The Sojourn

The music is beautiful and the game really brings you into this peaceful type of sanctuary where you are slowly discovering hints about how the main story goes throughout the different levels. The puzzles are not to hard, but most of them are not so easy as well. The difficulty of this game is just perfectly set. You really feel proud of yourself when you succeed through the game. If you want to relax, work your brain and encourage an independent gaming company, this game is worth the try!

"Sojourn" Reviewed by Ken Lutes (PS4 version.) Developer: Shifting Tides Publisher: Iceberg Interactive Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Hey all, it's your friendly neighborhood PS4 guy. With a tale of a journey that you have to take yourself to understand. Do you like profound philosophy? Do you like puzzles? Perhaps, you are more about the journey than the destination. Sojourn is a game unlike any other I have played before now. In fact, words, don't seem to fit what I have been experiencing well I have been playing it. I will try to illustrate what I can going forward from here. Firstly sojourn is a puzzle game that will immediately strike your eyes with it's a colorful world of stunning visuals that are nothing short of breathtaking for a non-AAA or game for that matter. It encourages exploration within the challenge and readily gives you all of the tools you need as you need them. The main mechanic and the one you are introduced to first is the dark world granting a bulk of your solving tools. There is more to it in a sense , in a way it is showing you the duality of life itself as the world and what you can do changes during use of the dark world. Thankfully even though your time is short here it is measured in steps not time itself. The puzzles involve many unique obstacles such as switching places with a statue or the world itself changing in the darkness. Though provoking idioms are given with statues in a way telling a story. this comes about as you go through your journey of puzzles. Punishment is not something that really occurs with failure at most having to start your puzzle over, remember it's about the journey " if you try to go to the moon and simply follow the stars you will lose your way" in other words be mindful of the journey itself. Sojurn is a simple beauty with a depth not easily explained, it is very much so something that needs to be experienced to believe. I often found myself not sure how I felt but realized "I need to keep going" or just autonomously moving forward fixated on the "now" the music is soft and follows the feeling of peace yet focused. The puzzles themselves progress naturally with a perfect balance of learning curve and challenge. You will find yourself compelled to move forward or to not give up on progressing, maybe it's more so questioning? Often times with the intermissions between challenges you will become more curious and provoked to ask what the deeper meaning is here. I could continue on and try to describe this more however, this is an experience simply to rare for words. One I shall not drown in a quagmire of a rant but allow you to go forth on your own journey. Pros: Delightful to the eyes A simple yet elegant score Perfectly balanced puzzles Cons: There truly is nothing negative, you may augure the narrative is confusing. That in and of itself is one of Sojourns many charms in all honesty. With this all said I give this game a final rating of: 10/10 Sojourn is a unique journey that has really captured something special. I imagine the experience to be akin to the wonder of the legend that is Myst when it first came out. I would be so as bold to say this is the second coming of such an adventure.