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Papo & Yo Vs Journey


PS3isKing

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Who has both game played them both?

 

I know Journey was critically acclaimed as one of the top PSN games if not top games of the year so far. But after playing Papo & Yo and seeing how it got mixed reviews I really have to say I really like the story to this game a lot better.

 

Yes Journey wins in graphics and controls, but in story Papo and Yo beats Journey in my opinion. I don't know about you, but I can relate to a human more than a person I never really see, what is all covered up.

 

Spoilers

 

I am not saying my dad is an alcoholic, or even addicted to something that turns him into a monster, but the story is meteorically so dam good, it can be a friend, a brother, a sister, a aunt, uncle etc etc.

 

This game wont get love it deserves unfortunately, and it is a shame because I really it's one of the more emotionally stories out there, but it is different.

 

Thoughts? Agree or disagree?

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Who has both game played them both?

 

I know Journey was critically acclaimed as one of the top PSN games if not top games of the year so far. But after playing Papo & Yo and seeing how it got mixed reviews I really have to say I really like the story to this game a lot better.

 

Yes Journey wins in graphics and controls, but in story Papo and Yo beats Journey in my opinion. I don't know about you, but I can relate to a human more than a person I never really see, what is all covered up.

 

Spoilers

 

I am not saying my dad is an alcoholic, or even addicted to something that turns him into a monster, but the story is meteorically so dam good, it can be a friend, a brother, a sister, a aunt, uncle etc etc.

 

This game wont get love it deserves unfortunately, and it is a shame because I really it's one of the more emotionally stories out there, but it is different.

 

Thoughts? Agree or disagree?

 

i agree about it not getting enough love, but i liked journey better.

it is really good though

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I think as far as the story goes, they're a bit equal. P&Y's story is more emotional, but extremely repetitive about it, bordering on shoving the point down your throat (I don't think it did, but it's not far off).

 

But with both having a strong narrative, then my next decision would go to technical advantages, which Journey takes the cake on and eats it too, by a long shot.

 

I also think Journey's unparalleled foray into playing with someone who is completely unknown and developing a relationship with them beats out P&Y as well. Combine that with Papo's easy puzzles and Journey is just the better game IMO.

 

But I don't think that makes Papo & Yo a bad game at all, just not as good. And I enjoyed it. Between other games, it was a nice, unique, emotional and relaxing game. A great change of pace.

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Papo & Yo's story was too all over the place, certain things were never really made clear. Yet they were added in, so they should have delved in more on it. Like those slow motion running in the rain to a car with you in it scenes. What the hell was that about? I mean, why was his father standing out in the rain in an alley? Why was he in a car? Why on earth was that even in the game at all? They just dropped that stuff.

 

Journey is completely different, it leaves the entire story vague on purpose. So you're never really 100% sure on what happened in the world. It's more about the impact your journey has on you. And the consistency is unmatched.

 

While this game is more about telling a story about an alcoholic abusive father and learning to let them go. Because only they can fix themselves, you can't fix someone else.

 

I think they're completely different in every way. So I don't really think it's worth comparing the two. Both are great in my eyes, for different reasons. Journey is just far more polished overall.

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I don't see the problems with the Controls in Papo and Yo. They feel loose but responsive, I rarely fell off a ledge or block due to them.

 

I love both games, I'm giving the edge to Papo an Yo. Papo gives you a bit more to do than Journey did.

 

Both have great imagination and vision, I want to see more games like them.

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Papo & Yo's story was too all over the place, certain things were never really made clear. Yet they were added in, so they should have delved in more on it. Like those slow motion running in the rain to a car with you in it scenes. What the hell was that about? I mean, why was his father standing out in the rain in an alley? Why was he in a car? Why on earth was that even in the game at all? They just dropped that stuff.

 

Journey is completely different, it leaves the entire story vague on purpose. So you're never really 100% sure on what happened in the world. It's more about the impact your journey has on you. And the consistency is unmatched.

 

While this game is more about telling a story about an alcoholic abusive father and learning to let them go. Because only they can fix themselves, you can't fix someone else.

 

I think they're completely different in every way. So I don't really think it's worth comparing the two. Both are great in my eyes, for different reasons. Journey is just far more polished overall.

 

i was a smidge confused about the car trip in the rain thing too, but ... the second one, when the dad is out in the rain, check the shadow cast on the wall.

 

but yeah, i dont know where they were going or what the overall point was other than to see that shadow...maybe that was the only point.

 

I don't see the problems with the Controls in Papo and Yo. They feel loose but responsive, I rarely fell off a ledge or block due to them.

 

I love both games, I'm giving the edge to Papo an Yo. Papo gives you a bit more to do than Journey did.

 

Both have great imagination and vision, I want to see more games like them.

 

i agree, i had zero issues with the controls or camera.

Edited by dh4645
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For me, I feel like they changed a few things in Papo that shouldn't have been. I had been following the game's development for a while, and one thing they said they were trying to do with it was to make Monster feel like a friend one minute, then an enemy the next.

I personally never really felt a moment when you wanted to like Monster, I mean yeah you used him to advance, but he was more like a pawn than a friend.

The only time I felt that Monster was a protector was if you fail to follow the three keys, and are about to get squished by the blocks, then Monster will pull you out, wag his finger at you, then set you down. I feel like moments like those should've been more common.

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For me, I feel like they changed a few things in Papo that shouldn't have been. I had been following the game's development for a while, and one thing they said they were trying to do with it was to make Monster feel like a friend one minute, then an enemy the next.

I personally never really felt a moment when you wanted to like Monster, I mean yeah you used him to advance, but he was more like a pawn than a friend.

The only time I felt that Monster was a protector was if you fail to follow the three keys, and are about to get squished by the blocks, then Monster will pull you out, wag his finger at you, then set you down. I feel like moments like those should've been more common.

 

i agree, he was never a "friend" until you messed up at that key part (and i only did that once because i wasnt paying attention the first time i did it)

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I only played the trial version of Journey and I thought it looked beautiful and poetic but I didn't feel anything special about it. I enjoyed Flower and I don't think this one could replace it in my heart so I never purchased it and I don't plan to.

 

Now I have just completed Papo & Yo and wow that was brilliant. I was really touched by the story. It was sad and beautiful. I loved every second of this game.

 

However both games are really different so you can't really compare them. :)

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I agree on the relationship between Quico and Monster (why was it being called Papo in the spoken dialogue, but the subtitles said monster anyways?) being kind of a weak part of the game. I never felt attached or anything to it.

 

It was just a dumb pet you ordered around, they didn't include anything that makes the player like it. And they never showed anything regarding how Monster feels about Quico, it just ran where Quico threw frogs or fruits. I never thought the Monster likes or even loves the boy.

 

When Monster got on fire, it, sadly, was never scary, just annoying. So in the end, I didn't really care about Papo. It was but a gameplay mechanic. Only because I knew what the game was about, it touched me when the dream and the real world intersected, not because I was attached to the characters.

 

Other than that, the game was great, but I also wouldn't want to compare it to Journey as in "which one is better".

 

Journey made it feel more like it was my journey while Papo & Yo told me a story about someone else - both ways have their own merits.

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I agree with SoPoF in every point. The story was sad, but it didn't really touch me. Only exception was the ending, when [spoiler=P&Ygo]he let monster go.

How did that relate to his real world actions? Does it mean he[spoiler=P&Ypush]forgave him or did he literally push his father over a cliff when he was drunk?

 

 

Jouney gave me a feeling of immersion, while in P&Y, I just felt like a spectator...

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I agree on the relationship between Quico and Monster (why was it being called Papo in the spoken dialogue, but the subtitles said monster anyways?) being kind of a weak part of the game. I never felt attached or anything to it.

 

It was just a dumb pet you ordered around, they didn't include anything that makes the player like it. And they never showed anything regarding how Monster feels about Quico, it just ran where Quico threw frogs or fruits. I never thought the Monster likes or even loves the boy.

 

When Monster got on fire, it, sadly, was never scary, just annoying. So in the end, I didn't really care about Papo. It was but a gameplay mechanic. Only because I knew what the game was about, it touched me when the dream and the real world intersected, not because I was attached to the characters.

 

Other than that, the game was great, but I also wouldn't want to compare it to Journey as in "which one is better".

 

Journey made it feel more like it was my journey while Papo & Yo told me a story about someone else - both ways have their own merits.

I agree with the Monster things, also, there was the fact that he couldn't kill you no matter what happened, so I sort of felt that being tossed around wasn't a hazard, just an annoyance. However, whenever I saw frogs come out, it wasn't exactly fear, but I felt a sort of, urgh, Monster's gonna go nuts again.

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I agree with the Monster things, also, there was the fact that he couldn't kill you no matter what happened, so I sort of felt that being tossed around wasn't a hazard, just an annoyance. However, whenever I saw frogs come out, it wasn't exactly fear, but I felt a sort of, urgh, Monster's gonna go nuts again.

 

yeah, i just splatted them against the wall....unless he was supposed to raged up, then i let him go nuts

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Only exception was the ending ... How did that relate to his real world actions?

 

I think it means he [spoiler=pyyend]accepted how his father was, that he could not cure him unless he helped himself. He had to emotionally let go of his father or else he would've been hurt again and again. With people who hurt you, there's a point from where you must no let them get to you, you must let them go and not let false hope of things getting better trick you into enduring the pain any further or you'll always be their prisoner.

 

 

However, whenever I saw frogs come out, it wasn't exactly fear, but I felt a sort of, urgh, Monster's gonna go nuts again.

 

The problem with this, for me, was that (a) it was way too easy to avoid getting grabbed, even if you don't know the game yet. In fact, you can play the whole game with the exception of releasing two of the water tanks towards the end without getting hurt by Monster*.

 

(B) You actually want him to get into rage mode several times in order to proceed.

 

It would've been better if Monster would've been actually dangerous when angry and puzzles should've revolved around preventing it from happening or turning him back to normal more often rather than "switching" his rage on and off as you please.

 

*Come to think of it, I think it's even possible to avoid that with the magic doors there. Well, that would've been a nice trophy, wouldn't it?^^

Edited by SoPoF
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  • 3 weeks later...
i was a smidge confused about the car trip in the rain thing too, but ... the second one, when the dad is out in the rain, check the shadow cast on the wall.

 

but yeah, i dont know where they were going or what the overall point was other than to see that shadow...maybe that was the only point.

 

I think the first slow motion part is just leading up to the second part where [spoiler=pyyend]Yes, you can see the shadow, but also there is a body on the ground. It looks like a person has been killed possibly hit by a car.

 

Edited by thabg23
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Your spoiler wasn't readable, you accidentally used the same code as SoPoF? This one does:

I think the first slow motion part is just leading up to the second part where [spoiler=pyyendd]Yes, you can see the shadow, but also there is a body on the ground. It looks like a person has been killed possibly hit by a car.

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Other than that they're both short-but-cheap downloadable indie games with an emotionally resonant story, I think they're hardly comparable (but I guess I just described exactly why they're being compared). I really liked both these games, but I feel both were far from perfect. Both exhibited gorgeous settings with unique and interesting characters and mechanics, but beyond that the tones are pretty different.

 

Journey was more about...

[spoiler=Journey Spoilers]...well the journey to get to the mountain, and the encounters you experienced on the way there, plus the comradery grown between you and one or more total strangers. That said, provided you actually get a decent partner, Journey can be a pretty rewarding experience. It kind of banks on that, though, as playing through solo feels pretty lonely by comparison. Plus having some guy just hustle through with no regard to you is rather discouraging. Likewise, being partnered with somebody who has absolutely no idea what they're doing and won't listen to you as you try to help can be equally frustrating. The game is also very minimalistic, which is nice, as what little gameplay there was was to benefit the story/experience. This does inhibit replayability somewhat, though, since once you've done it all enough times it can lose its luster (though I'd say it is quite replayable).

 

 

Papo & Yo on the other hand...

[spoiler=Papo & Yo Spoilers]was quite clearly about a kid trying to escape the horrors of his alcoholic dad, trying to find a cure, and upon realizing there isn't one, having to accept it, move on, and let go. While that's all well and good, if you haven't had a similar experience, it's easy to sympathize with, but harder to relate to. The fact that Monster's rage mode was more of an annoyance than a true threat also didn't help. But I feel the biggest misstep is that we didn't get to experience much of Monster's good side, and have a reason to care for him at all.

 

If you kick a soccer ball at him, he'll throw it back; if you catch it, he'll boast a hearty laugh. That is literally the best example I can think of in the game that exhibits father-like qualities from Monster. Otherwise, he just sleeps, runs around eating fruit like a moronic glutton, or tries to eat you in a frog-fueled rage. I got that he was a monster; that's his name. I wanted to get the sense that he was also a father to Quico. Without that, throwing him off a cliff feels empty, because other than the fact that he would go berserk and hurt everyone around him, I feel like we never knew why we were trying to save him in the first place.

 

I really did enjoy the creativity of the world they made for Quico, though. I loved a lot of the elements they used like moving buildings, the house bridge, and moving half a city up to change the landscape. I kinda wish they'd done more of it than they had by the time it was all said and done.

 

 

So yeah. Both good games, though somewhat flawed. I guess I got more out of Journey myself, but I feel like Papo & Yo had the opportunity to be much better than it was, if it had solidified that one element for me...

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  • 3 months later...

I'm torn, actually. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and I am not sure if there's a clear winner. I think maybe Papo & Yo had a bit more of an emotional resonance (not sure why, but the gondola ride where the father sits on the other side motionless with his head in his hands struck me as rather poignant) but Journey lacked all the sort of extraneous stuff that P&Y had that took away from it (like others in this thread, I never really felt for the Monster). On the other hand, the experience in Journey with regards to the multiplayer aspect I never really felt at all. This may stem from a general dislike of multiplayer, having run the gamut of negative mp experiences, from people trying to hack my account to just having to put up with idiots who don't fucking listen. I would never fault Journey for any of that, but maybe give P&Y a point or two more for not making me deal with it.

So, in the end, no ultimate victor. Both games are enjoyable, worth whatever price they are asking at the moment, and worth forming your own opinion about while gaining a few hours of simply enjoyable gaming.

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  • 4 months later...

I praise the creativity and uniqueness of indie games like this one, Journey, Limbo, The Unfinished Swan, Thomas Was Alone, etc. But for some reason I couldn't enjoy this game like I enjoyed Journey. I think it's because some parts of this game felt like a chore, causing me to not want to replay it.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...
  • 11 months later...
Papo & Yo's story was too all over the place, certain things were never really made clear. Yet they were added in, so they should have delved in more on it. Like those slow motion running in the rain to a car with you in it scenes. What the hell was that about? I mean, why was his father standing out in the rain in an alley? Why was he in a car? Why on earth was that even in the game at all? They just dropped that stuff.

 

Journey is completely different, it leaves the entire story vague on purpose. So you're never really 100% sure on what happened in the world. It's more about the impact your journey has on you. And the consistency is unmatched.

 

While this game is more about telling a story about an alcoholic abusive father and learning to let them go. Because only they can fix themselves, you can't fix someone else.

 

I think they're completely different in every way. So I don't really think it's worth comparing the two. Both are great in my eyes, for different reasons. Journey is just far more polished overall.

The flashback car scenes in P&Y are the boy, Quico, being in a car with his dad who ran over and killed a girl, probably while drunk...

 

i was a smidge confused about the car trip in the rain thing too, but ... the second one, when the dad is out in the rain, check the shadow cast on the wall.

 

but yeah, i dont know where they were going or what the overall point was other than to see that shadow...maybe that was the only point.

... the point of the shadow of the monster on the wall is the same as seeing the switches between monster/dad in the cable car at the end, the statues changing when you get to the temple and then the final chapter before you tip him into the vortex. It's Quico seeing that the problems his dad have aren't him. Alejandra says the first time that Monster eats a frog that he can't control what's happening, that's the child-like attempt at understanding what's happening. There's literally a monster in him that makes him do the things he does, since Quico is too young to understand the reality of the situation, ie that his dad is an alcoholic.

 

Lula, the robot, is a coping method of some sort. Maybe it's a symbol for the video games that the real life version of Quico found solace in, since there's the fantastical element of it being a floating robot that says it will protect Quico after his dad becomes the monster.

 

By the end of the game, everything's gone. Quico's still a kid so isn't going to be able to fully contemplate what's going on but he does get to the point where there's some level of understanding that you can't dwell on these problems or focus on them to the extent that they take over your life in the same way the alcoholism did in the first place. He leaves behind Lula, he tips Monster off, into nothingness, and that's that really.

 

All of that said, Journey is better in literally every way as a game, as art and as an experience. I don't think there's really a comparison between the two though.

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