Looking Back At My Journey

by Joshua Williams

Journey was released two months ago to the delight of the gaming community. At the time it was all anyone could seem to talk about so of course I had to see what the fuss was about. To put it simply I have to say that it was an experience like no other. Even to label this title as art would be an injustice because what I’ve taken from my experience transcends what most of the art world has to offer. This is not a review but rather a look back at my journey.

As I set off I was naïve to the world around me. Exploration led to discovering abilities that would prove to be vital in reaching my destination. Before that however, I was destined to meet a partner. I was just beginning to feel it was too soon to meet someone when I finally had an encounter. As we began to get a feel for each other, we quickly understood that it was in our best interest to be a helping hand.

Not only was language not a barrier, communication within Journey has an uncanny ability to be effective without becoming complex or annoying. There were so many instances in which we were able to perceive and convey a range of wordless emotion, gratitude and concern. This may only apply for users on their initial playthroughs but the experience is like the dialog between toddlers. One can’t help but think of how often words stand in the way of real life journeys.

I was able to progress with the same partner for the majority of my experience. The bond we so quickly developed was nourished by every obstacle, discovery and setback. The fact that we were eventually, unintentionally separated illustrates another real world parallel. We’re not always in control of who comes and goes in our lives. It’s nice to have support in this journey we call life but there’s always going to be something we have to do alone. We’re fortunate enough to have relationships that leave lasting impressions. Wherever you are in your journey, look within and you’ll see that those impressions ensure that you never have to be alone.