The twist on this is that you can’t actually communicate with these players with any sort of voice or text chat. In fact, you won’t actually know who helped you on your travels until you reach the game’s end credits. What you can do, however, is make little musical chirps to get your friend’s attention.
I remember having such a sense of wonder when I first played Journey. It’s set in a gorgeous landscape with a few other hooded travellers running around, trying to figure things out. At first I had no idea these other little Journeyers were actual real life players, I assumed they were just NPCs following me about. When I realised, it gave me such a warm feeling. In a game that initially makes you feel lonely, suddenly I had a friendly stranger as my companion, guiding me through. You don’t have to take my word for how lovely Journey is, though. The podcast crew talked about it a bit last year on an episode all about games that give us a sense of discovery and exploration. Journey is available on Steam right now for £11.39/€12.49/$14.99. That’s £4 cheaper than it is on Epic. As a launch bonus, buying it on Steam within the next fortnight will get you Thatgamecompany’s Flower too.
