Voyage: Xbox Edition Review
Release Date: August 11th, 2022
Developer: Venturous
Platforms: Xbox (Reviewed - Xbox Edition), Voyage is also available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC
Price: $14.99
Sometimes you can simply look at a game and know right away that the art direction is leading you into something special. Whether it may be a dark adventure game, a simple platformer, a walking simulator, or a puzzle title - like is the case with Voyage - an art direction at first glance, when illustrated beautifully, can convey many words and emotions by the colors and shapes it marries to form the images we see on screen. Voyage right away leads players into a vibrant adventure with an emotional story driving the immersion and pacing, and does so in a mostly efficient way depending on how the player can reasonably handle two characters at once. Though the game can be played in both single-player and cooperative modes, those that have played the likes of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Super Chariot, or Greak: Memories of Azur will find an easy pick-me-up, but those less active with puzzles - especially experimental ones - may find a game less than comfortable to get through with Voyage, though it's still worth the time and effort regardless as the character switching is done a minimal way that doesn’t significantly impact gameplay.
Voyage sees two survivors looking to unravel their past, reclaiming their memories in the process. With little to no context presented to the player, Voyage relies on a huge amount of environmental storytelling to convey its narrative, but it does so in a polished way and with such finesse that it helps capitalize on the overall atmosphere that Voyage is going for between its hand-drawn visuals and clear-cut level design. While games like these are typically open to interpretation, there's still enough of a basic structure here that it's understood when, why, and how the characters are set in place, but those looking for a more audible and direct explanation will have to come up with their own as the game primarily focuses on its music and visuals as a driving force of its story, with no voice acting or dialogue in place.
While the game's premise and gameplay are simplistic and should be easy to adapt for those more efficient with puzzle games, the controls seem to have a lot of inputs that really don't mean much of anything. You can hug one another, direct a player/CPU, and of course switch off and grab objects, but it's the extra buttons and switches that can sometimes become cumbersome when playing in single-player, though it certainly is much more optimized for cooperative play. In a similar fashion to Journey, there are ways to communicate, but this holds little to no value in a single-player environment. The animations are all really well done, though, and it can't be stressed enough just how charming all of the hand-drawn visuals are that really give Voyage an identity of its own.
Voyage likely won't win any awards with players, but the game at least knows what it's trying to be and how it wants to have the adventure be conveyed, so the experience feels consistent throughout, even if the pacing eventually becomes sluggish and unenthused. At the very least, the environments themselves are plenty reason enough to continue on the adventure through Voyage as it provides a fairly wholesome and feel-good aura throughout its short 2-to-3-hour duration.
There's no denying that Voyage's big draw is its beautiful trek through landscapes of hand-drawn environments, and though it's certainly a serene adventure, it does fall a bit short in some cases as by the end I couldn't help but feel like nothing was really accomplished other than helping these two voyagers find their place again. While it's certainly a palatable experience that will no doubt please many, it's one that isn't emotional or gripping enough by the end to leave any long-lasting impact. Voyage is without a doubt a great palette cleanser, however, and one that's worth picking up when on sale and especially if you have someone close to vibe out to with it.
PROS:
A beautiful hand-drawn art style that wonderfully captures the essence of its atmosphere and story
Voyage's music immerses and delights, with all of it perfectly tuned to every moment of its gameplay
A short but sweet game that doesn't require much investment from the player, making for a relaxing experience
CONS:
The open-ended nature of its storytelling may deter some players
Pacing can eventually have moments of sluggishness
While a beautiful game visually, it doesn’t leave a substantial impact by the end.
A big thank you to Venturous and Ratalaika Games for providing us with a copy of Voyage for the purposes of this review!