Game Reviews

Old Man's Journey review - A trip worth taking

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iOS
| Old Man's Journey
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Old Man's Journey review - A trip worth taking
|
iOS
| Old Man's Journey

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Old Man's Journey is a game about, well, it's about an old man's journey. He's wandering through a landscape of rolling hills, bobbing boats, and old lighthouses, and it's up to you to help him get where he's going.

It's also a game about memories, about the narrative of a life. It's sad and sweet in equal measures, and while there's no real challenge here, it's an experience that's still well worth dipping your toes into.

For old time's sake

The main mechanic here involves moving the world around so the old man can pass. You're dragging spits of earth up and down to connect them, then tapping so he can move along them.

It's a bit more complex than that though. There are waterfalls to get past, sheep to herd, and all manner of other ideas to contend with.

Then the old man will sit on a bench and remember something from his past. After that you'll move on to the next part of the puzzle.

There are sections when you're building the track for a train, and ones where you need to move multiple pieces of land multiple times in order to get to your goal.

Like I say, it's not the most challenging experience, but there's a wonderful elegance to the experience all the same. And it looks absolutely stunning.

Manipulating the world is fun, and while there are a few sticky sequences, for the most time you can focus on the beautiful vistas and subtle touches the game presents to you.

This is a sedate experience, dripping with love and attention. It's the sort of game that will make you feel actual feelings.

Olden days

And sometimes that's what you want from your mobile gaming. This is one to curl up on the sofa with, possibly with a hot chocolate, if you're into that sort of thing.

Games aren't all about shooting people in the face. Sometimes they're about taking a slow stroll through the countryside and taking the time to look at the trees.

Old Man's Journey review - A trip worth taking

A slow-paced and dreamy puzzler that's worth all of your time
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.