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Thread: Journey

  1. PlayStation 3 Journey

    If you liked flOw and Flower, here you go. Cannot wait.

    http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/17/preview-journey/

    flOw = an experimental version of Pac-Man
    Flower = a refined, perfected version of flOw
    Journey = an online-enabled HD combination of Wind Waker, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

    These comparisons may not be entirely accurate, but it's the closest way I could convey the changing trajectory of thatgamecompany's design philosophy. Journey is the most ambitious (and potentially revolutionary) undertaking from the independent studio, yet it also draws the most similarities to what many would call "traditional" games. Like most every other game, there is a humanoid avatar, controlled by analog stick. You jump. There's platforming. There's also an incredibly evident game-like goal: to reach the top of a mountain, looming in the far distance.

    At its core, Journey can probably be best described as a platformer, with a clear objective: get to the end. However, thatgamecompany isn't simply focusing on a goal -- instead, the experience is geared towards its title. Players are dropped in a gorgeous psuedo cel-shaded desert world. The character designs evoke Wind Waker, but the mesmerizing cloth and sand physics make the world feel even more alive. Like Team Ico's games, there is an incredible sense of loneliness to the world: there's no life, no foliage to be seen. There are remnants of a world lost, with a beautiful tranquility.
    Journey

    The technological focus of flOw was water, while Flower was grass. Journey harnesses the power of PS3 to render sand and cloth, the two "elements" you play with. This isn't just a cosmetic effect, though. As the wind blows, you'll be able to catch and ride waves of sand. You'll be able to jump onto blowing flags, and weightlessly hover in the sky. The hands-off presentation we saw had creative director Jenova Chen carelessly jumping from flag, to flag. As in Flower, your character has a mysterious ability to transform the world -- each flag changed color to a crimson hue with each step. As each flag lit up, what looked like a destroyed ship opened up, with bits of cloth flying in the sky, forming a bridge that led players to the next area. It's simultaneously mysterious and clear: immediately, you'll know what the goal is, but you can't help but want to unravel the mysteries of this world.

    Journey is simultaneously a single and multiplayer experience, with players encouraged to draw their own stories from the environment. Straying off the beaten path hides secrets, hidden areas that feature mysterious idols and glyphs; Chen refused to explain the meaning of these symbols, saying that doing so would ruin the entire point of the game -- exploration. Occasionally, players will be able to encounter others who are also on their own journeys. You could choose to ignore them (and they can do the same, as well). However, should you choose to continue to journey together, you'll be able to share a cooperative (or competitive) experience. The multiplayer option wasn't demonstrated, but we could immediately think of a few shared experiences: racing on sand waves, working together to solve puzzles, guiding a lost wanderer to the "right" path, etc. It's all up to what individual players want to do.

    For better and for worse, Journey is shrouded in mystery. There are many unresolved questions -- How will online work? How will I be able to communicate with other players? What kind of variety can we expect? -- but, there's a lot of time left before its planned 2011 release. While Journey may be the most game-like game from thatgamecompany yet, there's the potential for it to become something completely more.
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  2. More from the dev

    http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/...ey/#more-31227

    The inspiration for Journey came from Jenova Chen’s feeling that in the modern world where man has so much power, we have lost an integral aspect of the human experience – awe towards the unknown. And we can see this in our video games as well. But don’t take it from me! Here’s Jenova to talk about it more:
    In today’s society, man is powerful – We can travel at 60 mph; we can fly; we can connect with just about anyone, anywhere, at anytime. But on the street, people pass by each other ignoring the wonderful existence of other beings. We are overwhelmed by the attention needed to gain and execute our own power – just like we are in most video games. While we are doing that, we can become isolated and insecure deep inside our mind.
    On the contrary, when we are hiking in the wild, we become tiny and weak again. These feelings make every other person we encounter much more important and enjoyable. We greet them, giving them genuine and useful help. We might travel together for a period, learn from and rely on each other. Struggling against the dangerous nature together, somehow, makes us warm and powerful inside. (This doesn’t make any rational sense, but somehow that’s how I feel. And I’m sure many of us do.) While most video games offer the sense of empowerment in the online gaming experience, we felt the player will pay more attention to the other players if they are less distracted by the power, and the online gaming experience will be quite unique if it carries the feeling of awe towards the unknown.
    In a world where the majority of the players are distracted by technology, evoking a sense of awe and mystery could be very refreshing and powerful.

    To realize these goals, we aimed to create a world that feels vast and somewhat unfamiliar. And so the game begins with a character waking up in a desert, with no clues as to what might have happened before or what will happen later. There’s only a tall mountain in the distance, beckoning the player to set out and explore.

    As you travel through the world, you may encounter a stranger who is on his or her own journey. But we don’t want to talk too much about the online experience right now. In part, because we really don’t want to inform your own experience of it; also, because we really enjoy seeing what happens when experiences come without explanation. But there’s plenty of time left for us to talk about it in the future…

    One thing is for certain: we love getting to talk about a new project! It means that we can’t just navel-gaze about our own work anymore. It’s out there. You’re responding to it! And it also means we’re that much closer to getting the game into your hands. So we’d like to extend a HUGE thanks to everyone who has already expressed words of encouragement – they really do help!

  3. This looks like my kind of game for sure. Nice find.

  4. This does not involve the Journey I was expecting. I actually thought this might've been a sequel and was really excited for a minute.

    Still sounds neat.

  5. So it's a game about touching and going your separate ways?
    "I've watched while the maggots have defiled the earth. They have
    built their castles and had their wars. I cannot stand by idly any longer." - Otogi 2


  6. Another writeup. This time from Eurogamer.

    http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/journey-preview


  7. Holy shit! Did you come up with that all by yourself pumpkin?

  8. Quote Originally Posted by Dyne View Post
    Another writeup. This time from Eurogamer.

    http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/journey-preview
    Sounds good so far. I'm looking forward to this one.

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