the more generous recycling method of power-up provision chosen instead.

And that's if you want to work together at all. It's perfectly possible to play through without help, although two players can reach secret areas that remain off limits to solo explorers. Players are placed randomly but if the game detects that one player doesn't want a partner, it simply reshuffles the gameworld and finds a better match.

It's a bold, laissez-faire approach to game design, and one that encourages the player to find purpose and meaning in the experience rather than herding them along. Chen admits that it's made it difficult to fit into the PlayStation's Trophy system, and explains that he wants people to be able to finish the game in a few hours, should they want to.

"Not a second is wasted," Chen insists, and the fact he says this loud enough to actually register on my recorder gives some indication as to how much stock he places in the idea games should only ever be as long as they need to be. The plan is that people will complete it in one immersive sitting rather than dipping in and out.

4

There is a story, explaining the backstory to the gameworld, but it'll be told through cryptic hieroglyphs and hidden paintings.

And with that, it's back to a show floor filled with monsters, bullets and superpowers. It's not hard to stand out among such company, and it's certainly not a slight against the third outings for Killzone, Resistance and Uncharted, all of which look excellent within their own mainstream niche.

But after time spent with thatgamecompany's unique design worldview they also look very obvious and more than a little ordinary. For all its aesthetic ambitions, Journey is clearly not a pretentious experiment. It's a game through and through, based around instinctive notions of play that tap into something quite primal.

What's most notable is that Sony has deemed this quiet, expectation-challenging project worthy of standing alongside their big franchise blockbusters, a draw in its own right rather than an obscure digital sideline.

It's exciting to hear creators like Jenova Chen turning accepted ideas of game design inside out, but it's even more exciting that their approach is no longer consigned to the indie ghetto. The industry landscape is changing, and exploring its expanding frontier looks to be a journey well worth taking.

Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (60) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • NeoKenzi #1 1 year ago

    Looks interesting, I'll keep my eye on this one.

  • SeesThroughAll #2 1 year ago

    The anonymous multiplayer is very interesting.

  • Widge #3 1 year ago

    The perfect antibiotic to a virus like Bulletstorm.

  • spekkeh #4 1 year ago

    God I love thatgamecompany.
    God I hate that they make PS3 exclusives.

  • BillPoon #5 1 year ago

    Robin Hunicke, not Hanicke.

    Edit: I'm awfully excited about this. Hopefully the number of previews means that we're relatively close to release.
    Edited by BillPoon at 24/02/11 @ 08:36

  • tenebrae #6 1 year ago

    > designer Jenova Chen
    > Jenova
    You are now hearing the battle music.

  • Ultrasoundwave #7 1 year ago

    I am very intrigued by this game, looks to do something a bit different and original. Then again, Mirrors Edge tried doing the same thing...............

  • mAc062 #8 1 year ago

    Tatooine!!!!

  • TheEarlOfZinger #9 1 year ago

    This is in my top 3 most wanted.

  • Ninja_Tino #10 1 year ago

    Sounds great, but MUST it be played with 2 players? What if, say, you play it in a year's time and no one's on it?

    Well, I'll take that as a No, then.
    Edited by Ninja_Tino at 24/02/11 @ 09:48

  • ZizouFC #11 1 year ago

    /slap

  • UncleLou #12 1 year ago

    Looks and sounds just wonderful. The screenshots are just incredibly atmospheric.

  • richarddavies #13 1 year ago

    Im still not quite sure what this is about. Is it a platformer? Are there enemies and combat? Is there prince of persia style climbing? What is the actual gameplay like?

  • Markitron #14 1 year ago

    Everything about that sounds excellent. PS3's equivalent of limbo?

  • taurus82 #15 1 year ago

    Am I allowed to say Stargate?

  • KrazyFace #16 1 year ago

    I've been watching the development of this for quite some time, and I'm really interested in what they will bring us this time aroud. As Dan was pointing out, this game stands out to me (much like the rest of thatgamecompany's games do) because of how different it is to all the other identikit FPSes and platformers that are being churned out.

    I just really wish there were more developers willing to take a chance like thatgamecompany or MediaMolecule do. I for one cannot wait to get lost in this dessert.

  • KujiGhost #17 1 year ago

    Looks very good. If only I had a PS3...

  • el_pollo_diablo #18 1 year ago

    Has something of a Team Ico vibe to the screen shots.
    Which is obviously a good thing.

    @tenebrae
    > All I said was that supper was good enough for Jenova!
    Edited by el_pollo_diablo at 24/02/11 @ 09:41

  • M_of_the_sys #19 1 year ago

    I was hoping not to hear anymore about this and it would just appear one day on PSN as a pleasant surprise but I couldn't resist reading this article.

    Can't wait now.

  • HoraceGoesSquiffy #20 1 year ago

    This looks like exactly the kind of game I wish more devs would make. Lots of atmosphere and exploration and a kind of serenity you don't get with most games. Shame I don't have a PS3 :(

  • FogHeart #21 1 year ago

    There are worldwide reports coming in that 'calms' are increasingly 'zen-like' wherever they are encountered. In fact we are on the verge of non-zen-like calms becoming endangered.

    Please, please give generously to our appeal to save calms that do not have the ability to be zen-like from extinction.

  • arcam #22 1 year ago

    This looks like exactly the kind of game I wish more devs would make.

    If more devs made exactly this type of game it would stop being so interesting ;)

  • carlosdfn #23 1 year ago

    One of my most antecipated games of the year and that's saying a lot. I'm glad sony is giving it the attention it deserves, I'm sure it will be brilliant.

  • TheEarlOfZinger #24 1 year ago

    I agree with arcam, look at the shooter genre - dime a dozen.

    Besides, not very many devs seem to take this type of creative approach to gaming. Thatgamecompany are a special team.

    Pretty sure fl0w and flower sold well, so I'm not surprised Sony are supporting it. It's different, everyone should embrace it.
    Edited by TheEarlOfZinger at 24/02/11 @ 10:22

  • jablonski #25 1 year ago

    Love that these kind of games are getting made.
    Now we just need to support them with a purchase

  • cynical #26 1 year ago

    Give me a Call of Duty, Dragon Age, or Mario game and I know instinctively what I need to shoot or interact with to progress the game. But with Journey, I don't have a clue how to play (if that is the right word) it yet, and I'm really looking forward to that.

  • KrazyFace #27 1 year ago

    I also agree with acram to an extent, but if you look way back into gaming history you'll see people were not afraid to try new ideas. Big companies expecting big bucks is what essentially killed originality in games today. If you look at the old British coders from the days of the BBC Micro or even going into the years of the C64, it's pretty obvious there are people out there with great (although off-the-wall) ideas for games. The indy scene highlights some of these from time to time, it's just ashame publishers aren't quite willing to put their money behind them.

    In the case of thatgamecompany being nurtured by Sony, having freedom and time to make something meaningful, I really think the industry could learn a lot from their relationship.

  • spekkeh #28 1 year ago

    I don't really agree with arcam. I think Cloud, fl0w, flower and (probably) Journey can all exist next to each other and still all be fresh and interesting.

    Franchising is bad, but as long as there's creativity, the market for more soothing and artsy games could definitely expand.

  • FladgeMangle #29 1 year ago

    Joyous. Wonderful.

    Having a happy moment...

  • arcam #30 1 year ago

    I think my comment was taken wrongly. There is absolutely room for expansion of creative and interesting games.

    It was more just a joke about us needing more of 'exactly' this type of game. Often a new and totally innovative game comes out, a hundred companies copy it, and suddenly that game isn't so interesting anymore.

  • Mkwone #31 1 year ago

    I'm fully aware my comment will be taken negatively, but i also know there'll be a lot of people in the same mindset as me.

    It looks fascinating, and i'd love to play / experiance it. However it's also a title i'd be hesitant to spend money on.

  • medicineboy #32 1 year ago

    This game would push me towards buying a PS3 more than any other mentioned in that article.

  • smithdown #33 1 year ago

    I'm getting vibes of Zelda, Shadow of the Colossus and Prince of Persia. All very good things. I loved Flower, and I am sure to love this. Like arcam, I am glad that there aren't too many games like this coming out, because each one that taps in to this sort of melancholic, ethereal vibe feels all the more special for it.

  • FladgeMangle #34 1 year ago

    @MKwone

    Why would you hesitate to spend money on this? Is it not visceral enough for your wallet?

  • TheEarlOfZinger #35 1 year ago

    @Mkwone

    Even for under eight quid? Tight bastard!

  • riz23 #36 1 year ago

    Jenova sounds like a girls name and Robin sounds like a boys name. How confusing. Even the names of thatgamecompany's employees defy pigeonholing. Game looks lovely.

  • Bradach #37 1 year ago

    sounds incredible. very excited.

  • itsfuzzy #38 1 year ago

    Looks like a cross between Ico and Limbo, cant wait
    Edited by itsfuzzy at 24/02/11 @ 13:05

  • makeamazing #39 1 year ago

    Will get this just because flower was great, and its nice to support games that are different.

  • jonfon #40 1 year ago

    Can't wait for this. Flower was gorgeous and this looks the same.

  • SEVQA #41 1 year ago

    Im kinda looking forward to this since the game play revelation that was flower, I've got high hopes.

  • NorfolkNClue #42 1 year ago

    This is exactly the sort of game that interests me more than COD-XVI. As commented in the Activision article, them sacking off all but 'core and proven IP' will lead to space in the market for other devs to make totally different types of game. Games like this. Kudos to Sony for supporting it.

  • Doctor_What #43 1 year ago

    I have a PS3 and I hate that these are exclusives too - everyone should have the chance to play these wonderful games. They give me hope about the future of games design.

  • orangpelupa #44 1 year ago

    unique exclusive like this that make me want to save money to buy PS3...
    i really want it...
    The details and the art of Journey is really fit my taste.

    but if i buy PS3 i will need to buy HDTV / Monitor... hence too expensive.
    I wish Sony release 16:10 support so i can use my Xbox/PC monitor as PS3 monitor too...

    EDIT:
    lol i just realized it seems in in minority.
    i play Console (Xbox, wii) by sitting on chair heading a desk. Using the same monitor and same desk as my pc >_
    Edited by orangpelupa at 24/02/11 @ 13:25

  • FladgeMangle #45 1 year ago

    @Doctor_What

    Sixaxis controls. That's why flOw and flower were PS3 exclusives. They wouldn't have been as good with analog stick controls.

  • Grayvern #46 1 year ago

    @Widge: Just because I like die hard I hate a serious man right

    Im pretty sure I will love bulletstom and this.
    Edited by Grayvern at 24/02/11 @ 19:55

  • captain_Carl #47 1 year ago

    Truly amazing stuff. Can't wait.

  • spekkeh #48 1 year ago

    @FladgeMangle You do know fl0w was ported from the PC, right?

  • jefranklin18 #49 1 year ago

    After experiencing Flower, I will have no hesitation in getting this. Flower I find to be the most effective way of destressing after a rough day and have recommended it to PS3-owning friends for the same reasons.

  • mcmothercruncher #50 1 year ago

    If it doesn't have explosive red barrels I can shoot with my AK then I'm not interested.

    And women with big tits.

  • SvennoJ #51 1 year ago

    This, the HD collection of Ico and Sotc and the Last Guardian coming, best year in gaming for me.

  • Super_Zee #52 1 year ago

    Good God, I can't wait for this. Sounds like the perfect antidote to every problem I have with AAA games right now.

  • darc #53 1 year ago

    "games should only ever be as long as they need to be"

    I think I love this guy. :)

    The only disappointment here is that the co-op element can't be enjoyed offline. The anonymous element is an interesting concept, but I'd rather enjoy this game with my wife if I could.

  • sirtacos #54 1 year ago

    Good preview. Definitely planning on getting this, and happy to hear that indie-ish games are less and less ghettoised.

  • mattrix33 #55 1 year ago

    Kudos to Sony for giving this amazing looking game the space it deserved.
    In a world of COD XXIV and FIFA 22 it's nice to have original fresh and exciting software still produced.

  • Lemming81 #56 1 year ago

    I really liked Flower and this sounds equally cool. Like this generation's Another World but without the violence.

  • Nillsens #57 1 year ago

    I'm all over this like a family at the birth of a baby, day one.

  • Lycanthroat #58 1 year ago

    I...I think I'm in love....

  • erp #59 1 year ago

    I can't wait for this. I like everything I read about it.

    One thing I'm a little surprised about, however, is how come none of the previews I've read mention the similarity between its anonymous multiplayer ambitions and the multiplayer features of Demon's Souls...

    I loved that aspect of Demon's Souls though, so it just makes me look forward to this even more.

  • tomdominer #60 1 year ago

    I f**king hate the screenshot interface. PLEASE CHANGE IT EUROGAMER.