The Journey Home

About

The Journey Home is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Michael Chou and was released on August 22, 2016. It received neutral reviews from players.

A VR interactive story about family, dreams, and the meaning of life. You will be an astronaut who failed the mission, gets stuck in space and haunted by past memories.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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50%Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

story6 negative mentions

The Journey Home offers a unique VR experience that attempts to explore themes of family, dreams, and the meaning of life.
The visuals, particularly in space, are praised for their beauty and attention to detail, creating an immersive environment.
As a free title, it provides a short experience that some players found enjoyable despite its flaws.

The game lacks meaningful gameplay and interaction, with many reviewers stating it does not qualify as a game due to the absence of a game loop.
Voice acting and writing are frequently criticized as terrible, detracting from the overall experience and emotional impact.
Many players found the story unengaging and repetitive, with a lack of content and depth that left them feeling unsatisfied.

story
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
68%
19%
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its execution, voice acting, and overall engagement, often comparing it unfavorably to David Bowie's "Space Odyssey." While some appreciate the deeper themes of family and dreams, others find the narrative dull, repetitive, and filled with clichés, suggesting that it lacks the depth and coherence needed to resonate with players. Despite its immersive VR experience and decent visuals, the storytelling is seen as a significant weakness, leaving many players wanting more from the plot.
- “The journey home is a free VR interactive story about family, dreams, and the meaning of life.”
- “You will be an astronaut who failed the mission, gets stuck in space and is haunted by past memories.”
- “An interesting take on storytelling using VR immersion.”
- “The voice acting is terrible, and the game itself is also equally lacking in plot and gameplay.”
- “To a more general audience, the story structure, the dialogue, even the message, was forced, hacky at best.”
- “The story is not very engaging and somewhat repetitive.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
58%
24%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its lack of meaningful interaction and engaging mechanics, with many reviewers noting it feels more like an art exhibition than a game. Despite some positive mentions of visuals and flight mechanics, the overall experience is marred by dull gameplay, poor storytelling, and a lack of compelling gameplay loops. Players express a desire for gameplay that aligns more closely with narrative elements to enhance the overall experience.
- “It's a cool flight mechanic!”
- “But it's better when the gameplay aligns with the story goals.”
- “Or, better yet, empower the player to tell their own story naturally through the gameplay while still passively witnessing external events, like the exploding station.”
- “There are no gameplay loops in this rejected art school dropout exhibition, no 'gameplay', no meaningful game-like interaction.”
- “The voice acting is terrible, and the game itself is also equally lacking in plot and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay elements were boring and the game can't be considered good just off of its environments.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
12%
25%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in the planetary and starscape designs. However, the quality of the visuals on Earth has been criticized, with some users noting issues like poorly rendered tree sprites. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, they are overshadowed by complaints about the game's story and gameplay.
- “Great visuals with attractive designs and really great attention to detail.”
- “Nice planetary visuals that enhance the overall experience.”
- “Nice visuals of the starscape and all the planetary elements.”
- “The visuals are alright in space, pretty standard for a VR space game.”
- “The visuals on Earth are horrendous, particularly the erratically rotating tree sprites.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The music in the game has been praised for being well-selected and fitting the theme and story, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users feel that the plot resembles a poorly executed version of David Bowie's space odyssey.
- “The music is very good, well-selected, and perfectly suited to the theme and story.”
- “The soundtrack enhances the overall experience, immersing players in the game's atmosphere.”
- “Each track complements the gameplay beautifully, making every moment feel more impactful.”
- “The plot behind this story is basically David Bowie's 'Space Odyssey', except if every aspect of that fine song was garbage, and it was VR exclusive.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of genuine depth, with many reviewers finding it apathetic and confusing rather than thought-provoking. Attempts to evoke strong feelings often fall flat, resulting in a cringe-worthy experience rather than a meaningful connection.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game to be highly entertaining and consistently funny.
- “Of course I do, it's hilarious.”