Interesante preview de Journey en gamepro y video en el que presentan el juego en gametrailers:
We tour a mysterious, sand-consumed world in thatgamecompany's latest enigmatic entry, a title intent on engaging the senses as much as the thumbs.
What we're talking about: Journey, the upcoming PSN title from thatgamecompany, the innovative team behind previous not-quite-games Fl0w and Flower.
Where we saw it: Sony's New York City 2010/2011 press preview, where it stole the spotlight from some of the showier titles being demoed .
Journey Preview
What you need to know:
* The developer prides itself in creating interactive experiences that can't be conveniently slotted into any specific game genre. Journey continues this approach, continually evolving as players progress and not revealing its secrets until they've reached its conclusion. The team aims to inspire awe, ignite the imagination, and elicit emotional responses from gamers whose appetites crave more than headshot-ing zombies.
* Journey wants players to feel small in its encompassing world, so it surrounds the cloth-based character in as-far-as-the-eye-can-see sand; vast, sweeping deserts, caverns, dunes and even mountains of sand make up the landscape, inviting exploration and experimentation. Only a towering peak in the distance hints at an ultimate destination and goal.
* Navigating this stretching landscape is handled simply by minimal control inputs; the DualShock 3's motion tech moves the camera, while two face buttons--one for jumping, one for shouting--do the rest. This modest move-set allows you to surf atop waves of sand, shuffle through mounds of the grainy stuff, and float above it. A character in and of itself, the environment is meant to engage through immersive audio, visual and feedback cues.
* Cloth also plays an integral role in Journey. In addition to your character being constructed entirely of fabric, the world is populated by it in different forms, from flag-like swaths to totem-hung sheets. While the team's been pretty quiet about its specific role, it seems it can be manipulated when interacted with; during our demo, for example, rags were vibrantly rejuvenated when the player jumped near them. It also seems extra fabric can be added to your avatar, possibly aiding in its ability to jump further and longer.
* Journey encourages but does not require online interactions. Doing away with lobbies, voice support, name tags, and even a real presence of co-op or competitive play, its multi-player retains the developer's goal of shattering established conventions. That "shout" button we mentioned earlier is the only means of communicating with other players, and "pairing" with someone is simply handled by approaching them. Additionally, you can only be paired with one other player at a time, and you can sever the partnership whenever you wish.
Journey Preview
Point in development cycle: While our demo was strictly hands-off, the game looks to be very far along. Sony would only reveal a release date of "2011."
My take: The daunting task of discussing this developer's titles within the established videogame lexicon is made more difficult when you're only given eyes-only access. That said, Journey seems to be retaining the appealing and artistic aesthetic that compelled players to download fl0w and Flower. Its mysterious, curiosity-piquing gameplay is equally intriguing; I practically begged thagamecompany's president, Kellee Santiago, to let me feel what it was like to tread the sand, if only for a moment--she politely shot me down.
Thankfully, Journey's character and environmental visuals don't require much discussion or hands-on time, as they clearly speak for themselves. Realistically flowing cloth, sand you can practically feel sifting through your fingers, and an engrossing world begging to be explored yield a beauty that wouldn't look out of place on an artist's canvas. In addition to the well publicized sun-baked, desert-like areas, Santiago also took us underground to blue-tinted caverns where the sand poured like water from holes in the walls.
On top of gorgeous visuals and genre-breaking gameplay, Journey's team is cryptically generating buzz about its non-conventional approach to multi-player. As expected, Santiago revealed little, but hinted that it was a very do-what-you-like experience, not confined within the usual online gaming parameters. And though it's not meant as a competitive or co-op experience, players can engage in impromptu races or get assistance from more experienced players. Rejuvenating tattered cloth and jumping long distances is also made easier when two tackle such tasks. We look forward to surfing the sand, pairing with other cloth-made wanderers, and finding out what secrets wait atop that way-off mountain when Journey soothes our senses sometime in 2011.
El video es bueno.