[patsu]

Originally Posted by BoardBonobo

Ever since the first one arrived I've not had an uninterrupted session due to the little darlings. Even at 4am they like to come down and see the 'cartoons' daddy watches. Not that I carry on playing as they wouldn't sleep for months with the content of most games. They once persuaded me to chase a frost spider in Skyrim, when it turned round and filled the screen they both screamed and ran... Giant spider about to eat me from the tv synddrome or GSAtEMftTVS as it will be known in later years...

How old are they now ? My kid will ask for my controller. 8^/

Originally Posted by Cornsnake

That's probably true. I don't see a lot of publishers funding something as innovative and therefor risky game as Journey. Or delaying it for a year like that.

Originally Posted by Scott_Arm

They raised $5 million from a venture capital firm so they could do multiplatform development. http://thatgamecompany.com/general/2929/

I suspect we may not need to worry about Jenova financially. He's from China. There are tons of software money from the government there these days.

My friend's company received US$158 million (1 billion Chinese Yuan) from just 1 city for setting up a software company there, without even looking at the business plan. It's basically free money. Since Jenova's more or less proven, he will also draw attention from private investors.

EDIT: Oh yes, I forgot the city also gave them "I forgot how many" acres of land to build new buildings.

[Shifty Geezer]

Originally Posted by Cornsnake

That's probably true. I don't see a lot of publishers funding something as innovative and therefor risky game as Journey. Or delaying it for a year like that.

If they made good sales from their other games, I see no reason why a publisher would avoid supporting them.

Originally Posted by patsu

I suspect we may not need to worry about Jenova financially. He's from China. There are tons of software money from the government there these days.

Sure, if thatgamecompany relocates to China.

[patsu]

Originally Posted by Shifty Geezer

Sure, if thatgamecompany relocates to China.

... or start a branch, or a national event or project there. The key thing is to hold an influential post to help cultivate the indigenous media industry.

There are many angles to interest the Chinese government. They are very keen to expand Chinese culture and footprint all over the globe. You see them injecting millions (casually) worldwide to further their goals. Jenova Chen's work may already embody elements from Chinese traditions, philosophy and history.

e.g., For a game like Journey, the "scarf" design will look familiar to the Chinese people. It's like a Chinese charm. ^_^

Stuff like FPS, elves and demons may be less interesting to the mainstream though.

[Grall]

I didn't think I would re-purchase a current-gen console again after my launch PS3 died the previous summer, but I couldn't be without a decent bluray player now that I have a 3D-compatible TV, so it was an obvious choice really. A stand-alone bluray player that is 3D compatible and with a LAN plug for firmware updates cost a comparable amount of money, so...duh. Welcome to my humble abode, PS3 Slim.

...So then I had to go buy Journey too of course. I'd anticipated that game since before my previous PS3 died, and heard quite a lot of good things about it in the passing year and a half or so. It's a very strange "game", as others have observed in this thread. It's more of an experience really than an actual game, as there aren't any real adversaries or threats, and if you don't like weird, abstract environments and...erm...sand, well then the experience probably isn't going to be all that enjoyable.

It's also a fairly pretentious game, it tries to be deep, but feels a bit shallow at times, because there just isn't very much game in this game. You just travel through the environments, and if you're alone with no flying power it's just a slow slog through the sand much of the time. There's some simplistic platform puzzle-like gameplay early on, but that mostly falls to the wayside past the first couple levels. If the rest of the game had been more like that, it might have been more enjoyable.

As it is on the whole I did like playing this game I must say. It is a very peculiar experience in that you don't know who you are, where you are, why you're doing what you're doing, and Journey manages to be quite evocative at times with its imagery and sound - the music is just as immersive as the often fabulous vistas. As I discovered more murals, I liked to think I was journeying to meet my mother - the white figures seen at the end of levels struck me as vaguely feminine in nature.

The ending is a bit dissatisfying however - I was hoping I'd get to take revenge on the floating dragon-snake enemies that chewed up my scarf, but nonono... Bah. It's as much of an anticlimax as those combine spaceworms killing Alyx Vance's dad in HL2 Ep2, and then no more episodes for roughly 178 years, or how long has it been now? Instead, my character dies in the snow, or I think she dies anyway...and then her ghost, or spirit, walk into a vagina-like crevice...and then it's the end. ...Well, you tell me! I don't know what the hell happened, I just saw it play out on my TV screen.

Still, it was a fairly nice experience on the whole for the short time it lasted - not without flaws, but it was fairly cheap too so I can't complain too much. I will go back some day and try and find more stuff, maybe get my white robes or whatever. Not today though I think.

6.5/10. (5 is to be seen as an average game, not as total complete crap as is typically the case in mainstream reviews.)

[Cornsnake]

I think a lot of Journey's environments where deliberately made to be very empty. Making the other player the far most interesting thing in it, which helps to create bond between players. Having the same players with you throughout the journey probably creates a better experience.

One thing that impressed me the most about Journey is the way the pacing of the story perfectly matches the pacing of the gameplay. Usually in games the two very much separate. You get the same gameplay regardless of want happens in the story, and you go from being relatively weak at the beginning to progressively more powerful towards the end.

Not in Journey

It starts you limited to only walking in a barren environment, but soon increases your ability to move around as you explore the ruins of a lost civilisation, and showing you visions of that civilisation. Reaching it's height as you slide elegantly down hill in the beautiful sunset. Then both the story and gameplay take a turn. Your shown the destruction of that old civilisation, and are once again restricted to mostly just walking, but through a dark environment and also avoid being found by the remnants of the past. Being further restricted in your movement if you are. The story reaches full circle in the circular tower, letting you float around effortlessly in it, showing you the birth of your own civilisation. Then it's on to reach the summit of the mountain. Slowly your scarf is being drained away and movement is limited to the point where you stop and collapse in the snow, having completely lost sight of where you wanted to go. When are reborn you have the most amount freedom to move around of any point in the game, gliding completely free through the clouds, until finally reach yhe end of your journey on the top of the mountain.

The gameplay is paced perfectly through one central mechanic, your ability to move. Making sure you feel the same things the story wants you to feel. Very few games feel as cohesive as Journey does because of this. Developers that want to push story in games may want to take a good look at Journey to see how it can be done.

[Brad Grenz]

Originally Posted by Grall

I didn't think I would re-purchase a current-gen console again after my launch PS3 died the previous summer, but I couldn't be without a decent bluray player now that I have a 3D-compatible TV, so it was an obvious choice really. A stand-alone bluray player that is 3D compatible and with a LAN plug for firmware updates cost a comparable amount of money, so...duh. Welcome to my humble abode, PS3 Slim.

...So then I had to go buy Journey too of course. I'd anticipated that game since before my previous PS3 died, and heard quite a lot of good things about it in the passing year and a half or so. It's a very strange "game", as others have observed in this thread. It's more of an experience really than an actual game, as there aren't any real adversaries or threats, and if you don't like weird, abstract environments and...erm...sand, well then the experience probably isn't going to be all that enjoyable.

It's also a fairly pretentious game, it tries to be deep, but feels a bit shallow at times, because there just isn't very much game in this game. You just travel through the environments, and if you're alone with no flying power it's just a slow slog through the sand much of the time. There's some simplistic platform puzzle-like gameplay early on, but that mostly falls to the wayside past the first couple levels. If the rest of the game had been more like that, it might have been more enjoyable.

As it is on the whole I did like playing this game I must say. It is a very peculiar experience in that you don't know who you are, where you are, why you're doing what you're doing, and Journey manages to be quite evocative at times with its imagery and sound - the music is just as immersive as the often fabulous vistas. As I discovered more murals, I liked to think I was journeying to meet my mother - the white figures seen at the end of levels struck me as vaguely feminine in nature.

The ending is a bit dissatisfying however - I was hoping I'd get to take revenge on the floating dragon-snake enemies that chewed up my scarf, but nonono... Bah. It's as much of an anticlimax as those combine spaceworms killing Alyx Vance's dad in HL2 Ep2, and then no more episodes for roughly 178 years, or how long has it been now? Instead, my character dies in the snow, or I think she dies anyway...and then her ghost, or spirit, walk into a vagina-like crevice...and then it's the end. ...Well, you tell me! I don't know what the hell happened, I just saw it play out on my TV screen.

Still, it was a fairly nice experience on the whole for the short time it lasted - not without flaws, but it was fairly cheap too so I can't complain too much. I will go back some day and try and find more stuff, maybe get my white robes or whatever. Not today though I think.

6.5/10. (5 is to be seen as an average game, not as total complete crap as is typically the case in mainstream reviews.)

Were you playing online? Did you run in to any other players? That stuff had a profound impact on my appreciation for the game.

[fearsomepirate]

I feel the same way Grall did. Some flashes of brilliance, great environments, utterly disappointing ending. I feel like a lot of people are making excuses for this game because it's artsy.

[Billy Idol]

I liked the game a lot. Online experience was different but fresh, felt unforced and natural. Subtle gameplay elements like riding the sand waves were phantastic, especially when I discovered how to read the wave movement and use this to cross the whole section in one ride.

Art style and graphics often breathtaking, for me one of the best looking games out there, very consistent. Sand of course is the main element, but surfing in the golden evening was one of those moments you hope for.

A game with perfect length in my opinion, right to play it through in one sitting. Some might find it short, especially for the rather hefty price. Replay value is barely existant imo, only to show the game friends.

Ending was good for me, last sequence was also good. Overall simple, but on the other hand not overdone and exaggerated.

Billy's verdict: buy it if you like such game types, might be the right thing for you.

[patsu]

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