Journey - a reflection.
If you are not familiar with this absolutely brilliant game, I highly suggest you take the time and go experience it for yourself. It's roughly 2-3 hours of your life for a single play through. You can sit down, complete the titular "Journey", and experience a story so moving and insightful as to stay with you for the rest of your life.
There's no time limit, no direct goal other than your singular Journey: to reach the mountaintop. As you travel in this new world you learn of your environment, your culture, and eventually your history…all lost under the sands of time. The game is quiet for most of it, no speaking to be heard save the warming signals you can chirp or sing out, sounding like a soft bell or a deep chime.
If you are lucky (and had an online connection), you may even meet up with some others along the way, seemingly at random. You never learn their names, and can't speak with them directly, save the bell chimes to try and communicate in this unique medium. Sometiems, if you could pull it off, you and a friend could join up to take the Journey together (as there was a little trick you could do to have a high possibility of synchinc up to others).
However, while the games lore is deep and absolutely amazing, the game itself is a tool of acceptance. Each play through is unique, the "Journey" being a metaphore for all journey's in life. Sometimes you walk your path alone, sometimes ignorant, sometimes just trying to figure things out as you go, soemtimes with a friend, and often times through a lot of difficult trials. Each new level representing a stage of life or "concousness" that we go through.
I don't want to spoil it too much, but those who have played and will go on to play it will understand this experience. I was thankfully introduced to this game by my friends Pat and Maddie back in 2014, 2 years after it had released. I had just gone through a very difficult break up and my entire life was heading in a new direction. It was a difficult time, but the game came into my life in a time where I needed some serious introspection. This game provided that.
This morning, my dear friend Gin messaged me this piece of music, from the end of the game. As the cello began, my heart stilled and I felt the familiar. As the violins rose in earnest, my heart began to soar at the rising tide. Its the song from the very last stage, the last climb to the mountain top. I had to stop and simply close my eyes and take in the emotions.
I cried for the rest of the song as my heart poured out for the Journey once taken and the journey I am now on. I had a good moment today, letting out all those negatives, and feeling warm cleansing tears on my cheeks. Thank you for that Gin.
Many blessings and love to you all, my friends. Go check this one out.
