Journey PlayStation 4 - Review

Journey is one of those games that I missed when it released on the last console generation and with the praise that it got, once I learnt it was coming to PlayStation 4, I knew I had to give it ago.

The story of Journey is one of simplicity, but it does not make a lot of sense, part of this is due to the lack of explanation of it, but the other part is that the images that are used for the cutscenes that explain the story are in a very unique art style, which will make them harder to understand on your first playthrough.  Repeat playthroughs will give you more context, it's just a shame you need to do it.

From a gameplay point of view there is very little you can do, movement and jumping is really it, mixed in with the occasional chime action, the simplistic nature of the gameplay is really well suited to the pace of the game and the idea of exploring the unknown. There is not a lot of things inside the world to do, but you can collect a range of collectables to help extend the length of your scarf, which allows you to stay in the air longer.

There are times when another player will appear in your game, there is no way to communicate with them outside the aforementioned chimes, you can’t do much with them, but you can make your presence known. Moving around with another player does not really add a lot to the game, but it's fun to see someone else surfing the sand dunes of the world.

Speaking of Sand Dunes, one area that the game does shine is in it's presentation, the game is stunning, from the early sand covered sections to the underground, crumbling ruins and the final areas, each part looks great. The sand is a perfect highlight for the game as it's as mysterious as everything else and depending on your camera positioning, it will get a golden sheen to it from the sun.

From an audio point of view, there is no spoken words to hear, just noises and music, with the latter being something really nice. The noises of the world seem a little other-worldly, but they still maintain a familiarity to them, so you can get what they are meant to be pretty easily. The music is really quiet and stays in the background more often than not, except for a few sequences when it takes a much larger place in the spotlight.

Journey is a nice experience, but it's hardly a game for the ages, what little challenge is presented in the game is minimal and it's length falls onto the very short side. What is here is a polished experience that people will like, but if you have played through it before then you won’t get anything from it again.

The Score

8.0

Review code provided by PlayStation

The Pros

+A very pretty game

+An experience unlike anything else around

The Cons

-The story is hardly explained, unless you play it twice

-The games length is well below what you might think it is