Journey

I don't know how they did this, but the sand in this game looks better than real sand.

When I started to play this game I was not expecting anything. I was playing it because its short and it has great visuals. But I still thought it had potential. At the beggining, I just played it and I guess I just enjoyed discovering and exploring the games mechanics. But after about 30 minutes, I started feeling a bit bored and I was starting to think this game was extremely overrated. But I have to say that when it ended, I totally understood why people were talking good things about it. The gameplay is the most boring I've ever encountered in my video game playing journey. The story is absent of even the most insignificant plot. Then why is this game good? Its because of the raw portayal of emotions. I think this is a very rare thing to see but the raw emotions overthrown the absence of any plot, words or gameplay. I think its an achievement in himself to make a video game with all those negative points but still make it good. I think this is the type of thing that is an experience rather than being the usual video game with a story. Considering the lenght of this game, I'd say its infinitly worth playing. If you can spare an hour and you don't know what to do, well this is definitly a good idea. Its hard for me to describe this game for what it is, the title does it better than I do. I guess its just a Journey...

Journey is one of the most unusual games I've ever played, and I live for small little indie titles imbued with passion like this. I've played a lot of "walking simulators," and this is perhaps the second best I've ever seen (second to What Remains of Edith Finch), and I'm not sure how to review it, because all at once I'm so moved by it, but also convinced it's entirely over my head. The part of me that wants to make sense of it goes crazy, but the part of me that just wants to feel something is head-over-heels, because Journey made me feel a lot of things, and I'm not entirely sure how to describe those feelings, but I felt things none-the-less. It's a game that operates on pure emotion, playing it makes you feel like you're experiencing something profound, and that's all I can really say because I don't know what else there is. I'll play it again sometime and see if the "logic" part of my brain comes to any conclusions.

This is not only a game. This is pure art. Simply one of the most beautiful games I've ever played.

The relaxing atmosphere, the ambient music, the beautiful graphics, the smart gameplay.. everything is put together so perfectly. Actually a game you can combine doing yoga and meditation as well.

The gameplay is easy, and you can finish the game in about one hour and a half if you just play it straightforward and know how to do the puzzles. However there are much to explore and also hidden objects to find, and the best thing about this game is the joy you'll feel when floating around the desert not worrying about anything else in life.

One of the best things about this game is also the possibility to meet up with other random players characters, and you can choose to either ignore or co-operate with them. You'll not know who they are until you've finished the game. I appreciate the developers to concentrate on the gameplay instead of scorekeeping, statistics etc.

Floating through the temple with the sunlight in the background and flying up the mountains through the rivers and then walking into the white light in the end were some of the best moments!

If you've played Flow and Flower, you know what to expect from this game. I'm really looking forward to what 'thatgamecompany' comesup with next... it seems they can't fail!

I can't recommend this game enough.

Overall Impression

Journey isn't just a game. It's an experience. A wordless, spiritual pilgrimage through a vast, mysterious desert, where every grain of sand, every note in the score, and every silent companion along the way says more than dialogue ever could. It redefines what a game can be-visually, emotionally, philosophically.

Visual Style & Atmosphere

The art design is stunning. It's minimalistic but rich, ethereal yet grounded. The vast deserts, ancient ruins, and shifting environments feel both alien and familiar-like dreams you almost remember. Every scene looks like a moving painting. Light, shadow, and weather effects are used not just for aesthetics but to evoke feeling. Whether you're sliding down sun-drenched dunes or trudging through a blizzard near the summit, the environment tells its own story.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Simple, intuitive, and elegant. Movement and a single 'chirp' button are all you have-yet it's all you need. Your scarf lengthening with collected glyphs becomes a visual metaphor for growth. Flight and gliding feel joyful and freeing. Puzzles and obstacles are light, keeping the focus on exploration and emotion. It proves you don't need complex mechanics to create depth-you just need purpose.

Companionship & Multiplayer

This is where Journey goes from brilliant to legendary. The multiplayer system is anonymous. No usernames. No chat. No leaderboards. Just two strangers sharing a silent pilgrimage. Sometimes, you'll walk alone. Other times, you'll share a bond that feels stronger than words. Players often describe feeling grief when separated from their partner, or joy at reuniting at the summit.

It turns what could be a lonely quest into something powerfully human.

Storytelling (Without Words)

There's no traditional narrative. No cutscenes. No exposition. But the world tells a mythic story through its ruins, tapestries, and transitions. Themes of life, death, rebirth, struggle, hope, and transcendence run deep. Each playthrough feels symbolic of a different phase in one's own journey-whether it's grief, healing, growth, or connection.

The ambiguity isn't a flaw-it's intentional. You project your own meaning onto the journey.

Music & Sound Design

Austin Wintory's score is not just one of the best in video game history-it's one of the most emotionally resonant compositions, period. The music swells with every beat of the story. Lonely, uplifting, sorrowful, triumphant-it carries you the entire way. It's no exaggeration to say the music alone could bring you to tears.

Every sound, every chirp, every wind gust is crafted with meaning and care.

Themes & Symbolism The Journey itself - A metaphor for life. For hardship. For spiritual awakening.

The mountain - A symbol of purpose or higher calling.

The death-like blizzard near the end - Facing your limits, mortality, and suffering.

The rebirth at the summit - Transcendence. Renewal. Peace.

It's a game that invites you to interpret it based on where you are in your life.

Replayability & Impact

You can finish Journey in under two hours-but the emotional impact lingers for days, even years. Each replay can offer something new. A new companion. A new interpretation. A new emotional layer. It's short, yes-but that's because it respects your time while aiming for maximum impact.

Legacy

Journey changed the industry. It shattered assumptions about what games have to be. It opened doors for artful, introspective storytelling in interactive media. And it proved that silence can speak louder than words when crafted with intention.

Final Verdict

10 out of 10.

Journey is not just a game-it's a meditation. A work of art. A spiritual experience. It's what happens when minimalism meets emotional precision. Few games can say so much with so little-and none do it like this.