Journey (Collector's Edition)

screenshot from "Journey"

There are many genres of video games in the world, from Puzzles and Racing all the way to RPGs and Shooters. The most popular games currently are Shooters and RPGs. Even so, there are still developers like thatgamecompany (TGC) that make innovative, original games that pull away from the traditional shoot-as-many-bad-guys-as-you-can model. Journey is one of those games.

The Journey Collector's Edition is a compilation of three of TGC's games (Journey, flOw, and Flower) with a whole hoard of bonuses (more on that later). The synopsis for each game is as follows (from IGN):


"JOURNEY: An exotic adventure with a more serious tone, Journey presents a unique vision of an online adventure experience. Awakening in an unknown world, the player walks, glides, and flies through a vast and awe-inspiring landscape, while discovering the history of an ancient, mysterious civilization along the way. Journey's innovative approach to online play encourages players to explore this enviroment with strangers who cross their path from time to time. By traveling together, they can re-shape the experience -- creating authentic moments they will remember and discuss with others.




screenshot for "flOw"

FLOWER: Playing as the wind, the player guides and grows a swarm of pe[t]als by interacting with other flowers and the surrounding enviroment. The goals and journey in each level very, but all involve flight, exploration and interaction with the level. Guiding the lead petal through the world, you accumulate a swarm of flower petals as you moves at your own pace withing the enviroment, causing the on-screen world to change with your interaction.

FLOW: Maneuver your aquatic organism through a surreal biosphere, consuming other organisms, evolving, and diving into the abyss. With an embedded design of DDA (dynamic difficulty adjustment), players with differing skill levels can intuitively customize their game experience and enjoy the game at their own pace."


Included with these three games is also a veritable treasure trove of bonus features, including: a thirty minute behind the scenes documentary on the making of Journey, creator commentaries on all three games, three exclusive TGC mini-games, concept art, screenshot galleries, original soundtracks for all three games, PS3 dynamic themes and wallpapers, PSN avatars (including eight new releases), game trailers, developer diary videos, and reversible cover art.

DISCLAIMER: Journey Collector's Edition has been rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and older by the ESRB for Mild Fantasy Violence. (this rating descriptor only applies to Journey specifically. flOw and Flower are rated E for Everyone with no rating descriptors.)

Journey Collector's Edition will be available from Sony Computer Entertainment on August 28, 2012, for the PlayStation 3.




 - Edessa, signing off