Journey (PS4) Review

  • First Released Mar 13, 2012 released

The light by which my spirit's born.

By Kevin VanOrd on July 23, 2015 at 10:41AM PDT

This review contains spoilers. For a spoiler-free review of Journey, you can read our original review here .

It was my eighth playthrough and the tears still streamed, almost inexplicably; Journey is a song without words, reliant on its rapturous presentation and liberating movement to stir your mind and move your heart. With many games, I have wished that I could play them again for the first time--to experience that buzz that inevitably diminishes with each return visit. I will never need to waste this wish on Journey, however: each pilgrimage is as bittersweet as the last. How appropriate, given the game's theme of death and rebirth, that it feels so sorrowful, so joyous, and so true , each and every time.

"Journey would be just as effective as a movie," a friend once told me, but I must contradict her. Not that I can argue against the game's sumptuous environments and its sublime musical score, which earned masterpiece status the moment Journey was initially released on the PlayStation 3 in 2012. Certain landscapes have rightfully gained iconic stature, becoming the very definition of video game beauty. One shot depicts the cloaked figure you control standing atop a sand drift and gazing at the mountain you must reach, which rises above the desert and pierces the clouds. The view is a master class in simplicity and color story; the peach-orange tones of the sand give way to a sea-green sky--hushed hues for a hushed visual revelation. Another seminal sight: you skate across the sand from right to left, illuminated by a godly beam of sunlight while watching the remnants of a lost culture rush past. The screen is awash with shades of amber, and the warm sand glimmers as if mixed with golden crystals. Yes, even as a work of cinema, Journey would instill wonder.

A white-hooded companion joins me, and we continue toward the light.

But Journey is not a film, and its power is not gained by pretty pictures alone, but by your presence in its world. That side-scrolling glide would not choke me up if I couldn't feel the sand beneath my feet, and couldn't hit a ramp in just the right way to propel myself into the air. I wouldn't feel so beat down by the wind if I didn't feel it pushing against me as I trudged forward, and I wouldn't be so euphoric if I didn't personally experience the joy of skimming the ground. You see, you hear, and, vitally, you do . You surf the sand, you ride the wind, you seek shelter from danger, you make a friend. Seeing is believing, but it takes interaction to understand and know.

Describing Journey means describing these moments and these emotions. The mechanical basics are almost secondary, and quickly explainable. As a mysterious robed figure, you cross sand and other terrain en route to a far-off mountain. You make use of only two buttons. By pressing X, you leap into the air and soar, an ability that is limited by the length of the scarf that trails behind you. By pressing circle, you cry out to whatever or whomever might heed your call. Journey is desolate, but you are not alone. You call to flocks of ribbons that hover about like restless robins, and they provide energy to your scarf. You meet cloth creatures that become travel guides and provide magic-carpet rides to higher ground. And presuming you play while connected to the Internet, you may encounter another lone individual in your travels--an individual you can ignore, or one you can accompany, chirping to her when you locate secret hieroglyphs, or when a fearsome ribbon-dragon appears and you don't want to continue alone.

Sliding towards the unknown.

The mechanics are simple, but they establish a direct connection to the heart. Consider that flowing scarf, which trails behind you as you surf and soar, growing larger whenever you locate and touch a glowing flower. On a mundane level, it functions as a power bar that you fill up by making contact with cloth, and deplete by leaping. In context, the scarf is your life force, governing your ability to joyfully drift through the air. Gliding is Journey's most exuberant act, and by limiting its use, the game makes joy itself a currency.

Journey uses this ecstasy-based economy to craft an emotional arc across its entirety, as well as to emphasize individual moments. Your scarf grows longer and longer, but a frightful encounter with that terrible ribbon-monster turns your rippling shawl into a mere stub. You cannot fight--you can only hide. Being discovered is devastating because the scarf is where the cheer and comfort of flight are stored. You were offered a heartwarming gift, only to have it yanked from your hands. Journey also uses this moment to connect you with your wordless cooperative companion. By this stage, you understand the meaning the scarf carries with it. Seeing your sidekick succumb like this forges empathy: you know that the monster has abolished his joy.

No Caption Provided

This give-and-take is how the final levels gain their potency. Your ability to glide is diminished, then revoked. You no longer drift through sand, but brace yourself against an exhaustive wind. Then, the moment comes when all hope seems lost. You hold your breath and assume the worst. And then, the controller rumbles--just once, like a single heartbeat. And all that was taken away is restored, then multiplied, and multiplied again.

This is the source of those tears. It is not the sadness of the loss, but the bliss of being honored for your perseverance. These are tears of elevation, so perfectly described by Roger Ebert in 2009 . I have heard people describe this final climb in terms of an afterlife, and that's a reasonable interpretation of the scene, in which you float higher and higher towards the mountain's zenith. But even in the moment, whether or not you make this conscious religious association, you might feel weepy in spite of yourself. The gift was given, and it was taken away. And then, you were liberally showered with gifts, and so you ascended, higher and higher, towards your next journey.

It is possible that Journey will not move you. In such a case, it is simply a beautiful game with a glorious soundtrack, grounded by a wistful cello melody later threaded through a warm quilt of winds and strings. The chance you might be swept away, however, makes it worth plunging your feet into the warm sand. If you are returning to Journey, a higher resolution and a higher frame rate are your ostensible rewards for returning--a return that doesn't cost you anything if you already own the game on the PlayStation 3. But Journey's real rewards aren't so pedestrian. Journey offers you comfort. It gives you companionship in a lovely but forsaken world. It gives you reason to dream even when facing loss.

  • Leave Blank
  • Sumptuous visuals
  • One of the best game soundtracks written to date
  • Simple mechanics that elicit powerful emotions
  • Instills empathy between cooperative partners
  • Iconic moments that stay with you for years

About the Author

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Journey - Review

There and back again.

Journey PS4 Review

When IGN first reviewed Journey on PlayStation 3 back in 2012 , we gave it score of 9.0, for “Amazing.” Here’s what we said then :

“Journey celebrates the poignancy of nature, it startles you with the unexpected, and empowers you in an exhilarating, unforgettable conclusion. The hours spent completing Journey will create memories that last for years.”

Over three years after its original release, Journey on PlayStation 4 proves to be every bit as remarkable as it was when IGN awarded it Game of the Year for 2012. While the increase to 1080p and 60fps is definitely appreciated, what really shines here is the same concise, emotional, and gorgeous adventure that originally wowed us.

Developer Thatgamecompany took the beauty of Flow and the meditative gameplay of Flower, and added an immense sense of scale in its third and most impressive game. In the length of a standard movie, Journey is able to consistently make me feel emotion in a way that few games ever have.

At just over two hours long, Journey delivers an adventure that runs the gamut of human emotions. The awe that comes from cresting your first hill and spotting the mountain on the horizon is paired expertly with the fear that stems from exploring the ancient caverns beneath your destination. The playful curiosity of stumbling across a fellow traveler – another player having their own experience – and wordlessly cooperating with them to explore this world is only strengthened by the isolation and desperation that awaits near the mountain's frozen summit.

Without spoiling the ending, the visual and emotional catharsis that exists at the top of that mountain makes playing Journey a powerful circle that I want to constantly revisit.

  • Moving story
  • Gorgeous world
  • Incredible score
  • Unique mulitplayer
  • Powerful ending

The Verdict

Whether you’re playing it for the first time, or revisiting it after three years, Journey remains one of the most powerful games in recent memory. With strong environmental storytelling, powerful music, and an emotional ending, it is absolutely a classic of the modern adventure genre. If you missed it on PS3, do yourself a favor and experience it on PS4. If you did play on PS3, you now own it on PS4, so this minimal graphical update is an excellent excuse to revisit it.

journey ps4 eb games

Journey PS4 Review

Journey

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Journey™

  • PS Plus required for online play
  • Supports up to 2 online players with PS Plus
  • Online play optional
  • Remote Play supported
  • PS4 Version DUALSHOCK 4 vibration

ESRB Everyone

The critically-acclaimed title makes its debut on the PS4™ system. Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets. Play alone or in the company of a fellow traveler and explore its vast world together. Featuring stunning visuals and a Grammy-nominated musical score, Journey delivers a breathtaking experience like no other.

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Journey™

  • PS Plus required for online play
  • Supports up to 2 online players with PS Plus
  • Online play optional
  • Remote Play supported
  • PS4 Version DUALSHOCK 4 vibration

ACB G

Global player ratings

Get ready to experience one of the most beautiful, unique and critically acclaimed PlayStation® games ever released as Journey arrives on PlayStation®4. Explore vast deserts and primitive ruins on an emotional quest to uncover the long-lost secrets of a forgotten civilisation. Feel the strain of every step as you guide your nameless nomad through the wilderness to reach a mountaintop looming on the horizon. In the face of oppressive heat and howling winds, tap into an ancient magic to soar through the skies and discover this mysterious world alone or with a stranger you may meet along the way. Featuring stunning 1080p HD visuals and an enchanting, award-winning musical score, it’s time to revel in the wonder on PS4™. Set off on a personal journey that will challenge your mind, touch your heart and stay with you for years. Cross-Buy • Buy this game for PS4™ or PlayStation®3 to receive both versions at no extra cost.

Journey PS4

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admin / November 24, 2017

Journey PS4

Journey PS4 Review: A Classic Reborn

Neil Bolt / April 15, 2020

Read our Journey PS4 review to see what we thought of this stunning indie classic from thatgamecompany. Journey on PlayStation 4 is here at last.

journey ps4 eb games

Sony’s Play At Home Initiative Includes Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Journey For Free

Michael Harradence / April 15, 2020

Grab Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey for free on PS4 as part of Sony’s newly-unveiled Play at Home initiative.

Journey

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Summary Enter the world of Journey, the third game from indie developers thatgamecompany (creators of "flOw" and "Flower"). Journey is an interactive parable, an anonymous online adventure to experience a person’s life passage and their intersections with other’s. You wake alone and surrounded by miles of burning, sprawling desert, and soon disc ... Read More

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Screen Rant

Journey: why you must play ps4's free game.

Sony is offering Journey as one of the Play At Home initiative's free PS4 games. For those wondering if it's any good, here's why it's a must-play.

Sony's Play At Home promotion has made developer thatgamecompany's Journey available for free to all PlayStation 4 owners. But time spent on a game is still a form of cost, so PS4 users might be wondering if the free game is any good. Luckily, Journey is a wholly unique video game that everyone should experience, especially when all they have to do is hit "Download."

The Play At Home initiative is Sony's way of encouraging social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with Journey , the company is offering a free download of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection , which includes remastered versions of the first three Uncharted games. Unlike Sony's usual free game offerings, these two titles don't require a PlayStation Plus membership to download, so every PS4 owner can grab them while the initiative is active.

Related: Why You Should SKIP The First Uncharted Game

The WHO has recommended playing video games to ensure people are stimulated while staying indoors, but with near-infinite game download options available, even a free game needs to be good to warrant a playthrough. Here's why Journey is absolutely worth the time.

Is The Free PS4 Game Journey Any Good?

Journey gameplay screenshot

In the old "video games as art" debate , few games make a stronger argument than Journey. Take a screenshot at nearly any moment, and it will look like it was deliberately constructed to be displayed that way. There is no dialogue in Journey , so the game's entire story is told through its visuals and music - which happens to be the first video game soundtrack ever nominated for a Grammy Award . Journey' s story isn't a grand tale by any means, but it's still best left unspoiled. The simple, titular journey can have a disproportionately complex effect on many of those who experience it, making some players cry without really knowing why.

Journey' s surprising emotional impact is its main draw. It's not a game that's worth playing because of its deep lore or complex mechanics (though its seamless, wordless multiplayer is still among gaming's most unique). What makes Journey special is how it conjures emotions in a way that would be impossible in another medium. Players feel connected to its world and its playable, scarf-like protagonists because they're playing it. It's worth experiencing because there's simply nothing else - game, movie, or otherwise - like it.

Journey doesn't demand much from players to have that experience, either. It has few fail states, no real difficulty spikes, and it's only about two hours long. That brief run time may have upset some players when it had a $15 price tag, but it works in Journey' s favor when the game is free. All PS4 owners need to play a game like no other is an internet connection and two hours, and Journey is well worth that relatively small investment.

Next: How To Make Sure You Secure A PS5 Pre-Order

Journey first released for PlayStation 3 on March 13, 2012, and has since been ported to PlayStation 4, PC, and iOS.

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  3. Journey (PS4 / PlayStation 4) Screenshots

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COMMENTS

  1. Journey Collector's Edition (preowned)

    Journey Collector's Edition includes: Journey, Flower and flOw, game soundtracks, dynamic themes and avatars. Immerse yourself in the stunning visual landscapes of Journey for a unique and emotional, family-friendly gaming experience. Fly and soar through the picturesque world of Flower by tilting your controller and enjoy the Zen atmosphere.

  2. Sony PlayStation 4 Journey Video Games for sale

    The Sims 4 Plus Star Wars Journey to Batuu Bundle - Sony PlayStation 4. (1) $8.99 New. $7.81 Used. Sonic Frontiers - Sony PlayStation 4. (3) $31.99 New. $29.00 Used. Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (Sony PlayStation 4, 2017)

  3. Journey™ Collector's Edition

    Game and Legal Info. Soar above ruins and glide across sands as you explore an ancient world where life once flourished. With stunning visuals, haunting music and unique online gameplay, Journey™ delivers an experience like no other. • Winner of five BAFTAs, including Game Design and Artistic Achievement. • Grammy-nominated soundtrack ...

  4. Journey™

    The critically-acclaimed title makes its debut on the PS4™ system. Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets. Play alone or in the company of a fellow traveler and explore its vast world together. Featuring stunning visuals and a Grammy-nominated musical score, Journey delivers a breathtaking experience like no other.

  5. Journey (2012 video game)

    Journey is an indie adventure game developed by Thatgamecompany, published by Sony Computer Entertainment, and directed by Jenova Chen.It was released for the PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network in March 2012 and ported to PlayStation 4 in July 2015. It was later ported to Windows in June 2019 and iOS in August 2019.. In Journey, the player controls a robed figure in a vast desert, traveling ...

  6. Journey (PS4) Review

    Journey uses this ecstasy-based economy to craft an emotional arc across its entirety, as well as to emphasize individual moments. Your scarf grows longer and longer, but a frightful encounter ...

  7. Journey™

    The critically-acclaimed title makes its debut on the PS4™ system. Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets. Play alone or in the company of a fellow traveler and explore its vast world together. Featuring stunning visuals and a Grammy-nominated musical score, Journey delivers a breathtaking experience like no other.

  8. Journey PS4 Review: A Classic Reborn

    The visuals are even more striking with the touch ups the PS4 provides. It's like a series of paintings come to life, and any number of scenes would be fit to capture and stick on your wall ...

  9. Journey PS4 Review

    The hours spent completing Journey will create memories that last for years.". Over three years after its original release, Journey on PlayStation 4 proves to be every bit as remarkable as it ...

  10. Journey Review (PS4)

    Bumped up to 1080p resolution on Sony's newest machine, its world is crisp, and the colours absolutely pop on a decent display. The art direction remains the star of the show, though, still ...

  11. Journey™

    Get ready to experience one of the most beautiful, unique and critically acclaimed PlayStation® games ever released as Journey arrives on PlayStation®4. Explore vast deserts and primitive ruins on an emotional quest to uncover the long-lost secrets of a forgotten civilisation. Feel the strain of every step as you guide your nameless nomad through the wilderness to reach a mountaintop looming ...

  12. Journey (2015)

    News Free Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey Downloads Available Now on PS4. Play At Home begins. Following the recent announcement of Sony's Play at Home initiative to combat the ...

  13. Journey PS4 Review

    In the length of a standard movie, Journey is able to consistently make me feel emotion in a way that few games ever have. At just over two hours long, Journey delivers an adventure that runs the gamut of human emotions. The awe that comes from cresting your first hill and spotting the mountain on the horizon is paired expertly with the fear ...

  14. Journey™

    The critically-acclaimed title makes its debut on the PS4™ system. Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets. Play alone or in the company of a fellow traveler and explore its vast world together. Featuring stunning visuals and a Grammy-nominated musical score, Journey delivers a breathtaking experience like no other.

  15. Journey™

    Get ready to experience one of the most beautiful, unique and critically acclaimed PlayStation® games ever released as Journey arrives on PlayStation®4. Explore vast deserts and primitive ruins on an emotional quest to uncover the long-lost secrets of a forgotten civilisation. Feel the strain of every step as you guide your nameless nomad through the wilderness to reach a mountaintop looming ...

  16. Journey PS4

    Grab Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey for free on PS4 as part of Sony's newly-unveiled Play at Home initiative. Read more

  17. Robinson: The Journey (preowned)

    PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller (preowned) $84.00. Red Dead Redemption 2 (preowned) ... The Journey harnesses the power of PlayStation VR and CRYENGINE V to immerse players in a stunning new sci-fi world. Gamers will step into the shoes of Robin, a young boy who is left stranded after his spaceship has crashed on Tyson III - an ...

  18. Journey

    Enter the world of Journey, the third game from indie developers thatgamecompany (creators of "flOw" and "Flower"). Journey is an interactive parable, an anonymous online adventure to experience a person's life passage and their intersections with other's. You wake alone and surrounded by miles of burning, sprawling desert, and soon discover the looming mountaintop which is your goal ...

  19. Robinson: The Journey (preowned)

    Robinson: The Journey harnesses the power of PlayStation VR and CRYENGINE V to immerse players in a stunning new sci-fi world. Gamers will step into the shoes of Robin, a young boy who is left stranded after his spaceship has crashed on Tyson III - an unmapped planet where dinosaurs and jaw-dropping discoveries await at every turn.

  20. Journey: Why You Must Play PS4's Free Game

    The Play At Home initiative is Sony's way of encouraging social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with Journey, the company is offering a free download of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, which includes remastered versions of the first three Uncharted games. Unlike Sony's usual free game offerings, these two titles don't ...

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  22. Journey To The Savage Planet (preowned)

    This item: Journey To The Savage Planet (preowned) $24.00. Star Wars Battlefront (preowned) $14.00. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (preowned) $34.00. This Preowned game may not include the original box art or manual, but we all know it's what's on the inside that counts!

  23. Journey

    Apr 12, 2021 - Some of the games affected include Journey, LittleBigPlanet GOTY and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Aug 13, 2020 - PlayStation Now has an ever-growing library of over 700 games ...