“I played this game and cried. I let my best friend play it while I was silently watching and he also cried. My wife teared up just hearing me describe the game and how the online component works through silent companionship. Make no mistake, this game is a unique experience and a true masterpiece.” - random YTB comment
If you look at my blog, the inescapable fact is that I am a sunset lover, but I also (sometimes) play video games. One of them happens to be Journey - a short game-experience which tells you a lot about life.
I thought this title deserves a special mention, despite that I’ve never done a video game review in my life, I simply owe it to the game and its creators - thatgamecompany.
Also, funnily enough it’s the 5th anniversary of Journey, so now I have motivation to write this review.
Let’s go back in time to 2012, Cracow. Just starting an afternoon shift at Empik ( well known by everyone in Poland ). It was the middle of summer, my friend who I used to work with, in the music, movie & video games department approaches. He tells me that there's this game which is going to be released later in the year, which I may be interested in. He then shows me Journey’s trailer:
To be honest with you, I don’t really know what I’m looking for in video games. Just to kill some spare time? A way to relax? Interaction with other people online? Problem solving? Exploration of exotic environments we wouldn't normal see? Or maybe to learn/understand something…?
I remember the day when I played Journey for the very first time - a few days before Christmas, my friend bought the game and invited me for his first launch of Journey. Sitting on the floor, in a dark room, in the front of the big TV. Our Journey was about to start. We didn't know what to expect.
You wake up completely alone. You don’t really know where to go and what to do in the first few minutes of the game. Your mesmerized by sandy hills, warm colors and beautiful ambient music in the background. You then realise, there is some sort of a horizon in the distance, which you have to reach. Intrigued, you walk towards the horizon, you see this glowing mountain in the distance and you immediately know that it is your destination. Also, you can sometimes notice a single spark coming out from the peak of the mountain, although you don’t understand what it is yet. You can only figure out that's the place you should be, so you head straight towards it!
Because it's a fairly short and simple game, you can pick up the controls very quickly. You learn very early on in the game, that collecting the flying pieces of cloth can make you jump for a longer period of time. There is also something magical happening to your scarf - if you collect tokens, your scarf get's longer and longer, meaning, you can charge it with the pieces of cloth for longer jumps. You start finding yourself fluidly floating across the desert, it gives you a sensation of absolute freedom. It is very relaxing too. You also discover that pressing one of the buttons make you glow, it looks like you're ‘tagged’ with your own symbol. Is it your name? You can hear a melodic tone, what is that for? Oh, it calls floating pieces of cloth to charge your scarf! The land is changing as you explore. You travel from the desert, through temples, ending in caves. Everything is so beautiful you just want to stay in the moment forever. Visual effects in this game are just a pure ‘chef d'oeuvre’. I usually tend to play during the evening when it gets dark, so I can focus on the visual details better. I can really feel that I’m in the dessert. Also I just thought - I don’t expect anything like Journey 2, but maybe some VR developers are reading this article? Not that I am suggesting anything :3.
Your adventure is enjoyable, discovering tokens which make your scarf longer, solving puzzles to access new areas. Sometimes you just stand on the edge of a huge sandy dune to admire the view, breath taking.
And then… all of the sudden, you can spot the edge of your screen starting to gently glow, you turn around and you see someone. The same character. You discover that the same melodic tone you use to summon floating pieces of cloth can also be used for a way of communicating with other players. You don’t know who the other player is, you can’t see their username, anything apart their own symbol. You are not alone anymore. Someone wants to experience the journey with you - waiting to help if you struggle to jump on to a rocky platform, show you interesting places and keep you a company.
In my opinion this is one of the greatest elements of the game.
They don’t know anything about you and you don’t know anything about them, but you still grow to care for each other. Without any extended communication (dialogues, speech), you communicate with someone in the simplest possible level, and you understand each other perfectly. And believe me or not, but you will never forget the time spent with your companion. No matter how many times you will be playing the game.
I’ve read some people’s comments on the web and my heart shed a tear:
“At the end when I had played for 3-4 hours with the same player and we finally reach the top of the mountain and we know its about to end so we sit at the top for a minute with each other and drawing hearts in the snow before letting each other go, that was a moment I will never forget, then watching the credits roll with this song and its all over.” - SpartanUruk
“I remember the first time I played. I got to the snowy area and met a similarly lost soul, as we both hid from the giant flying worm things. Then we reached the final stretch, saw the mountain. We were getting weaker. Then I saw them fall. And I collapsed next to them. I never felt anything like that sense of hopelessness in any other game. I lost them on my way to the top. I hope they had a good one. That experience was beautiful.” - Dayne Fishwick
It also makes you realize that as much as a single-journey is a beautiful experience, it is good to have someone by your side. Someone who will understand you, without telling a single word and keep you company - while sand surfing or keeping you warm during the tremendous snow storm.
I haven’t mentioned the music in detail yet. The soundtrack has been written by Austin Wintory and to be honest, it's a journey of its own. You would need to experience the game for yourself to truly understand it, but even as standalone music - it's a masterpiece. I listen to it again and again:
https://austinwintory.bandcamp.com/album/journey
So, you eventually reach the peak of the mountain, and as much as I want to share what it is all about, I just can’t. I think you should experience it on your own, I don’t want to give any spoilers away, that would be unfair. The only thing I’m going to share is the lyrics of the song at the end of the game. Each verse of the song is a phrase taken from various poems from all around the world… (How cool is that ?)
Stat sua cuique dies
To each his day is given (Latin, Aeneid)
Stat sua cuique dies
To each his day is given (Latin, Aeneid)
Mæl is me to feran (Maél is mé tó féran)
'Tis time that I fare from you (Old English, Beowulf)
Aleto men moi nostos (ὤλετο μέν μοι νόστος)
I gain from our time here (Greek, Illiad)
Aleto men moi nostos (ὤλετο μέν μοι νόστος)
I gain from our time here (Greek, Illiad)
C'est pour cela que je suis née
I was born for this (French, Joan of Arc)
Kono michi ya (この道や)
On this road (Japanese, Matsuo Bashô haiku)
Yuku hito nashi ni (行く人なしに)
Where nobody else travels (Japanese, Matsuo Bashô haiku)
Kono michi ya (この道や)
On this road (Japanese, Matsuo Bashô haiku)
Aki no kure (秋のくれ)
Autumn Nightfall (Japanese, Matsuo Bashô haiku)
C'est pour cela que je suis née
I was born for this (French, Joan of Arc)
Ne me plaignez pas
Do not pity me (French, Joan of Arc)
C'est pour cela que je suis née
I was born for this (French, Joan of Arc)
I want to believe the purpose of video games is more than just entertainment. And most people will not see it this way. Society very often sights computer games as a source of violence and nothing more than wasting time. Also mainstream media pictures video games as the lowest form of art. Journey proves that they are wrong. This particular title pushes the boundaries of what a video game can convey in the respect of visual effects, music, communication and gameplay. It’s amazing how every aspect of the game touches your mind and soul, very deeply.
Even after reading this article, you may think you know what the game is going to be about, but believe me - you won't know until you experience it for yourself!
It’s been a while since I wrote my last post (excluding occasional music reviews) but the documentary I’ve just watched triggered this urge of sharing something. Maybe because the whole topic relates to something which lays very close to my heart - music.
Google asked “What is music?” displays the following definition:
Vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.
Source: https://www.google.co.uk/#q=define+music
Before searching for it, I actually asked this question to myself and I gotta admit that I was struggling with giving a proper definition, despite the fact I’m very into music. Isn’t it ironic? I think it is an experience. I think for me it is ‘something’ that triggers our emotions as well as works heavily on our imagination. It helps me to stay focused when I’m working and relaxing before falling asleep. Makes me cry and release huge waves of nostalgia while sitting on a balcony during a colourful sunset. It brings my memories back... like a time machine. Every time I hear the soundtrack from Journey I see myself cycling around Cracow after my afternoon shift in the music store I used to work. Summer time, warm breeze, colourful city with its narrow streets, and that feeling of floating alongside with the music. I can almost feel it. On the other hand, when I hear Black Light Burns - Iodine Sky I am with my best friend in her flat in Prokocim (one of the Cracow’s districts). Rainy day, it is dark and cold, the fall already has started. We are sitting on the window ledge, smoking cigarettes and listening to this song in silence. I’m not going to list more examples, I’m sure that you have your own, similar experiences and you get my drift.
But coming back to the documentary I’ve just watched...It was one of this Sunday afternoons when a pile of washed clothes was waiting to be ironed. Usually this process ends up with me launching Netflix and watching something absolutely random. This time round it was Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory (2014) directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett who introduced me with the group of older people suffering dementia. Just to make sure we all understand what dementia stands for, I’d like to wheel out a definition:
The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes..
In the other words dementia slowly wipes out our memories and closes us up in our small empty world of... nothing. We start forgetting who we are, how our life was and gradually we get rid of our beautiful moments from the past. How sad is that?
It is hard to imagine that state, thus I wanted to show you that picture:
Imagine that what you can see above shows how a signature of the person suffering from Alzheimer changes over the years. You can clearly see how that person was gradually losing awareness. Just imagine that you end up in the bubble where you no longer know who you are.
Michael decided to do something with it and attempted to return people’s life by using music. He visited one of the nursing houses in America with bunch of iPods and he started asking questions such as: How was your life when you was young? What was your favourite thing when you was a teenager? etc. and unfortunately most of older people couldn’t remember anything, apologising with the sadness written in their faces until the music popped up in their ears...
Oh boi, the change was amazing, everything starting from their facial expressions and ending up on bringing back their memories. It looked like the life has been called in their bodies once again. To be honest with you I couldn’t stand it emotionally! Suddenly, I also found myself sitting on the sofa with jaw dropped on the floor and not being interested in ironing anymore mainly because what I saw on the screen was related to my own feelings, especially when music is a good friend of mine.
The movie was very appealing especially if I brought up that topic many many times in the past when talking with friends. It is extremely interesting how music can activate some deepest parts of your brain and literally move you in time. All of the sudden you see places, people, everything is so sharp and real that you almost can ‘smell’ that moment. It works perfectly especially with songs which I haven’t heard for a while. The whole effect is then even more enhanced. I am sure that anyone who is reading this post right now understands what I am on about. Keeping that in mind, getting old doesn’t seem that scary, music can safe us!
I started drilling into some research articles from all around the world. My starting point was to find out how music actually does work, what does it to our brains, from the science point of view. I have started pursuing and answering those questions as music has very powerful psychological impact on us, human beings.I have read few sources and gathered some interesting facts.
We are actually factorising music we are listening to. Our brains are trying to follow up downbeats of the drums, all while recognising the different octaves and notes of the horns and the voice.To put it simply, listening to music triggers some sort of multitasking in our heads (which sounds like something hard to process but actually it increases levels of optimism and pleasure).
Music serves as a background to help us focus on an activity, but it does not serve as a focus itself. Some research shows number of the best students are the one who don’t need music and can focus without it, whereas some students can’t concentrate on their work without headphones on their head (I’m certainly part of this group!)
Besides being a background or a mood enhancer, music can also be a person’s companion. According to McMahan, music can be our friend, especially during the times of loneliness.
It all do sound great, however let’s focus more on the biological aspect, what music does to us.
According to the research, music is nothing that an organised sound for our brain. Some smart people from Stanford University found that music is a consistent fashion across subject which means that participants during listening the music activated some parts of the brain which are responsible for movement, planning, attention and memory on the day-to-day basic. Going one step further it means that we don’t process music as a normal background sound. Music is way to meaningful than just any sound.
The auditory cortex is responsible for processing sounds in the brain, but music activates far more in the brain, including regions associated with emotions, movement, and memory.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music
I would like to explore more scientific aspect of music, definitely. I was initially thinking of including this information and my thoughts in that post, however the scientific papers I’ve found are very long. It will take me more time to read and digest the information than I thought. I’m also proud of myself that I’ve decided to write something and challenge myself, since I’m not the greatest post-writer, and hopefully I gave you an idea what sort of thoughts and emotions have been triggered when watching Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory (2014), which I wholeheartedly recommend to check out!
Relive the music and the moments that made 2015 one to remember. Get your Year in Music.
I really tried. I did my best to create Music Review 2015 as usual, but it ended up I couldn't. For me, 2015 didn't bring any big highlights which I could share with you. I decided to share my Spotify’s Year in Music though, to give some feedback on what I was up to in 2015. There are just a handful of artists which gave me nice music buzz, which I really appreciate and will list them below:
The legendary Andy Willis has spent some time with the people at Oakley to talk about how he managed to turn his passion for ramp building into a full time job.
Focusing on his recent work at BaySixty6 and his local park Pioneer in St Albans, this short One Obsession documentary covers Andy’s initial love for skating, which ultimately lead him to become one of the most well respected skatepark builders in the UK.
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