Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Flow is a good game. Flower is a GREAT game. But Journey... Journey is the best game I've played in my life, and I've been playing since the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980s. The following review is SPOILER FREE. It's difficult to put into words what exactly makes Journey so special. As the title implies, it's more of an "experience", and I might even call it a spiritual/digital pilgrimage, as odd as that might sound. I have never before been so captivated while playing a game, so fully immersed, and so interested in what would come next. This accomplishment is even more remarkable when you consider that Journey contains no dialogue (written or spoken), and breaks many of the standard conventions that gaming relies upon. My recommendation for your first time through is to play it in solitude, in a darkened room, preferably with a good sound system, as the music is phenomenal. On the visual side, an HDTV is a must, and the larger the screen, the better. This is an incredibly immersive experience, and the more you can focus on it, the more you will get out of it. On subsequent playthroughs, it's fun to watch a friend play, and take joy in their reactions to the wonders they experience. Journey contains an orchestral soundtrack that is breathtaking, and fits the game perfectly. The visuals are equally spellbinding, and they become more and more fantastic as your journey progresses. Photos do no justice to the feelings that Journey's sweeping landscapes will evoke in you. One of my favorite aspects of Journey is that it can be completed, from start to finish, in a mere two hours. This means that going back and revisiting this incredible experience is relatively easy, even for those of us who are pressed for time between jobs and real world responsibilities. Journey can be played any evening after work, and it's fantastic to revisit its immersive, therapeutic, and breathtaking world. Making this game short was not a mistake, but a stroke of genius. There is no bloat, and every minute spent in the experience is finely tuned to provide maximum enjoyment, emotional stimulation, and thought provocation. I downloaded each of these games as they were made available on PSN. Therefore, I do not own the physical copy, so I cannot comment on the packaging or the bonus materials. My review is strictly for the content of the games themselves, and I give this collection my highest possible recommendation.