Voyage Review PS5 Review – When I read Voyage’s synopsis, I was immediately intrigued. On paper, Voyage is a co-op oriented 2D adventure game, which is primarily non-violent, with a focus on cinematic storytelling, without the use of dialogue or written text.

Combining that with the beautiful images you see in screenshots, I immediately got the feeling that Enterprising have a hidden gem in your hands.

The very first game from Venturous makes the right first impression. However, with what is ultimately a super short run time, can Voyage live up to the potential of its bold premise?

Voyage Review (PS5) – A short and simple game with a beautiful aesthetic

Shared Exploration

In Voyage, two survivors on a distant world are tasked with unraveling the mystery of the planet they are stranded on, and more importantly, finding a way back home.

As a solo player, you take control of both unnamed protagonists. However, the co-op option is also available, which I think is the more intended experience.

The main characters have no identity and there are no gameplay differences in who you decide to play at any point in the game. Controlling both characters is very easy.

Those who don’t actively monitor you automatically follow and provide contextual assistance unless you tell them to stop with the push of a button.

You can instantly switch between the characters and even let them cuddle. If you can’t figure out what to do next, pressing the triangle will point you in the right direction, which is a nice addition to accessibility.

You navigate the world as you move around the screen, with the game contextually crouching if necessary to progress.

While participating in some small puzzles, you will interact with certain points of interest in the environment, moving objects and lifting each other up to what would otherwise be unreachable heights, without your faithful partner.

A combination of these mechanics provides the gameplay for every puzzle in the game, which showed a distinct lack of variety despite its extremely short run time of less than 2 hours.

The puzzles themselves aren’t going to be much of a challenge, and they aren’t meant to be. They’re more just a means of gently guiding you through the beautifully painted levels.

Hand painted planet

The hand-painted environments provide a beautiful backdrop to the game. Each level has a unique aesthetic, all of which stand out individually from each other not only by the beautiful designs, but also by the excellent use of distinctive colors.

When exploring an abandoned spaceship, sand dunes, or a bright green lawn, the art always instills a sense of wanderlust.

Combining the stunning hand-painted art with the jovial, often whimsical soundtrack, a dreamy quality is created that perfectly complements Voyage’s aesthetic.

Since the game has no dialogue, the overall aesthetic is vital to convey emotion and create a sense of place, which they largely accomplished.

Venturous wanted to create a cinematic 2D experience, and with its incredible art, excellent soundtrack, they did just that.

The animations for the characters, and the ghostly, watery, ancestral inhabitants of this lost planet, have a stop-motion appearance. Which helps immensely in giving Voyage that cinematic presentation that Venturous went for.

However, it looks better than feels.

Beyond the enchanting soundtrack composed by Callum Bowenthe sound design is fairly minimalistic, which fits with the overall theme of the stories used in the game.

A sound will sound to indicate a level change, such as successfully completing a puzzle. You will hear some animal sounds here and there, which helps to give the world some depth.

Minimalist and interpretive storytelling

When it comes to storytelling in Voyage, it’s clear that the developers have taken a minimalist approach. As mentioned before, there is no dialogue, written or spoken.

Instead, the game is completely overlays on the world behind the characters to tell its story, which helps to highlight the incredible art and vice versa.

You’ll see hieroglyphic images etched on the walls, as ghostly ancestral spirits disappear in and out of levels. This environmental narration is intended to provide an overview of the plot.

Besides the vague story told through stories about the environment, with the exception of the key ending moments, Voyage is very interpretive.

Throughout the game, the two main characters follow what appears to be a white rabbit, which appears to act as a guide.

While the vagueness is intentional, there were times when I would have preferred a little more clarity. Although I especially appreciate coming to my own conclusions.

It helped the game stick with me after that, when it might not have otherwise.

First trip

I’m happy to report that I haven’t encountered any bugs in my time with Voyage. There is no replay value, and there is no need to. If the game were any longer, the lack of variety with its puzzles would prove to be a bigger problem.

In fact, you’ll more than likely unlock the Platinum trophy in its 2 hour run time, which is sure to please the trophy hunters out there.

Voyage is Venturous’s first attempt at making a game, and while I felt a noticeable lack of variety in the puzzles out there, I admire the bold ideas when it comes to storytelling.

Further, Venturous has created a wonderful world, which is incredibly aesthetic. Voyage is an audiovisual treat, which makes me excited to see what the studio will do next.

Review code kindly provided by publisher.

Voyage is now available on PS5 and PS4.