Journey
Journey leaves you and a nameless robed figure stranded in a desert. Peaking from the distance is a mountain that acts as your beacon and goal in this vast sea of sand. But make no mistake, this isn’t a quest that’s purely for the sake of completion. As the name indicates, it is actually about the journey.
Essentially, this game’s core can be broken down into creation, interaction and emotion. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch the empty world metamorphose and come to life by your benevolent touch, adding value to progress. Journey is intentionally underpopulated, but sometimes there will be other wanderers on your way. They may or may not choose to help you (which works the other way around too) or engage in a conversation with nothing but calming melodic sounds instead of words.
There’s a whole spectrum of feelings involved in gameplay, from the childish joy of gliding on dunes or floating around with fabric jellyfish to euphoria when you finally make it to the top of that mountain. At the end, the game grants you a feeling of completion and enlightenment. And if you approach it a bit more philosophically, you will at least find temporary peace, and perhaps inspiration.
