I have, in my life, been perturbed by video games. I have been shocked, excited, and certainly addicted. But there is no game that has quite brought the depth of feeling to me that Journey did. I had never been moved.

I say had because in two hours, Journey completely broke me. I started skeptical of the game, not believing that it could possibly live up to its hype. The confusing control scheme and lack of plot left me feeling directionless. But some stellar level design pointed the way. It was good, but not great. And then, after a brief meditation, I got up, and there was someone standing next to me. I made a sound. They responded. And immediately I understood.

I proceeded through the game. I lost some companions - one literally vaporised in front of me. One I was separated from by a great beast. And near the end, I surmounted what seemed to be the final hurdle with a companion, only to have my heart torn from my chest as they fell off the mountain below. I could not fetch them. I must not.

And as the game ended in a great swell, I found, on the final screen, that there were two more companions I had been sharing my journey with along the way. I had never seen them. I had never talked to them. I did not even know that they existed. But, for a brief moment, they and I had been sharing an experience across cyberspace, wordlessly. Alone but together. Separated but connected. This was, I will confess, the moment for some tears.

I cannot recommend this game enough. It is an astonishing accomplishment.

Addendum: I still do not understand exactly what the control scheme was. I understand which buttons I pressed to make noises, but I don't understand precisely what they did. That in itself is a testimony of the utmost power to how profoundly intuitive and gripping this game is. Bravo.

I have, in my life, been perturbed by video games. I have been shocked, excited, and certainly addicted. But there is no game that has quite brought the depth of feeling to me that Journey did. I had never been moved. I say had because in two hours, Journey completely broke me. I started skeptical of the game, not believing that it could possibly live up to its hype. The confusing control scheme and lack of plot left me feeling directionless. But some stellar level design pointed the way. It was good, but not great. And then, after a brief meditation, I got up, and there was someone standing next to me. I made a sound. They responded. And immediately I understood. I proceeded through the game. I lost some companions - one literally vaporised in front of me. One I was separated from by a great beast. And near the end, I surmounted what seemed to be the final hurdle with a companion, only to have my heart torn from my chest as they fell off the mountain below. I could not fetch them. I must not. And as the game ended in a great swell, I found, on the final screen, that there were two more companions I had been sharing my journey with along the way. I had never seen them. I had never talked to them. I did not even know that they existed. But, for a brief moment, they and I had been sharing an experience across cyberspace, wordlessly. Alone but together. Separated but connected. This was, I will confess, the moment for some tears. I cannot recommend this game enough. It is an astonishing accomplishment. Addendum: I still do not understand exactly what the control scheme was. I understand which buttons I pressed to make noises, but I don't understand precisely what they did. That in itself is a testimony of the utmost power to how profoundly intuitive and gripping this game is. Bravo.