RE:View: Journey

"Are video games art?" is a question I frequently see posed all around the web. The debate in which whether making something built for interaction is merely entertainment or an actual crafted product of creativity has raged online for a while now, with neither side quite trumping the other. But if Journey, the latest downloadable PSN title from thatgamecompany of Flower fame, is anything to go by, then the battle is substantially over. Journey is quite simply a marvel.

 You play as an unnamed robed traveller, Journeying across a desert wasteland to reach the distant mountain top and fulfill your mysterious destiny. That's it. No back-story, no cutscenes, no dialogue. You're just plopped into this dazzlingly bright world, and told to move in that direction. But it works, delightfully so. This is the kind of game where the less you know the better, so you can fully experience what happens around you as you play.

Thankfully, the back-drops in which you do this are of a very high-class level. Sun flares magnificently off the camera and illuminates the lush sands and stones for which to explore. And whilst the desert-based adventuring quickly changes to some surprising, even vaster and often unsettling climates, the visuals evolve along with it and help to truly immerse you in this odd, mysterious world.


In terms of controls, Journey is again kept bare-bones simple. Move, Fly and Shout are your three options as you navigate your traveller through the game. As you go along, you'll encounter strange creatures and tapestries in an asian-like language, that when brushed pass give you the limited ability to fly swiftly into the air to reach higher-places and glide over the terrain.

The Shout button gives you a personal insignia to broadcast and
interact with things within the world

But the greatest thing throughout Journey is the subtlety in which it takes players along the, well... Journey. As you progress, a little more is learnt about the world around you, and why the pilgrimage being undertook is being undertaken. You won't even notice it while playing, until you take a step back and realise you've been immersed within this game for the last couple hours and are absolutely with it. Naturally, the touching and ghostly score that accompanies the entire game does a lot to help accomplish this, coming out of nowhere at times with what you'd expect to hear in a big dramatic epic. The way it guides you without ever speaking a word is something to really respect in the way of both storytelling and game-making, that unfortunately is becoming less and less common in the age of the FPS and Action Orientated gaming.

And while roaming, you may notice another traveller join you on the unspoken quest. Not an NPC, but a real person, somewhere in the world playing Journey at the same time and in the same place as you. Seamlessly you are hooked up together, with no names given and no means of communication other than the Shout button, a single communication beacon to tap for a response. For me, this was what made the game truly magical: the ability to connect to another human being, watch and react to their little movements on screen, without having any preconceptions or information on who they are. Wondering around with someone like this increased the experience of Journey furthermore, because then everything just felt so real.

Companions

 We had a connection, a shared motif to play. But that's it. And so we Moved and Flew and Shouted together in a graceful harmony of what Journey really stood for. Hell, when one partner left me at a particularly dark part in the game, I was physically saddened and scared for the prospect of carrying on alone. When playing with another, there was this thrill, a sense of being that I'd never had with a game before. And then I reached the glorious final moments of the game, which were as harrowing as they were tremendous, due to me being alone and burdened with actual emotion within myself. It was madness, yet it was beautiful.

And when thinking about Journey, that seems like what it's all about: The Beauty. To give players a ride of awe and wonder with the game's presentation and experimental flow of story, to immerse them with the toppest of notch scores and brilliant execution, and then force them to feel the experience extend past the controller and screen, with the euphoria of an unseen connection whilst all these mechanics merge together to invade the mind and heart.

So when reaching those final few moments of the game, watching the credits roll and then presented once more with the start menu, I just had to stop. I had to think, to reflect, to be. It was quite a shock to have to do that at the end of a video game - I'd only ever experienced that "stare into space and absorb what just happened" moment when finishing an important book or film, but never a game. So you tell me, "Are video games art?"

If you own a PS3, if you can access the Store, and happen to have £10 free, then I believe you owe it to yourself to get Journey. As memorable as it is enjoyable (which is a seriously large amount), Journey is a modern masterpiece in gaming, and proves that you don't need guns and action to have a good time with your console. More than just a game; it's an experience, one that I doubt you'll find anywhere else for the short time it takes to finish. But of course, it's not about the destination...

A real game changer.

5 Stars

ATR

The Sunday Supdate: 08/01/12

Like a newsletter, but with less effort.

Happy New Year everybody, and welcome to the first Supdate of 2012, where I'll be implanting mostly useless knowledge into your heads. First on this weeks agenda is concerning a certain promise I made a while back:

Short Film Sadness...
In the last Supdate I mentioned the Short Film I'd been working on at school, entitled Facehook. While I can confirm that post-production on the epic mini has indeed wrapped, something else has unfortunately come to light. Due to certain "Plagiarism" rules in the exam board, the film can't be posted online until after it's been officially marked. So despite my best wishes, you're just going to have to wait until this June to witness what critics are already hailing as "a masterpiece". At least this way it'll have a "Summer Blockbuster" vibe going for it...

Expanding The Empire
In a desperate attempt to stay current, I finally gave in and created a Facebook Page for the blog. Complete with a tacky, Microsoft Paint-created profile picture, the page now enables you to "Like" me (because liking in the real world counts for nothing these days) and be treated with all the latest posts and whatnot via that feed. Here it is here if you failed to take the other link hints. That's right, just click here. I won't bite. Promise.
 Likes are very much appreciated, thank you!

     I've also been thinking about a couple more feature-type things to get started, especially after the amount of fun I had with the beat-boxing, vocal thingy I did. A couple of helpful "How To" articles too, perhaps? And maybe some more Single Epsiode reviews of shows, like last week's Sherlock episode that I looked at. The Podcast project has also taken another step toward actually, maybe, kind of, hopefully happening, especially after all the research I've done by listening to the awesome podcasts over at the Nerdist Network. Template: found. And maybe once all these blasted exams I'm having to work for this month, I'll be able to do some more networking.

Nearly 1 Year Old
Tomorrow (9th January 2012) marks the first birthday for the blog. I'll be celebrating in numerous ways, such as:

• Doing a post about it (obviously).
• Revising for exams.
• Giving away a free DVD boxset in the anniversary giveaway I'm going to set up.
• Drinking a lot. Mostly tea. I am British (and 15) after all.
• Sleeping.
• Making a blanket-fort.

Hey, can't blame a guy for wanting to party, am I right? Especially if Magnitude turns up:



Catch ya later.

ATR

The Sunday Supdate: 11/12/2011

Ah, Supdate, your aroma is but a distant memory of my past - one which has long since drifted from the metaphorical air, only to be cast down unto us once more. Not since October have you poked your head out from underneath the mass of reviews, news and awesome, and so I call upon you once more! You know, to talk and stuff...

But What To Talk About?
Well, now that's a tricky one. How about all the reviews I've done recently? Pretty hectic, seeing as things on the critical front had slowed substantially. Now I'm whacking out the TV RE:Views (Community S1 incoming!) like it's nobody's business. Except it is... A lot of people's actually. Maybe even mine someday! Anyway, so that's cool. Also: 9000 hits! Squeee!

Are You  Mocking Me?
Last week was pretty bombed out due to my Mock GCSE exams. Word from the wise: they're not fun. What's even less fun though is the fact that I have real ones after Christmas; literally the second week of January. What's up with that?! That means that precious week off that I have after Christmas will be spent revising... Bleh.

Wait, Did You Say Christmas?
Oh right, amid my ranting there was mention of the "Most Wonderful Time of The Year". Of course, Christmas is around the corner, so perhaps I'll do a couple Christmas posts before the big day. I have no idea what I'll talk about, but you'll have to wait and see. Other than that, Christmas-wise, I'll try and post some stuff about my own i.e. what I got, what I'm going to do with what I got and why you should get what I got too. Plus I'll capture Santa for an interview, and hold a live blog-auction (blauction?) for his reindeer and sleigh.

Isn't That Guy From Scrubs in a Play Soon?
So here's something pretty awesome: Zach Braff (yeah, that guy from Scrubs) has written his own play, "All New People", which ran on Broadway earlier this year and is now coming to London in 2012. The best part: Zach's going to be starring in it (he didn't in New York) and I've got second row seats! The even bester part is that after the show, I'll be hanging around stage door to procure a picture with JD himself. I'm not sure whether I'm more excited for the show, or the chance to get a photo with him... Hell, I may even ask to "Eagle" with him. Disclaimer: Not Sexual.


A Short Film, You Say?
Over the past 6 months in my Media class, a group of friends and I have been making our own short film. It's called "Facehook" (play on words = win), and it's a friendly tale of how paedophiles exploit social networking sites for their "Immoral Pleasures".  No, I'm not kidding. Dark, a little twisted and slightly unsettling, you can expect a masterful piece of film, from a talented cast and crew of 15 year olds. I acted as more of the writer (duh)/director/editor guy, (as my vlogs have more than proven that the screen is not where I belong), and you can expect to appear here before the year is out. That is, of course, as long as I manage to upload it from DVD. Just don't expect an Oscar winning piece (not yet anyway).  Fingers crossed for no copyright infringement! *cough*TheSocialNetworkSoundtrack*cough*

You Done?
That just about raps it up here, so to sing us out is OneRepublic, with their new Christmas song, "Christmas Without You". Available for download now, folks:

ATR




Hey, Wait! What's This?

Shhhhh... Spoilers...

RE:Commend: Husbands

Husbands is the brand new and hilarious web-series from acclaimed TV Writer, Jane Espenson (Torchwood, Firefly), focusing on the age old "Did we just accidentally get married in Vegas?"-RomCom setup with a notable difference; it's a same sex marriage. Camp TV star, Cheeks, and Basesball hero, Brady, find themselves hitched after a wild night in the city of sin, and now must deal with the oncoming media onslaught and whether or not to actually make the relationship work.

    It's great to see a series all about equality really take off, and although I'm sure the gay angle may turn a lot of people away, I urge you to open your minds and stay the course, because what you'll find is a refreshingly fun and hilarity strewn series. Espenson has taken a tired formula and revitalised it with a new-world energy, teeming with spirit and charm, plus a healthy dose of camp to keep the laughs fresh.

 The way I see it, this is future at work: a bold new series focusing on a community previously unspoken for exclusively in this kind of media. Embracing the risk of an untapped source material in gay newly-weds, and sticking it on the web, network-free, proves how television is evolving to meet the open-eyed way of thinking the world has come to.

  And what with guest stars already turning up (Nathan Fillion, anyone?), it looks like these 2 minute episodes might just be shaping up to be some of the internet's finest serial content. So roll on Husbands, because it looks like you're in it for the long haul.

Watch Husbands Now!




ATR


Read My Twitter Q&A With Jane Espenson!

The Sunday Supdate: 11/09/11

Wassup home dogs!? Would you like me to start over in a less douchey way? Well touch luck, cause I'm sticking with it! Late night Sunday = tired blogger = rough post (?), so try to stick with me for this.

In Remembrance
We all know what the date at the top says and we all know it's been 10 years. That fateful day of heartache and destruction, immortalised by this haunting date. So let's all spare a thought to those who lost loved ones and have since as a result of the tragic events that took place that day. When people say it was one of those "where were you?" moments, they're really not wrong. Even me, as a 5 year old can remember my Dad's urgency to get home after picking me up from school, and then seeing all this stuff on the TV. It was as if an image of two burning towers had been etched into every screen for the next few weeks. And then being there, in New York itself a couple years ago, I could still sense this feeling of tragedy around the Ground Zero site, despite the fact it was mostly blocked off for construction purposes. RIP Victims and Heroes of 9/11.

A Photo of Epic Proportions (and Questions?)
Anyone on Twitter earlier today may have noticed a whole load of Nerdgasm coming from one image tweeted by Nathan Fillion:

For those not in the know, that's (from left to right) Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity), Felicia Day (The Guild), Simon Pegg (Shaun of The Dead, Paul), Edgar Wright (Writer/Director of Shaun, Hot Fuzz) and Anthony Head (Buffy, Merlin, Little Britain). And they're in Joss-Freakin'-Whedon's house! So much awesome in one place!

     It's no surprise then that my head (along with many others out there) has been buzzing about what this meet up could mean. My theory? Well, Edgar Wright has recently finished writing the script (along with Attack The Block creator, Joe Cornish) for a movie adaptation of Marvel hero, Ant Man. This links into the rumours that Nathan Fillion could be the one to play him (YES PLEASE), and that Joss is writing and directing The Avengers, another Marvel property. So, could this be a meeting to discuss plans on working Ant-Man into the Marvel Cinematic continuity, with possibly the other actors involved. Pegg as villain, perhaps?

Or maybe something else from the many Whedon properties? Dr Horrible related? Buffy? Dare I say, Firefly!? Or something new entirely? If it was any of these, I don't think I'd really care what because the thought of seeing all these guys working together makes my head explode. Fillion and Pegg, two of my favourite actors teamed up with Wright and Whedon, two of my favourite writers/directors, with some Felicia thrown in: I don't think I could take the amount of happiness that it would fill me with.

  But this kind of wild speculation always gets me kind of depressed when it turns out not to be nought but that. So for now let's just assume that it's a bunch of Hollywood (and Geekdom) A-listers hanging out together just for the sake of awesomeness. (Ah but come on, that "Shhh" expression from Edgar's gotta count for something?) Still the sweetest thing I saw today!

School's Back

Of course, this being September, the old school routine had kicked back in and is live and swinging. Final year of secondary school, GCSE's and all that. Big year ahead, or so I've heard (from pretty much EVERYONE). Will it all affect the blog? Hopefully not, if I can effectively maximise my time management (working on it!) then we may see a rise in some enjoyable writing. RE:Views incoming, and maybe a new "RE:Commend" section, devoted to suggesting some great things in life. Be it a TV show, book series, food, activities, websites or whatever, RE:Commend could be like a mini review feature, minus all the hard hitting critique, and a place with me just trying to introduce you to something I believe is awesome. Cool beans, eh?

So until next time, my intrepid viewers. Stay safe, stay smart, stay reading and most importantly, stay awesome. Over and Snout.

ATR

         More Marvel              More Supdates    

Let The Vlogging Commence!

That's right, today I am happy to announce DudeMeisterVlogs - the YouTube Vlog (Video Blog) channel to accompany the very Blog you now look upon! What are you waiting for? Get on YouTube and get watching/subscribing/trolling on the brand new medium. Or alternatively, watch it here below, but a Like and a Comment via YouTube would be very much appreciated.
First Ever Vlog!

Eeek... Hope you liked it... I'll start doing more soon and maybe even try to transfer some of my Blog features into video form (i.e. video RE:Views). It'll mostly be stuff about the blog, stuff about me, stuff about the world and news, you know, stuff like that. So here goes something new!

ATR

Once More With Feeling

I've been feeling rather disconnected from the blog for the last month or so, in case you hadn't noticed from the lack of near enough anything. I'm missing my weekly features (Supdates, Trailers), not doing anything particularly new and have overall just become bored with the whole process.

  The problem is I've become too structured; it's all "This is for today!" and "I'll plan this for tomorrow!" or whatever, and it's got to the point at which I frankly have no feeling in my stuff. After looking at other niche blogs I realised something. Something crucial which I really think I've drifted from. And that's just winging it. Logging in and just writing whatever comes out of my head at that time. Like this, I've just gone out on a whim after looking at various future plans and feeling that enough is enough. (Is enough, I can't go on). See, now that's what I'm talking about, just finding myself randomly quoting cheesy 70's pop songs! 

  It's like I've been writing in this odd, almost essay like way that would be treated like some exam piece or something. I'm not saying I won't do stuff like that, but when in comparison to other blogs and such, they've got so much more. Yeah, I'll keep my features but ultimately I want to stray from just that style of writing and lean toward a new more personal and emotive technique alongside all that "professional" jargon.  And I'm not promising daily blogs, but just a little personal dump of memories and feelings and thoughts in response to internal and external affairs of my little world. 

   Now it's at this point where I might say "So you can expect... blah blah blah", which would be a critically contradicting statement to what this little blog is all about. So how about you all just stay tuned and wait for what might just pop up, and enjoy this blog for just being a blog.

ATR