A few weeks ago, I saw it. It was free. I told myself why not? Let’s try this. I saw the studio name. That looks familiar! Aha, Journey! This can be good! I needed some escapism, in the atmosphere of Journey!? All the better. But I didn’t expect what would happen the third time that I joined the game.
This is so nice. So peaceful. The first time I joined the game, I don’t know what was it but it was some kind of arena and a lot of similar characters with very minor differences and rarely with which seems to be more customization were sitting, walking, singing, running, coming and going. I was so confused. “I think this is supposed be the starting area and you have to run and start your journey or campaign, if this game have such a thing, I don’t know.” Or so I told myself and tried to exit the big doors on each side to no avail. “Is this a bad time? Maybe there is seasonal event is going on? Server Dispatching? Or perhaps its just a server maintenance and/or downtime?” for about an hour I was walking around entertaining myself with slide animation and flapping my cape and trying to find something new until I kinda got tired and thought to myself: “What is this game even supposed to be? I haven’t even seen any trailer, game play or anything. Perhaps its just a social game that you talk with your friends(which I don’t have any), like a chat room or something.” … then I simply closed the game and forgot it for a few weeks.
I give it another shot and lo and behold, it has game play. Its so nice. The mechanics, plot, quests so compliments the look and feel, this is so meditating. I’m growing fond of this. Light the candles. Free/Help the spirits. Listen to their stories. Learn how to communicate from them. It’s so … so … what is the word? So human? So childlike? Like a real child I’m following that spirits story and learning by imitating them and broaden my world not only for mechanics(spells etc.) but more importantly how express myself, how to approach new people and different new ways to greet them, funny, dramatic, innovative, mockingly, serious or whatever. I had the time of my life. “I think a weekly, multi hour play session can recharge me, who knows?”.
Third time, the only thing I had unlocked was 1 new haircut other than the default haircut and that was it and I was on top of the clouds from it(figuratively & literally). I continued what I learned, burn the bad plants, gather the lights, light the candles, gather the lights and build your candle-o-meter to earn candles, because that’s the only way to make new friends. “You don’t have IRL friends, at least try to have some here” and I convinced myself to work harder and farm those candles.
Until I found “Buddy”, you don’t know anything about them (the player I mean) other than they are a none-sassy lost child like you and bonus point, Buddy had the same haircut as me, “Yay haircut twins”. That was when I learned about “Hand holding” and I tried it and I got addicted to it. I thought maybe we will be together for a few seconds or max, minutes but we lived a lifetime together, literally(I mean in the game at least).
There was time that they took the lead and there was times that I took the lead but we had an unexpected connection that I did love and we went beyond what I had imagined to go that day and with someone else no less. It was cathartic. I don’t know how to describe it. The atmosphere of the game, the mechanics, game play and the unexpected feeling of companionship, made those 2 hours to an unforgettable memory. And it ended in death and it ended in pure bliss.
I fear if I explain too much it may spoil the game for the people who still want to try it so I will just say this: We held hands, we lit up candles, we flew together, we lit up lanterns, we avoided monsters, we helped spirits and listened to their stories and learned from them, all while holding each others hands. We reached to a point of no return and passed through it. we freed up spirits and gave lights back to warm the cold … while holding hands … and … we died.
What happened when I(we) died? This alone was another ecstasy that I didn’t expect. You see your shining self(?) in a see of darkness and you have to approach them and hug them. That’s when you will experience some euphoric journey to get back to the sky and have another chance. And this pure visual joy was the cherry on top for that 2 hours adventure which Buddy and I had leading to our Death/Rebirth.
Up until now, I don’t know the second person that was with me, was it Buddy? or my light self? But I would love to pretend, we died together and reborn and flew together from afterlife back to the sky, to home.
I lost contact to them, but I will cherish the memory forever. Those 2 hours of unexpected adventure & joy have already lifted up my spirit IRL. Wherever you are, thank you for the company, Buddy.
