the last time i was this smitten w/a game, i was in the 4th grade, & it was Harvest Moon: Back to Nature on Playstation. i love that little farming game! it's nestled in my PSOne, 3ft from where i'm sitting now. but this is not Harvest Moon's show. this one goes out to Journey, indie game company thatgamecompany's 3rd creation & latest masterpiece. in the game, you play a cloaked traveler who awakens in the sparkly gold desert. in the distance, barely visible through wispy clouds & swirling sand, you see a great mountain w/ a bright light at it's peak, shining like a beacon of hope. your player is equipped w/a scarf that grows in length as you collect more pieces of the puzzle, which you find in the form of glowing runes. the scarf allows you to ride the wind & the longer your scarf, the longer you can float in the air. while traveling, you come across fluttering pieces of cloth that help carry you to hidden areas & other magical objects. you'll also encounter other players (only one at a time) & the interesting bit is that you can't communicate audibly w/each other. your only form of communication comes from pressing a button that emits a wordless shout, your scarf lights up & a bell-like sound rings. each player has a symbol on the front of their robe for identification, so you can tell if you've met them before or not. the anonymity creates a very intimate companionship. the cut scenes are interesting, the story unfolds before your eyes & the art reminds me of Pixar's WALL-E art credits. so, you journey through 3 different levels & (spoiler alert) just when you think you can't go on... you have to play this game. the end took my breath away. once you reach the mountain peak, you slowly disappear as you walk toward the bright light... then the credits roll. the visuals in this game are stunning. STUNNING, i tell you! zac came home w/a drawing he'd done at work of his own cloaked figure. being inspired by the game, myself, i wanted to draw my own interpretation of my inspiration (dalmatian plantation) in photoshop. here's what i came up w/:
this is my own original work, so plz don't use w/o my permission. i'd be so bummed.
i'd like to note that i'm not a big gamer (much to my gamer boyfriend's patient & gentle chagrin) & i can not stop thinking about this game! it's so dreamy & the colors are just gorgeous. it's unlike anything i've ever seen. & i'm very, very excited to share it here. if you haven't played it yet, get on it this weekend!! maybe we'll cross paths .n_~
It's a very gentle chagrin.
ReplyDeleteAmazing art piece, captures the feeling perfectly.