The Big Journey
- April 20, 2018
- Catfishbox
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"The Big Journey" is a delightful physics-based game featuring Mr. Whiskers, a rotund cat who rolls and rolls to uncover the mysteries of his missing beloved dumpling chef. Navigate through a series of whimsical levels with tactile, engaging gameplay, dodging obstacles, and meeting charming characters along the way. With its charming visuals, catchy music, and simple yet challenging gameplay, "The Big Journey" is a delightful adventure for all ages.
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Reviews
- The game features adorable graphics and a charming art style that appeals to players of all ages.
- The soundtrack is enjoyable and adds to the relaxing atmosphere of the game.
- The gameplay is simple and accessible, making it suitable for casual players and children.
- The controls are often unresponsive and can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Levels tend to be repetitive, lacking variety and challenge as the game progresses.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with achievements not unlocking.
- music39 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as cute, pleasant, and fitting well with the overall aesthetic, creating a joyful atmosphere. However, many users note that the soundtrack can become repetitive after a short period, detracting from the experience. While some find the music enjoyable enough to listen to outside of gameplay, others feel it lacks the inventiveness seen in other titles like Locoroco.
“Locoroco had great music.”
“The soundtrack is fun although it can get a bit repetitive at times; especially when playing a world and hearing that song five times in a row.”
“A bright and summery indie pop-rock soundtrack from artist Choconuts drives the playful and bright action of The Big Journey.”
“Some of the level designs are frustrating, the music is repetitive and a couple of achievements are straight up broken.”
“And it definitely doesn't help that the game's soundtrack sounds almost entirely the same throughout, and the same tracks will repeat over and over, slowly getting on your nerves.”
“The music is okay but it could have been better.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple mechanics, primarily involving screen rotation and jumping, which some players find enjoyable and accessible, especially for younger audiences. While the visuals and atmosphere are praised, the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with some levels feeling flat and easy. Overall, it offers a charming experience but may not provide enough challenge for seasoned players.
“The tilting mechanic to move around is refreshing and also implemented in a good way; you have to play the game for a while to get a feel for it.”
“Cute graphics and very fun (Loco Roco-like) gameplay.”
“Together with the graphics and ease of gameplay, the soundtrack helps make the big journey one of the most accessible games on Steam, something that can be enjoyed by players of all ages.”
“The gameplay is just rotating the screen back and forth and jumping, and it kinda gives me motion sickness honestly.”
“To be honest, I like the game, it's cute, fun, and I enjoyed playing it, but it was starting to get a bit boring throughout the final levels because I didn't feel the difficulty in the final chapters, just like the bonus chapter where it made you go back and forth to progress and complete it in time. I get that is a common problem games have, which is pretty much shoving the player everything right at the start and getting repetitive on the rest of the gameplay; in this one, it's different obstacles but the same difficulty.”
“It's storybook-like visuals hardly make up for how flat the level design and gameplay is.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, cute, and colorful art style, which appeals to both children and adults. The simplistic 2D visuals and charming character design create an enjoyable atmosphere, complemented by a pleasant soundtrack. However, some players note that while the graphics are delightful, they do not compensate for the game's poor controls and camera issues.
“The art style is beautiful and gives it its own identity.”
“You can't deny this game is super cute, with bright colored graphics and a cheery soundtrack.”
“The artwork is just adorable, simplistic 2D graphics that depict this fun-filled world.”
“Overall, the graphics are cute and the game is quite decent for children, but the controls are horrible and the camera movement gives me nausea.”
“It's storybook-like visuals hardly make up for how flat the level design and gameplay is.”
“Graphically, the big journey is absolutely brilliant.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as nonsensical and lacking emotional depth, with a single disappointing ending that fails to provide catharsis. While the main chapters are easy to complete and feature a cute, kid-friendly narrative, the overall level design and gameplay are considered flat, detracting from the story experience. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the charming visuals and the content available to explore.
“The graphics are nice, the cat is super squishy, and the story is definitely kid-friendly.”
“Since the story chapters make up the main content of the game, it's still ok.”
“I've only played 0.2 hours so far but fell in love with the style and the story immediately.”
“Very nonsensical story with only a single disappointing, irritating ending, severely lacking in emotional catharsis.”
“It's storybook-like visuals hardly make up for how flat the level design and gameplay is.”
“The main story (chapters 1-5) are not that hard to beat, actually pretty easy, but still not boring.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted and cute elements, featuring funny writing and engaging dialogue with animal characters. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and the amusing interactions, though the overall depth of the humor may be limited. It's recommended for those looking for a simple, entertaining experience, especially if purchased on sale.
“That just means, if you trigger the screenshot at an interesting point (e.g., near a character), there's a polaroid of the picture and a few funny/cute hashtags popping up.”
“It's very nice on the eyes and very cute and has funny writing, but it's not a very deep game. I would recommend getting it on sale if possible.”
“You can also find friends (other animals) with some pretty funny dialogue, and you are also rated on each run (time, bugs, and dumplings collected).”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a stable experience with minimal bugs or glitches, though some have noted issues such as getting stuck under bouncy platforms and visibility problems caused by flying creatures. Additionally, navigating menus with a controller can be somewhat buggy.
“In my gameplay, I did not find that many bugs and/or glitches the community found, except you can get stuck under the bouncy platforms. In some levels, where bats and birds fly away, they stop in mid-air and block some portion of the visibility in the level.”
“You can play with a controller as well, but the menus seem a bit buggy to navigate with analog sticks.”
“Menus can be buggy sometimes when using a controller.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find it heartwarming and wholesome, providing a relaxing experience, others criticize it for a nonsensical story and a disappointing ending that lacks emotional depth and catharsis.
“This game could be really wholesome and relaxing.”
“Heartwarming, people need this.”
“Wholesome, cute, and relaxing.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its vibrant colors and well-selected music, which together create a soothing and family-friendly cartoon environment. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of visual and audio elements that enhance the overall experience.
“My daughter loves it; wonderful colors, nice mechanics, and a brilliant atmosphere.”
“Music and audio samples selected for the game fit it very well and create a great atmosphere.”
“The colors are so incredibly pleasing, working in tandem with the already soothing soundtrack to create a refreshing and family-friendly cartoon atmosphere.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the game offers decent replayability, particularly through the challenge of achieving 3-star ratings on levels and completing Steam achievements.
“The levels provide some replayability if you're trying to achieve 3 stars.”
“The game offers great replay value with its Steam achievements.”
“Replayability is a key feature that keeps the game engaging.”
“Levels provide some replayability if trying to get 3 stars.”
“Replayability.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with users noting that controls can be frustrating and not well-suited for PC, leading to occasional performance issues.
“Performance can be a real issue sometimes.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, especially in crowded areas.”
“Loading times are excessively long, which disrupts the overall experience.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that achieving the rarest accomplishments often necessitates extensive grinding, and some achievements are reportedly bugged, leading to frustration as they may not unlock as intended.
“Lastly, for completionist purposes, the 'rarest' achievements either require extreme grinding or are bugged and might not unlock (many of them don't for me).”
