Journey is such a great indie game that came out in 2012. Metacritic gave it a 92/100 (which is very rare) and GameRankings has it (as of this writing) at 92.60% of 100%, it has won numerous awards for it’s game play, music and overall value. This is by far one of PlayStation Networks best to ever be released, and there is no other game like it.
I was able to get my digital hands on this fantastic game when it was on sale, and played it in all it’s glory. It is literally a journey where you play as a character who is nameless and goes about different lands. The game is only explained through different paintings you come across and the beautiful landscapes you traverse, but that’s it. It’s main plot is never brought to the light, yet that’s the beauty of Journey, you must figure that out on your own.
Just like our lives, we all are on a journey. Some seasons in our lives are lonely or they are joined by others to help us along, just like the game where randomly another player who is also playing at the same time can join you in that level. There are also different areas that you go through, like a snowy expanse or under the sea or through a windy mountain.
Game Informer wrote an article about how the author sees Journey as the different stages in life. From being born, to going through adulthood, old age and finally death, this is one of the journeys that the game walks us through. Yet, they mention some things that we can see in a different way:
The meaning behind Journey is that there is beauty in life, in triumph, in fear, and in death. You just have to slow down and realize it. The final message from Journey, is that when your life ends, life will begin anew. Whether it’s through reincarnation, or it’s the beginning of someone else’s journey, life will continue on.
Reincarnation is a Buddhist concept (and you can see several Buddhist influences throughout the game) and the bible is clear that we die once and then face judgement (whether good or bad) for our lives here on Earth. We will be before the true and living God, Jesus Christ, and if we received His forgiveness and believed in Him as our Lord then we will have eternal life.
Hebrews 9:27-28
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Yes, I can see as the story of our own life’s journey can be the beginning of another whether through our children, friends or those whom we have impacted positively, no one has ever come back as a butterfly or in a different. This endless recycling of our souls wouldn’t even make sense in regards to population. If we all came back as humans or animals, then what’s the purpose of having children or multiplying? Wouldn’t the Earth be full of life after so many hundreds and thousands of years of reincarnation? That’s just my personal opinion on that by the way.
To look at Journey as our walk through life is one way of reflecting on this game’s meaning, but to say that the end of our life is one of darkness, pain or suffering isn’t true. Yes, our bodies do grow old and some pain or discomfort (or disease if you don’t stay healthy) do occur, I refuse to imagine my final years here to be those of sadness. I can only imagine myself being with my family, my lovely wife and being grateful to Christ for the journey.
God’s hand is over our lives all throughout our journey. It’s been through His blessings that we are where we are now. Whether your not in a good place right now or your going through a difficult time, He is there with you through it all. There is a devil that does his best to mess us up every day, but we need to look at Christ and not satan.
God loves us, is with us, and has never left us. Seek Him every day.