Journey - New PSN Title From ThatGameCompany

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Published on 06-16-2010 06:22 AM

278 Comments

ThatGameCompany, creators of PSN hits such as Flow and Flower, are back with their third installment as part of the 3 game deal they signed with Sony. The name of their new title is Journey.

Unlike previous titles from ThatGameCompany, Journey will be what they label an "online adventure experience". Exact details of the gameplay are unknown, but it has been revealed that traveling with others will "re-shape the experience -- creating authentic moments that they will remember and discuss with others."

Given the success and uniqueness of their previous titles, it's a safe bet to think that this game will be quite innovative. It'll be interesting to see what ThatGameCompany does while incorporating an online component into their odd yet original and often relaxing games.

Check out Joystiq's article for more images.

273 Comments

Unspoken - 03-18-2012, 05:28 PM

I beat it several nights ago, and I even paced it out between about half-hour playtimes, just to kind of take in what I was feeling. Every time I stopped playing, one word came to mind: "Beautiful."

The stranger I was playing with was unfortunately lost outside of my vision during the last level, so I didn't get to beat it with someone else, but still. It's a very powerful experience whether or not you have someone with you. The second-to-last level with someone present is the saddest thing ever, though.

I'm starting a new game today. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up another trophy or two and process more of what I feel for it. Sony should DEFINITELY buy ThatGameCompany before it's too late.

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OmniStalgic - 03-18-2012, 05:34 PM

the players don't show up in your Player's met list...

I feel I owe each of them a thank you...I should have wrote down there name ;-(

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GTAce - 03-18-2012, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by OmniStalgic

Don't really know what that was, but I get it...I get the rave reviews, I get the praise of ThatGameCompany, I get the fans asking Sony to snatch them up...I get it..

Jaffe's goal for a video game that can make you cry has arrived in Journey. Even if it doesn't actually make you cry, the emotion for crying is certainly there. What a ride. In 2 hours, it's surpassed thousands of video games with a lasting impression. A memorable experience, can't wait to start talking about people thoughts on the ending.

Journey, a $15 game, is a good reason to own a PS3...

I couldn't finish it so far because I never had more than 1 hour to play.
Already started twice, for some reason I want to finish it in one playthrough...

But I agree with what you mean.

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OmniStalgic - 03-18-2012, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by GTAce

I couldn't finish it so far because I never had more than 1 hour to play.
Already started twice, for some reason I want to finish it in one playthrough...

But I agree with what you mean.

yeah, it's awesome doing it in a play-through...what's more is, Journey is a perfect game for trophies. I never care about trophies in most games, but this world is so unique, you want to explore every nook and cranny, and the trophy awards are designed for multiple play-throughs and doing things with a partner.

Let me know when you're about to fire it up again and I'll play the same time, perhaps will journey together by chance...

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Luis - 03-19-2012, 01:28 AM

I can only agree with all the nice things said here. What a great experience, such an original game, yet so simple and beautiful. I can't believe there is such a game.

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jako - 03-19-2012, 10:20 AM

I just want to say thank you to Sony to bring us such experience. I bought it on saturday and played it already twice.
I'm not sure if such games exists on other plateforms.

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Luis - 03-19-2012, 11:44 AM

I'm not sure how to describe flOw (it exists in Flash, although it's not as good), but Flower and Journey are so unique and beautiful, I don't think there's anything similar to those on any platform. They're incredible for those who can enjoy something other than shooters.

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masteratt - 03-19-2012, 11:50 AM

Not just 'other than shooters'. Other than any genre we have come to accept.

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Gribble-Grunger - 03-19-2012, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Luis

I can only agree with all the nice things said here. What a great experience, such an original game, yet so simple and beautiful. I can't believe there is such a game.

i remember when all you kept asking was what the hell the game 'was'. did it matter in the end? by the reviews and responses it's been getting, i guess not. must get this soon

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Luis - 03-19-2012, 11:58 AM

Well, I wondered the same about Flower but I got it before I liked some aspects of flOw. The good impressions from gamers help too. But how would you market this? That's the real question.

Most times, you need to know what a given game is like to find out whether you'll like it or not, maybe. Recently, I felt the same about Heavy Rain. I guess there are a number of games that cannot be categorized, which is probably what makes them worthwhile.

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OmniStalgic - 03-19-2012, 01:59 PM

You know how much I love this game?

http://e-mpire.com/entry.php/191-Taking-the-Journey

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KRA - 03-19-2012, 02:14 PM

Invalid Blog specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

...

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GTAce - 03-19-2012, 02:39 PM

Going to start my playthrough now, hope I won't be interrupted, wish me luck.

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Luis - 03-19-2012, 03:16 PM

If some of your friends in your list are online and playing the game, can you get to play it with them or will you always just encounter random players?

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LaLiLuLeLo - 03-19-2012, 03:20 PM

Always random as far as I can tell.
The leap from Flow to Flower was a huge one. The leap from Flower to Journey is huuuumongous! Technically, artistically, emotionally. Just brilliant. Telling a powerful story with no words. And in the space of 2 or 3 hours, no less!

This is what I mean by negative space. Team Ico creator Fumito Ueda gets it, these guys get it, not many other designers get it. What you don't put in the game is just as important as what you do.

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Unspoken - 03-19-2012, 03:50 PM

So I've had the top experience with this game. Just happened the other day.

Was replaying through the whole game again, trying to find secret stuff. I ended up running with one character most of the time. Right from the start, we were inseparable; pretty much within touching distance close. We would each show the other secret glyph and symbol locations. At the end, we were, again, touching distance between each other for the duration. Through the last level, we were soaring with each other, keeping each other afloat. And as the game ended, I felt the deepest sense of satisfaction and emotional grip to a story.

Flash forward to a day later. I'm going in to play yet again, and I see that there is a message in my Inbox. It's from the person with whom I shared the Journey (har). She had sent me a message, thanking me for the beautiful playthrough that we experienced together. I almost teared up.

I wouldn't even think twice of adding her to my Friends list after only playing this game; I feel damn close enough already.

EDIT: Also, two trophies away. I have to find the last few symbols and do the arches thing. This will be one of the only games I will 100% complete. I owe the game AT LEAST that much.

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Luis - 03-19-2012, 03:50 PM

Flower and Journey are very different, but it does feel like Journey will get higher regard in the long term.

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GTAce - 03-19-2012, 04:22 PM

I played with 5 different companions this time, because I lost some of them (they fell behind in the faster levels), but I played with one of them the most time and it was amazing, we communicated with the sound the characters made when pressing O. You have no idea who that person is you play with and you still have such a relationship with them. Never thought that the multiplayer aspect of the game is so important.

Jeez, best 14 bucks I've ever spent. I would pay fullprice for that and it's only two hours long.
This gives me hope for the future of gaming.

Thank you thatgamecompany.

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HighOnSunoco - 03-19-2012, 08:13 PM

The first time I played thru amazing experience, ended up taking me 2 and a half hours for the complete play-through.

My second time I ended up in a frustrating situation: After the first level where you build the bridge. You are introduced to the magic carpet monsters (what I call them). Well, I ended up jumping on one's back. All fine and good, until I got tired of riding him. And he not going where I want him to go. When I tried to get off of him, nothing would work. Circle nope, X nope, I mashed every button on the controller. Even start wouldn't do anything. Then unfortunately, I had to quit the game and go back in there. I call it magic carpet monsters gone wild. LOL

Other than that 100% perfect game.

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LaLiLuLeLo - 03-20-2012, 04:09 AM

from PA. Because we can't lavish enough praise on this game. XD

Originally Posted by Penny Arcade

Like any other “interactive experience” from thatgamecompany, it doesn’t take a long time to “consume” Journey. This sort of thing used to bother me a lot. I think it’s valid to assess how much entertainment you get out of something per dollar, but if it’s the only metric it privileges a very specific type of genetic in our discourse. Dear Esther might be a “bad investment” on this classic and utterly pragmatic axis, but it must exist. And we can ensure that it does exist, by being the kind of ecosystem out of the way ideas can grow in.

Gabriel experienced Journey in what was possibly the most optimal way: as he’s more or less sworn off previews or trailers except in those cases of maximum interest, he’s often in a position to be surprised. The biggest surprise possible is that another conscious being will appear out of nowhere, or if not the biggest, certainly it ranks high. This happened to him, and kept happening, because this is how the game was designed. The experience was (and is) so positive, especially in the final act, that I wonder if every person shouldn’t have been given this opportunity: to have never mentioned the multiplayer at all. Similar to Demon’s/Dark Souls, the texture of the game is informed by these interlopers, whether their participation is active or ambient.

The game is allowed to retain its mysticism because it limits the ways you can interrupt another person’s experience. All you can really do to communicate is “chirp” at each other; I endeavored to create a cadence unique to myself. I was sitting down on a ruin at one point, wondering what that cleft was in the distance, when somebody decided that the thing to do was to run around me and tweetle, then move a little bit in the direction they wanted me to, then come back and do a couple more laps. I sent Gabe a text. Was he playing Journey right now? He said no, but I don’t believe him.

Anything I tell you will be something you can’t have unsullied, so I’m just going to let you get to it. Journey is sweet, though. Not “sweet” like a killer wave, or a red bean humbow. It has sentiment without being saccharine. To say that its an “instrumental” seems like a good way of putting it; a single word anywhere in the body of the work would have rendered the whole thing toxic and false.

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