When it comes to aesthetics, plenty of developers do a good job of standing out. For example, thatgamecompany has always been responsible for soothing sorts of games that are good at evoking feelings. While the latest adventure, Sky: The Children of the Light, is enjoying some iOS timed-exclusivity before heading to consoles. But, what can you play in the meantime? Well, now is honestly the perfect time to return to Journey. This PlayStation Classic has a lot in common with Sky: The Children of the Light and will give people a chance to return to a calming experience while waiting for a new one.
Heading for the Mountain
A war destroyed everything. Your people’s entire civilization was lost. But, some remain. Those that do are heading to one place, a glowing mountain in the distance. Your goal is to reach that light, surviving occasionally hazardous areas and learning more about what happened to your people along the way.
The key is, you’re defenseless. Nothing is conveyed, other than in wordless cutscenes. When you come across another player, you don’t “talk” to one another. If an enemy is encountered, you can’t fight back. You are there to explore and learn from the world around you.
What Does Journey Have in Common with Sky: Children of the Light?
Okay, so maybe you’re thinking about playing this because you want to play Sky: Children of the Light, but don’t have an iOS device. Well, even though the purposes are different, there’s quite a bit in common here. For example, both games have flying and gliding elements that gradually increase as you explore more of their worlds. In Journey, you are accumulating runes for your scarf, which grows as your abilities do. In Sky: Children of the Light, everyone wears a cape that can acquire more power by collecting energy. In each case, the more you collect, the more lift you have.
The relationship element is also common between both games. In both Journey and Sky: Children of the Light, you are encouraged to interact with strangers. Journey randomly pairs you up with other players. You can’t use words to communicate, but you can use a note to sing to one another and, combined with your actions, help each other through areas. You could follow one another to lead yourselves to different places or points of interest. You could also help activate cloth. Sky: Children of the Light builds on this idea by having actual interactions, chat options, and puzzles that need groups of people to play. But, it also encourages interactions with others by having certain amounts of people randomly in each area together as they play.
Heading Off Together
Journey is about capturing a feeling. It is sharing a moment with a stranger. It is going through something you never have before and appreciating what is around you. It is the perfect thing to play while waiting for Sky: Children of the Light, which will offer a similar experience. Best of all, you can get Journey on your PS3 or PS4 for $14.99.
