I appreciated the combined poetry of something so much it made me more tolerant, appreciative, optimistic and excited about life and people on the whole.
I had someone with a super long scarf play basically the entire second half of the game with me. So fun to find ways to communicate with just the little pulses we had.
!Also absolutely heartbreaking when wet froze together at the end!<
I also played their other game Flower, on the PS3. Probably the only time I’ve enjoyed using motion controls on that system.
Very strange. What client are you using, out of interest? If it’s an app that pivoted from being an old Reddit app into a Lemmy app, it might be an issue worth pointing out to the developer.
PS3 had more shimmery glittery sand. you can add it back into the game by making the changes mentioned in the alternate method at the bottom of this guide.
they messed up the sparkles in the later releases. doesn’t hit the same.
I didn’t see anyone else, and that does sound like a cool mechanic, but this was perfect for me on its own.
I was very happy to find this community because I can wait decades to play a game.
I’ve never heard of this game before, but was going through all time best game lists and there journey was on igns, and it sounded too good to not immediately investigate.
That’s a shame there aren’t any players any more.
I’m a patient gamer, too. I almost never buy games at full price. But I try to strike a balance with online(-ish) games. Some experiences you just can’t have once a game with an online aspect isn’t popular anymore.
I played it back when it first came out, and I still pick it up at least once or twice a year just to play it again. It is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played.
Did you get to encounter any other players on your journey? Also, if you collect all of the glyphs (the ones that extend your scarf) you get the white robe. It makes it so that your scarf recharges just from standing on a surface! (And it’s pretty!)
I didn’t, and I had no idea about collecting all the glyphs. I collected all the ones I saw until I got to the penultimate tower, and then I was so caught up in the game that I just left them and kept gliding forward.
Maybe I’ll do that next time I play.
I can’t imagine not playing it again at some point.
I would recommend this game to anyone, it is truly unique.
Oh, hey. I completely forgot… They have another game called Flower that’s available on Steam. It came out before Journey. You play as the wind, collecting flower petals by waking up flowers. It may sound weird, but it’s super peaceful and relaxing.
The one before that, their first game, is called Flow, but it never got ported to PC, so you’ll need a PS4/5 to play it. You play as a microscopic organism that floats around eating other organisms, growing larger and more elaborate as you do, trying to get to the dark depths.
I love thatgamecompany. Their stuff is always so chill.
I played it just recently so I didn’t get to play with as many people as I’m sure there were at the start. I did encounter others frequently enough though. Even played with 1 person for a big chunk.
It was fine. It’s pretty and it has soul for sure but it’s not a transcendent experience like so many seem to describe. Maybe I’m broken in my own way, maybe I missed something, maybe I don’t understand art. Who knows.
The amazing part for me is running into a stranger and we have to communicate with the limited system in game. Outside of that it’s a competent “walking simulator” with decent puzzles and great art. If that’s not your thing I get it.
Nope. White are real people, too. You respawn white back at the beginning (i think you have the option to, so you could stay red as well) if you managed to find all the glyphs. Ive been the White Traveler lots of times.
That’s so wild. I met one person and I was just following them around to see where the “AI” was taking them. I thought it was very advanced for an older game 😅 I think I may not be the smartest
Don’t feel too bad lol. It’s structured to feel like a single player game, which they may have done a little too well. You aren’t the only one to not realize.
It’s such a beautiful game! I need to play it again.
I played with my friend over Discord and somehow we got matched with each other the first time, so we didn’t get to play with strangers or anything. Still was fun though.
I played and got a friend right away, my friend was VERY chirpy and led me around and when I had to poop I tried to communicate it and they KNEW… They were the perfect partner. I really felt like a made a deep connection with this person I couldn’t communicate with. I teared up and when their Steam name showed at the end credits I added them immediately and we have a long chat about our experience.
My partner? First friend joined, was a speedrunner. Just ran ahead without so much as a chirp. Nobody else was joining so we started over. Got another friend who randomly dropped out after a bit. Finally found another friend who also just left about 3/4 of the way through. Frustration; quit.
After I unlocked the White Robe I used to go back into games and find people. Then I’d just chill with them chirping, giving subtle hints on where things were, and being patient while floating around levels. It remains one of my favorite games of all time.
That’s totally what my person was doing, and they definitely had white robe. Bless you for making people’s experiences amazing. You’re the best kind of player!
I had a similar experience. Funnily enough I love walking simulators, or slow burns with similar mechanics so I was exactly in the target audience for this game but somehow it didn’t click with me. I can understand which elements make the game great, but these elements have been done better by other games (in my opinion). I have great respect for the craft though.
With the emphasis that they have done certain elements better: Brothers: A Tale of two sons (Show, Don’t Tell) , Dark Souls (silent companion), Shadow of the Colossus (feeling of isolation/scale).
I might add some more if I find the time.
Oh I definitely prefer the show Don’t tell in journey more, if I’m understanding that category. And I did love Brothers.
I didn’t have a silent companion, but comparing by how many people have told me about the silent companions of this game versus a huge thread about dark souls and elden ring I had recently and nobody mentioning a silent companion, I’m going to grain of salt that one.
Are the silent companions in dark souls like elden ring where you summon friends to help you fight?
I do want to play Shadow of the Colossus, but that game kind of beats everyone in terms of scale right?
Isolation? Hm. Interesting.
I really should play shadow of the Colossus.
Is that still Playstation exclusive or is it anywhere else yet?
This was exactly my experience as well! The same thing happened with Witcher 3. Sooo much hype but no matter how many times I’ve gone back to it, I just can’t get into it.
It’s the one game I would suggest hands down to anyone to play. From non-gamers on up. The game is a short masterpiece and one of a very few to elicit an emotional reaction out of me. I cannot sing it’s praises enough.
Journey is my favorite game, hands down. It was even more magical in the years after its release and there were still a bunch of active players. Did you encounter any others on their journey in your game?
Me too!!! I still play through it once a year or so and listen to the soundtrack all the time. My favorite game of all time; one of my favorite pieces of art of all time. Guess I’m due for another round!
Yeah, my first playthrough, I thought it was just NPCs chirping around me, but it turned out that they were real people! As players got more scarce, it was truly a special experience finding someone and going through parts of the game with them. I remember I encountered someone a few levels in and we somehow ended up together until we crawled up the snowy mountain, trying to keep each other from freezing. Not a single word spoken, yet this game has such powerful messaging.
I hope you get the opportunity to encounter your own Journey companion on a playthrough. :)
Yes!!! The only* game I’ve played start to finish in one sitting. The entire experience had me riveted. RIVETED.The aesthetic was perfect. The visuals, sound, music, art design, fiction! So good!
*okay I guess other than You Have to Burn the Rope.
I’m sad that they had to monetize sky the way they did to keep the service up. It’s clearly what they wanted out of journey but couldn’t accomplish the first go. If you like journey, play sky, children of the light
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A gaming community free from the hype and oversaturation of current releases, catering to gamers who wait at least 12 months after release to play a game. Whether it’s price, waiting for bugs/issues to be patched, DLC to be released, don’t meet the system requirements, or just haven’t had the time to keep up with the latest releases.
Eh, looks artsy which is fine if that’s what you’re into.
I dig art
If that is meant literally, how did it make you a better person?
I appreciated the combined poetry of something so much it made me more tolerant, appreciative, optimistic and excited about life and people on the whole.
Turned the dial.
Some games you sometimes load just to hang around. This is one of those. Lovely game.
I’d add Valley and Sable to this group.
Thanks, I’ll look them up
Been enjoying my time with Sabel so far. Love the French sci fi comic art style.
Oh this comment had me poring over images, now I’m very excited to play.
Such a relaxing and satisfying exploration/puzzle-platformer. It’s the tone that really sold me.
If you’re looking for a similar type of game, I played GRIS recently which reminded me quite a bit of this.
Gris hooked me much more than Journey.
Gris broke me lol. It was so beautiful, so emotional.
Nice, much appreciated
Dang, you’re patient. I played this back on PS3. Does it even have online players anymore? They are an integral part of the experience, IMO.
There are still players. Much more rare I’m sure. I played maybe 4 months ago and met a few people.
I was playing on Steam maybe 2 months ago and I saw two people in my 4ish hours of playing. They both kinda danced around me for a bit then ran off :(
I had someone with a super long scarf play basically the entire second half of the game with me. So fun to find ways to communicate with just the little pulses we had.
I also played their other game Flower, on the PS3. Probably the only time I’ve enjoyed using motion controls on that system.
Fyi Lemmy doesn’t do spoilers the way Reddit does. The syntax for spoilers is:
visible spoiler text
Text that’s hidden behind a spoiler
Weird, I did format it that way but it doesn’t seem to stick on editing
Very strange. What client are you using, out of interest? If it’s an app that pivoted from being an old Reddit app into a Lemmy app, it might be an issue worth pointing out to the developer.
Sync, I’ll be sure to let them know. Thanks!
PS3 had more shimmery glittery sand. you can add it back into the game by making the changes mentioned in the alternate method at the bottom of this guide. they messed up the sparkles in the later releases. doesn’t hit the same.
Thank you for that!
I didn’t see anyone else, and that does sound like a cool mechanic, but this was perfect for me on its own.
I was very happy to find this community because I can wait decades to play a game.
I’ve never heard of this game before, but was going through all time best game lists and there journey was on igns, and it sounded too good to not immediately investigate.
That’s a shame there aren’t any players any more.
I’m a patient gamer, too. I almost never buy games at full price. But I try to strike a balance with online(-ish) games. Some experiences you just can’t have once a game with an online aspect isn’t popular anymore.
It left a permanent mark on me. I love it so fucking much.
I am right there with you. I feel like I’ve discovered a type of game altogether that I need to pursue.
I played it back when it first came out, and I still pick it up at least once or twice a year just to play it again. It is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played.
Did you get to encounter any other players on your journey? Also, if you collect all of the glyphs (the ones that extend your scarf) you get the white robe. It makes it so that your scarf recharges just from standing on a surface! (And it’s pretty!)
I didn’t, and I had no idea about collecting all the glyphs. I collected all the ones I saw until I got to the penultimate tower, and then I was so caught up in the game that I just left them and kept gliding forward.
Maybe I’ll do that next time I play.
I can’t imagine not playing it again at some point.
I would recommend this game to anyone, it is truly unique.
Oh, hey. I completely forgot… They have another game called Flower that’s available on Steam. It came out before Journey. You play as the wind, collecting flower petals by waking up flowers. It may sound weird, but it’s super peaceful and relaxing.
The one before that, their first game, is called Flow, but it never got ported to PC, so you’ll need a PS4/5 to play it. You play as a microscopic organism that floats around eating other organisms, growing larger and more elaborate as you do, trying to get to the dark depths.
I love thatgamecompany. Their stuff is always so chill.
Sounds perfect. I will be playing those forrrr sure
I’ve played it on PC two months ago and I did run into other players. Really cool experience
I saw so much praise for this game, which got me to buy. Then I genuinely felt like I played a different game than everybody else.
Not that I thought it was bad or anything, I just walked across the landscape for 2h15m and then haven’t thought about it since.
I’m with you here.
I played it just recently so I didn’t get to play with as many people as I’m sure there were at the start. I did encounter others frequently enough though. Even played with 1 person for a big chunk.
It was fine. It’s pretty and it has soul for sure but it’s not a transcendent experience like so many seem to describe. Maybe I’m broken in my own way, maybe I missed something, maybe I don’t understand art. Who knows.
I had fun though and it was worth the price.
Oh, sorry. I was absolutely mesmerized.
I’ll be remembering it for quite some time.
My mind is still spinning.
The amazing part for me is running into a stranger and we have to communicate with the limited system in game. Outside of that it’s a competent “walking simulator” with decent puzzles and great art. If that’s not your thing I get it.
Wait that other person I saw was a real person and not an NPC?? 🤯
Regular players are red, think if you meet someone in white, they 100% the game
IIRC white means you got all the secret glyphs in one playthrough.
Nope. White are real people, too. You respawn white back at the beginning (i think you have the option to, so you could stay red as well) if you managed to find all the glyphs. Ive been the White Traveler lots of times.
Yup. When the game ends, you will see a list of player IDs you’ve met during your journey
That’s so wild. I met one person and I was just following them around to see where the “AI” was taking them. I thought it was very advanced for an older game 😅 I think I may not be the smartest
Don’t feel too bad lol. It’s structured to feel like a single player game, which they may have done a little too well. You aren’t the only one to not realize.
It’s such a beautiful game! I need to play it again.
I played with my friend over Discord and somehow we got matched with each other the first time, so we didn’t get to play with strangers or anything. Still was fun though.
My partner and I had VERY different experiences.
SPOILERS
I played and got a friend right away, my friend was VERY chirpy and led me around and when I had to poop I tried to communicate it and they KNEW… They were the perfect partner. I really felt like a made a deep connection with this person I couldn’t communicate with. I teared up and when their Steam name showed at the end credits I added them immediately and we have a long chat about our experience.
My partner? First friend joined, was a speedrunner. Just ran ahead without so much as a chirp. Nobody else was joining so we started over. Got another friend who randomly dropped out after a bit. Finally found another friend who also just left about 3/4 of the way through. Frustration; quit.
After I unlocked the White Robe I used to go back into games and find people. Then I’d just chill with them chirping, giving subtle hints on where things were, and being patient while floating around levels. It remains one of my favorite games of all time.
That’s totally what my person was doing, and they definitely had white robe. Bless you for making people’s experiences amazing. You’re the best kind of player!
I had a similar experience. Funnily enough I love walking simulators, or slow burns with similar mechanics so I was exactly in the target audience for this game but somehow it didn’t click with me. I can understand which elements make the game great, but these elements have been done better by other games (in my opinion). I have great respect for the craft though.
I’m combing through these comments, which games have done this better?
I am definitely interested.
With the emphasis that they have done certain elements better: Brothers: A Tale of two sons (Show, Don’t Tell) , Dark Souls (silent companion), Shadow of the Colossus (feeling of isolation/scale). I might add some more if I find the time.
Oh I definitely prefer the show Don’t tell in journey more, if I’m understanding that category. And I did love Brothers.
I didn’t have a silent companion, but comparing by how many people have told me about the silent companions of this game versus a huge thread about dark souls and elden ring I had recently and nobody mentioning a silent companion, I’m going to grain of salt that one.
Are the silent companions in dark souls like elden ring where you summon friends to help you fight?
I do want to play Shadow of the Colossus, but that game kind of beats everyone in terms of scale right?
Isolation? Hm. Interesting.
I really should play shadow of the Colossus.
Is that still Playstation exclusive or is it anywhere else yet?
I believe it is still an exclusive
Dang. Wasn’t that game super popular? I wonder why it still exclusive.
I stand corrected - there are versions for other platforms available according to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_(2012_video_game)
Same here, it’s by all accounts a decently competent but ultimately very basic puzzle platformer. Don’t get the hype.
This was exactly my experience as well! The same thing happened with Witcher 3. Sooo much hype but no matter how many times I’ve gone back to it, I just can’t get into it.
Downvotes just for having an opinion, wild.
Witcher 3 took me a few attempts before I finally got into it. And those types of games were always my favorite.
I don’t think Witcher 3 stuck until the DLCs. Now I’m sad I’m done with the game…
I’ve been playing video games for about 30 years and this is hands down one of the best games I’ve ever played.
Edit: other noteworthy mentions - outer wilds, the original ps2 amplitude, and NieR Automata are some other stand out masterpieces of my life.
I dig outer wilds, I’m writing down the other two now, thanks.
Journey was unbelievable.
I literally could not believe how caught up I was in it while enjoying the entire ride.
It’s the one game I would suggest hands down to anyone to play. From non-gamers on up. The game is a short masterpiece and one of a very few to elicit an emotional reaction out of me. I cannot sing it’s praises enough.
I am definitely sharing a boat with you.
Yep, it’s the only game that my one non-gaming sibling has beat, and they still talk about it.
Journey is my favorite game, hands down. It was even more magical in the years after its release and there were still a bunch of active players. Did you encounter any others on their journey in your game?
Me too!!! I still play through it once a year or so and listen to the soundtrack all the time. My favorite game of all time; one of my favorite pieces of art of all time. Guess I’m due for another round!
No! I didn’t even know that was a thing.
Truly unique experience, I’m still reeling from being in that world and following that story.
Some review mentioned that if you could distill a video game into pure poetry, journey would be it.
That’s what got me to check it out, and goddam were they right.
Yeah, my first playthrough, I thought it was just NPCs chirping around me, but it turned out that they were real people! As players got more scarce, it was truly a special experience finding someone and going through parts of the game with them. I remember I encountered someone a few levels in and we somehow ended up together until we crawled up the snowy mountain, trying to keep each other from freezing. Not a single word spoken, yet this game has such powerful messaging.
I hope you get the opportunity to encounter your own Journey companion on a playthrough. :)
That sounds amazing, what a beautiful experience.
Wasn’t Abzu made by the same studio? Also very chill game
Not the same studio, but same director and music composer
Yes!!! The only* game I’ve played start to finish in one sitting. The entire experience had me riveted. RIVETED.The aesthetic was perfect. The visuals, sound, music, art design, fiction! So good!
*okay I guess other than You Have to Burn the Rope.
Couldn’t agree more. Riveted.
I’m actually listening to the soundtrack right now.
I hadn’t heard of you have to burn the rope, but I just looked it up and that’s very funny.
Oh man! I didn’t know this game was on PC! Has been on my must-play list for years, but it was a PlayStation exclusive.
Board that Steam train.
Choo choo!
I’m sad that they had to monetize sky the way they did to keep the service up. It’s clearly what they wanted out of journey but couldn’t accomplish the first go. If you like journey, play sky, children of the light
Cool, thanks I will.