The Journey Down: Chapter One

The Journey Down: Chapter One
72
Metacritic
87
Steam
79.845
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$1.39
Release date
9 January 2013
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
87 (683 votes)

The Journey Down is a point-and-click series with an Afro-Caribbean twist. Get ready to embark on a journey of exploration, mystery and grave danger - but also a journey of warmth, friendship and love.

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The Journey Down: Chapter One system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS:Windows XP SP 2+, Windows Vista, Windows 7
  • Processor:1.8 GHz CPU
  • Memory:1 GB RAM
  • Graphics:Direct X 9.0c compatible video card
  • DirectX®:9.0c
  • Hard Drive:1 GB HD space
Updated
App type
Steam APP ID
220090
Platforms
Windows PC
Mac
Linux
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Gorgiesgonewild
Gorgiesgonewild

I am sad to say, I cannot recommend this game. Not because it is bad, but because while the first 2 chapters are fun (though a little short and have 2 minor bug issues) the third chapter is NOT as advertised. None of the stuff I saw in the 3rd chapter's screenshots were actually in the 3rd chapter. Also, it lasted MAYBE 30 minutes. No lie, the first 2 chapters took me a day to finish, and the last one took me maybe 30 minutes. You open a wall, the boat goes in. The credits roll you are kicked back out to the main game's menu. That's it.

There is no enchilada. No cream filling. No end to the game but ride a boat inside, watch the credits and you are back at the main menu. I am so sad because this game looked amazing and I will never find out what happened to his dad, what is in the world underneath, nothing.

The screenshots on the Steam page make you think there is some kind of lava room and all sorts of cool areas on the island you get to see, and I even though the lady moved her "cantina" to the island afterwards maybe with some of the other guys from the previous areas, but after the 1 puzzle it just ends.

Now, if the ending depended on my progress that is one thing, but even if that is so the gameplay of the third chapter is still no more than 30 minutes. It sucks because if the 3rd chapter was anything like the first two I would have written a very positive review, with the only 2 negative marks being inconsistencies with volume levels on a single voice actor and the items from the first chapter not carrying over from the first (maybe a Steam bug).

The reason I am writing this review for the 1st chapter is that if you play the first two you will most likely want to find out what happened (play all 3) and I think others will be disappointed (perhaps even feel ripped off like me) until they fix the game. I think the 3rd chapter is still unfinished and that is fine, but it does not say that on the game's page. :(

White Rabbit
White Rabbit

I liked this a lot but the fact that now chapter 3 is out the bundle of all 3 chapters is cheaper than chapter 3 alone sucks.
They are basically saying "All you people that supported us by buying chapters 1&2 have wasted your money so f*** you!
Ha Ha twerps we conned you!"
So sod 'em.
Don't buy this or anything else from Skygoblin.
I sure won't be.

X-lem
X-lem

As others have said this is a beautiful, fun, intriguing plot line. It's worth picking up IF AND ONLY IF you grab it for a couple of dollars. While I love the game you can complete it in 2-5 hours. I don't think it's worth the full asking price (currently $9.00 USD). It seems the sequels are about the same length in time (and they are currently $20.00 USD). I understand the devs put a ton of work into making everything look beautiful, and it does look beautiful, but the game is short. I don't mind short games, but I don't think this game or the sequels is worth the full amount. Get them on sale!

Worthy of Me
Worthy of Me

TGEXP Reviews: The Journey Down: Chapter One

★★★★☆

The style in which this game came across hooked me. Plus, it promised to be almost as funny as Deponia (if not on par).

Soundtrack

Sit back, mon, and enjoy the soundtrack that sinks into your soul and becomes a blend of jazz, reggae, and ambiance. After, of course, the gangsta tone of the intro as two goons come barging into play looking for a book.

Gosh, the music has to be one of the best parts about this game; almost every bit gave me a sense of déjà vu of either a game I’ve played or a movie I’ve watched. However, toward the end of the first chapter, the soundtrack became very loud. Perhaps a glitch in the game’s development that they may have overlooked?

Characters

When I first saw this game, the characters reminded me of those in Last Day of June, though the renderings have more depth, of course. I can’t say that I know of any games where the characters have such a unique accent about them–Jamaican. Perhaps that’s one of the unique features that tugged my interest in the first place.

After playing a bit, everyone sort of have their quirks,

At first I thought, all right, these guys are dumb. Since, y’know, they do dumb things to make you, the player, laugh. Thinking on it, maybe it’s more naivety than anything else? They certainly weren’t as bad as Rufus in the Deponia series, but they were almost on par with humor.

The voice acting is well done for the major players you’ll be dealing with, but for those with a minuscule role and appearance, the voices weren’t stellar.

Graphics

The hand-painted graphics are on par with setting the mood in various locations, combined with the right tone of the background music. I can’t say there was anything that wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Except the fact that everyone’s eyes are a black, demonic-looking, soul-sucking emptiness.

It’s actually not that bad. Everything seemed on point.

Gameplay

I’m happy to announce that I only got stuck on a couple specific tasks, which means the gameplay is pretty simple, as long as you know where to look. The game hand-feeds you the answers, you just have to remember when they hand-fed you that info and possibly where.

Memory. My downfall.

It lacked a lot of problem-solving puzzles that I normally look forward to when playing a point-and-click game, but to each their own. Those that were there were simplistic and didn’t require much thought.

You’ll definitely want to root around every section you come across, and click on every item possible–either for the humorous commentary or a specific item. And then, combine those items with others, or use them in the weirdest of situations.

Verdict

The Journey Down: Chapter One is a point-and-click adventure game that I highly recommend for its fun light-hearted humor and beauty.

However, the game lasts about three hours if you’re taking your time, and in the end plays out more like a prologue than a first chapter. I’d throw out caution at paying its full price, as it’s a bit much for such a short game lacking many puzzles and interactions.

Game on,
TGEXP

SeeSquared
SeeSquared

*This is a review of the game as a whole.. not just chapter 1*

TLDR: This game is absolutely amazing and if you enjoy point & clicks do not deny yourself this wonderful adventure. Chapter 1 is a bit rough around the edges but it was originally a freeware game. Definitely play this one until the end.. you wont be disappointed.

First I would like to say that I bought The Journey Down 1-3 on discount but would not at all mind paying full price. It's a fun game and you can really see that the devs care about their work. Not to compare, but it reminded me a bit of some of my favorite point and clicks when I was a kid(i.e. Monkey Island, Grim Fandango) I mention these specifically because it's more of a fun and quirky type of game as opposed to something more serious like Beneath a Steel Sky or Pandorum. This is not to say that the story lacks depth. In fact the story is quite wonderful.

Graphics 4/5:
I loved the stylized graphics. The environments are all very rich and enjoyable. My only issue, which I know can be difficult, is that sometimes Bwana seems to really stick out from the environment, but this is only in the first chapter. Other than that, not many other issues worth mentioning except for that the game did crash on me twice near the end of chapter 3 but I'm more than willing to look passed this considering how enjoyable the game is.

Sound 5/5:
Although I found some of the voice acting in chapter 1 to be somewhat annoying, this is not at all and issue for chapters 2 & 3. The soundtrack in chapters 1 & 2 is absolutely top! While I did enjoy some of the music in chapter 3 I found it to be a bit cheesy and repetitive. I decided to look into it and just as I had assumed it was because it was a different composer. The original composer, Simon D'Souza, passed away sadly. I absolutely love and admire his work in this game and I cant at all knock the people who had to fill those very big shoes. They made a great effort. RIP Simon.

Story 4/5:
The first chapter is pretty slow to start and can feel a bit unmotivated but I assure you that ends with there. I loved the story here, without giving any spoilers away, the ending is freakin epic! I was at first worried the story seemed too similar to Grim Fandango but in the end it wasnt at all. Fun, unique, heartfelt and hilarious.

Gameplay(puzzles) 4/5:
This has to be one of the most difficult parts of making a good point and click. Achieving a balance of, as the great Tim Schafer put it, pleasant frustration. This game does a fairly good job of this considering it was originally a freeware game. I do have to point out that at times, in the first chapter, you will have items in your inventory that make perfect sense to solve a puzzle and Bwana will just simply tell you "that's not going to work" I understand you can't have unique responses to every interaction but these are the ones that are the most important but this is greatly improved upon in the following chapters. In fact I would go as far to say that in the end this game has some of the best unique response scripts I've come across in a while. The game does a fairly good job of giving small hints and clues in conversations and when describing items without it being too obvious. Overall, I think they did a pretty good job and I definitely achieved that "pleasant frustration" a few times.

TOTAL SCORE: 17/20(Highly Recommend)

peet.hudson
peet.hudson

I would rate this game a solid 7⅚ out of 12. Over all this is a well presented little game, and a worthy tribute to the classic Lucasarts format.

Value for money is dependant on who Skygoblin are as a company. If they are a small indie team then Journey Down is a fantastic achievement! They created a legit masterpiece and I would absolutely support them in future growth. However, if they are an established triple-A brand then they should have tried harder. In that instance the game is noticeably lazy and unpolished for the price tag. There's no attempt at lip-sync. There are sudden mic position changes in the middle of dialogues. The UI often seems clunkly and intrusive. For a big budget studio there are too many cut corners for my liking.

Souza did a brilliant job on the soundtrack but it just doesn't have the hook power you would get from masters like Jared Emerson-Johnson. This is no criticism. It's very well composed, performed, and looped. And it fits all of the scenes excellently. You just wouldn't find yourself listening to it as a standalone soundtrack outside of the game the way you would with Sam & Max or Grim Fandango.

As I love this genre I have to recommend buying it. I've played just about every point-n-clicker ever made since Flashback, and Journey Down feels to me like a game that was somehow already there in my library. Waiting for someone to come along and make it.

Note: I was all excited to see Robert Englund in the credits but sadly it's not the Freddy Kruger one.

paraitakeni
paraitakeni

This game has some fantastic atmosphere. The most low key and grounded of the trilogy, it uses what it has very well.

OCC
OCC

This is one awesome surprise! A classic point and click adventure game that has a soul! The puzzles are fun and it has a nice flow! No crazy logic just to get stuck in there, the next step is logical and can be figured out by just thinking.

Artemur
Artemur

This is an Grim Fandango inspired adventure game with similar jazzy soundtrack and humorous cartoony characters but this game's puzzles way easier than Grim Fandango. unfortunately game is episodic and first episode pretty short but i liked the game and i intend to buy and play another episodes too.

Delta
Delta

One problem I have with the game is the search for herbs. There was no logical reason for the herbs to be where they were, and a good habit in Point&Click games is to either mention the information of value while searching through the point of interest in the first place (such as the flier for the charter or freezer with bread), or imply change in the once-searched object by changing its visuals (as in the new client at Makena's place and the change of welder's sitting position). None of those were implied in the case of the spice, which effectively increased my playthrough by 30 minutes of aimless wondering and trying to force the solution wherever applicable before I desperately resorted to searching for the answer in the walkthrough. I should not have to go through every interactible location in the game to find it, though.

That being said, it was only one frustrating instance in the game. The rest of it is very much ok. I like the soundtrack, the humor and the aesthetic (though the welder girl's face is pretty creepy and stands out with its dried out wrinkleness, but maybe it's just me), and all the other puzzle elements are clever, but for the most part quite clear (except maybe the propeller fixing part, that was a bit confusing and stands out just as the welder's face). It did catch my interest, and I'll definitely be playing through following chapters soon.

whoever
whoever

My first point & click game, first impressions are important and this game takes the cake when it comes to visuals, the art and atmosphere are very well presented and not to mention the groovy music to go with it. The puzzles are a plus too, not the kind that makes you think hard but smart.

As for the character designs, well, at first they look quite intimidating but unique as I have not come across any of the kind, however as you go on with the game it grows on you.

Overall a great way to start off a 3 part series point & click! (1/3)

virotti
virotti

Took me a little more than 3 hours to actually play it. Had some trouble figuring out some solutions, but that's more because I did not see some items and the fact that you cannot hightlight all clickable entries and items was a bad point. I'm going to play the whole trilogy, but this first part was to me was overall great. I really enjoyed the music, graphics, puzzles and the little story that is revealed so far. It's a fun, relaxing little game, with very likeable characters.

Leprechaun
Leprechaun

I love (neo)noir, point and click adventures, jazz, good puzzles, Grim Fandango and thrilling mystery stories. This game is none of them, even if some people say so.
It is a short Point&Click letdown.

First of all there's not much of a backstory, you are just thrown into the game, knowing almost nothing about the characters or the world. Left without any introduction you are forced by the game to do stuff, because... Actually I don't know why, the narrative is almost nonexistent.
These characters are supposed to feel goofy, but felt more... dumb and uninteresting. There is this notion about an 'Underworld' the protagonists want to get to, but without any details it just feels very generic, almost as if it is there only to somehow justify the gameplay. It feels like a bad and lazy substitute for the world lore and character motivations. There just isn't much world building going round here. Seriously. This game/episode has no story. It is just a 2hr long classic P&C trope-filled puzzle stage. Without any novel puzzles or problems to solve. The release year was 2013 and we still deal with pixel hunting (or rather, hidden object hunting). The only place where the story progresses forward are the intro cutscene and the ending cutscene, ugh.

The only `noir` thing in this game is the neon-lit city in the background. Who the hell puts up those game tags?

The music, well it ain't bad. It is sort of a mix of reagge vibes with horn lines. Calling it jazz is a stretch.

All in all, I don't understand why would anyone compare this to Grim Fandango. GF plays entirely different league.
Kinda regret buying the three episodes bundle.

DarkRTU
DarkRTU

This game was in a word: Addictive. I loved the African mask art they wove into the artwork. The banter between Kito and Bwana was hilarious and Bwana was one of the funnest adventure game heroes I've ever played. Every single comment he made when you clicked on something made me smile. Cue the film noir soundtrack, gorgeous graphics and puzzles that were neither too easy nor too frustrating, I haven't had this kind of fun since The Grim Fandango. The story itself was exceptional, too, but unforunately this chapter felt very, very short. Steam says I played through in 3 hours. Say it ain't so. But don't miss out if you like point & clicks.

Boop in Time
Boop in Time

Delightful point-and-click adventure game. I enjoyed the mechanics, the voice acting, the writing and art. It was all really nice. The art was a fabulous mix of central African masks and designs for characters, layered over gorgeous digital cityscapes and scenes. The puzzle solutions were novel and challenging, even as a veteran point-and-click player. I'm just finishing Chapter 1 and excited to play Chapter 2.

Crag
Crag

The spiritual successor to the incredible Grim Fandango. A fun experience with cleverly designed puzzles. This game is drenched in atmosphere thanks to the music.

FearFearghail
FearFearghail

At first I was actually liking the idea and synopsis of the game but then I started to realize the shallowness of the game overall. People say that this game is like a Caribbean or Jamaican version of Tim Schaffer's Grim Fandango but unfortunately this game feels like an hollowed out version of Grim Fandango with moments that could honestly become forgettable over time after finishing the game and the humor just doesn't stick to you like Grim Fandango's humor does and what I especially don't like is that the episodes sold separately are way too overpriced and I know that you can get all three episodes in a bundle but that's still no excuse so if you want a good point and click adventure with good humor and puzzles, I'd say go with Grim Fandango as there's more content in that game than this, the humor is in much better taste and better timed, and there are more moments that would be hard to forget for the right reasons and The Journey Down is one of those forgettable moments

kjb
kjb

Fantastic art and music. Really nice atmosphere and enjoyable characters.

Puzzles come in, I think, three types/instances:

1) The main puzzle type of the point 'n' click adventure genre: figuring out where to go and what/who to try your inventory items with. No real pixel hunting here—nice hover effects and generally large hitboxes. In TJD, these aren't too difficult and generally make sense—if you get stuck and resort to a guide, it'll be "oh, of course!" rather than "what were they thinking?"
2) There was one other puzzle where, either I solved it by accident, or it was literally a joke about puzzles, and you don't have to solve it but just jab at things until the protagonist gets frustrated and it just solves itself. I found it funny, at least. :)
3) The remaining handful of puzzles are on the easy side.

So if you like puzzles beyond the inventory kind, you likely won't find it challenging in that respect.

Happy to report that it works flawlessly on Linux Mint 19 natively on a mid-range laptop with an Intel HD Graphics 4400 chipset.

Overall I found it charming, and my only complaint, if any, is that it (Chapter 1) feels short.*

* I know people like to complain about prices here, and I don't want to lean too far in that direction despite my "feels short" comment. I grew up with shareware diskettes costing $5.99 plus tax at Radio Shack, and full games generally being $30-$80. Even though that age has passed, I'm still of the opinion that the prices on the TJD series are fine for what they are (especially if you compare it with other entertainment, like going to the cinema), all the more so if you catch a sale.

Pants
Pants

Considering that this was made by a small team, I'm definitely impressed! It took me a couple of hours to beat, and I enjoyed every second of it. It's oozing with style, and the characters and atmosphere are great! Some of the voice acting is questionable, but it doesn't really detract much from the experience. The soundtrack is fantastic and really sucks you in. Excited to jump in to episode 2!

Anonymous
Anonymous

I'd rate the puzzle difficulty as 'adventure lite' - but the engaging story, creative visuals & ethical message of this game keep me coming back every year or so. Exploring the world is rewarded with heartwarming, heartbreaking, and hopeful character and location backstory. Though generally progress is made by keeping Bwana goal-oriented, occasionally tools and locations are made available only after the player helps Bwana assist NPCs for altruistic reasons, with no clear reward in sight. Of course, progress also requires a prank or two. NPCs also progress along their own life paths throughout the story, achieving their own goals through co-operation with the player and other NPCs.

m3ld0n
m3ld0n

Cannot really recommend this as 3 separate games and at the price they have. It takes at much 9 hours to go through all of them. I did have some fun and laughs but the story tries to be all serious while at the same time making no sense.

Do not buy it unless all 3 games are being sold at less then $10 together.

The Mad Hatter
The Mad Hatter

I bought and played Chapter 1 long before buying 2 and 3, just to see what it was like. There was a nice story, decent puzzles, amazing music, and enough hints to a larger world that made me curious for more. It's not on Grim Fandango levels of good (people only compare them for the similar art style), but if you enjoy a nice point-and-click, I'm sure you'll more than enjoy this.

Honestly, I put off playing Chapters 2 and 3 for while, because there were two ways this game could've gone. It could've gone downhill, with each chapter being a copy of first, or it could've gotten better and better with each chapter.
Thank goodness the developers went up. But that's a story for another review.

Penski
Penski

Played through the trilogy with 5-9 year olds, they had a blast. The music, puzzles, art and voice overs are fantastic.

Flori the Fox
Flori the Fox

I've seldom before had so much fun with a point and click adventure, and I've played many.
The Journey Down, you can easily tell, was made with a lot of love and joy. It has pretty much all that it needs to entertain real well. A nice story, very likable characters, fantastic voice acting, beautiful graphics and an awesome soundtrack. It could be seen as a downside that there is not much challenge in the riddles though. Everyone with a bit of point and click experience will easily make it through the story without ever getting stuck anywhere for longer than a few minutes. All three episodes in total took me round bout 12 hours and really I was having a great time.
It's always quite clear what goals you have next on your list, the story keeps flowing and it's that trip, that "journey down" that motivates to play on. It's not an adventure that makes your brain cells melt, but one that simply "feels good" from beginning to end. Most warmly recommended!

Eggyway
Eggyway

Okay, this was epic. Epic music, epic voice acting, great puzzles and in general fantastic point&click game. Starting second episode. Go check soundtrack!!

FluffyUnicornSparkle
FluffyUnicornSparkle

I was hesitant to play "The Journey Down" even though I'm a big P&C fan. I didn't really like the graphics, as shown on the store page, but man was I wrong. It's fun and worth it! I like the game and will definitely play the two other chapters (:

mikesanerd
mikesanerd

Pros:
+Very good puzzles which are not obvious, but which make enough sense that they are solvable
+Setting and story are intriguing and make me want to play more
+Good music
+Unique art style
+Game has a definite aesthetic to it and a lot of personalty

Cons:
-Short. This is not a game, it's really only a demo. Make sure you factor in the price of buying all three chapters when buying. It is literally three chapters of the same game, not three separate games.
-Point and click puzzles are hampered by lots of pixel-hunting. When I got stuck, it was because I didn't notice a tiny object could be clicked on, not because I couldn't figure something out.
-The game really walks the line in terms of whether it is embracing African culture or doing racial stereotypes. Could be offensive to some people.

GhostOfOderus
GhostOfOderus

Chapter 1 review: So far, so good. This probably took me 3 hours. My time says 5, but I took a nap once. That's not a criticism; I was just super tired. It was fun, but a bit too easy. Sometimes the dialogue tells you what to do with the puzzles before you have a chance to figure it out for yourself. Hopefully the later chapters don't hold your hand as much.

The story, characters, and art are really enjoyable, though. That's where most of the appeal comes from in this game. Even the simple puzzles are still entertaining, and the main character, Bwana, is very charasmatic and likable, unlike games like The Whispered World, which is a dreary slog to get through because of the whiney and depressed protagonist, Sadwick. This game stands in stark contrast to that. Bwana is a happy, easygoing dude.

Bottom line: It's fun and very enjoyable, yet a little too easy and short. Still, definitely recommended. Buy on sale due to its short length.

Weird Radish
Weird Radish

Definitely a thumbs up:) The game is fun, the style is pleasantly unique (those African themes are really good, too bad we don't see that more often), and the first chapter is the right length to finish in one evening. Now let's see how the other chapters are doing...:)

MsTyroCat
MsTyroCat

I loved playing this game. The characters are different and interesting, and the puzzles are unique. Some solutions require out of the box thinking. The music, usually the least liked option when I'm playing a game, is great. I'm looking forward to playing the other chapters.

Hesmah
Hesmah

It's good, but as others have mentioned, it's not a very long chapter. Consider all three chapters as one game and decide if it's worth your money accordingly. I grabbed them all of a sale, and I'm very happy with that.

Eleutheen
Eleutheen

Disappointingly short.I understand it's just Chapter 1, but the chapters are priced like other full titles: Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Irony Curtain, Deponia, Paradigm, Unwritten Tales, ...Other than that, it's actually pretty good: story is intriguing, characters are funny, puzzles are amusing and not too difficult, and gameplay is simple.The price just doesn't make much sense.

Dagon
Dagon

Well voiced, fun, with good music too. None of the puzzles were "oh god i need to look up a walkthrough" hard, But I was stumped on one for a little bit. It's original price tag might be a little more than what i would exactly pay for it, But if it goes on sale for pretty cheap then it's definitely worth picking up.

rsnorunt
rsnorunt

I was a fan of the visual style as well as the humor and characterizations of the various NPCs. The puzzles were on the easier side, but I did get stuck once or twice. In particular, there's one puzzle where you need to right click an item in your inventory to get additional information. This mechanic isn't used anywhere else and wasn't very intuitive -- I had to use a walkthrough to figure it out. Also, many of the items you get are used several times. I actually liked this, since it adds to the verisimilitude, but it's definitely a bit different from the other point-and-clicks that I've played.

The only con is that it's VERY short. It took me just over 2h. At the price I paid (

m4z
m4z

Solid adventure with a great soundtrack (and OK voice acting quality from a 2020 perspective) that requires and rewards exploration. Pretty short (chapter one), but pretty fun.

corbo
corbo

(Played on linux/Nouveau)

Lovely point n' click, in classic fashion.

Just remember that it's short, and the first episode of a 3-parter.

Good art, music, story, characters, puzzles and humour.

No hot spots key, but the hot spots are all obvious enough. No fast movement for more comfortable back-and-forths. These two are the only imperfections that I noticed.

BeethovenRocks
BeethovenRocks

LOTS of potential, beautiful graphis and cool music and voices...but it's a shame that it is soooo easy and short. I mean, 2.8 hours and that's it? Come on...

mywyvernashes
mywyvernashes

I fully expect this review to only be useful to a certain type of person, but it is one I wish I had seen before purchasing. I got the package, but I shouldn't have. My advice: get the first chapter and see what you think. As for game play, it couldn't hook me enough to try that hard to solve the puzzles. There were some general things that I found distasteful in regards to the overall picture:

To be honest, it seemed to draw off of negative stereotypes. And because of the writing and the voice acting, it gave the impression that the game thought the Jamaican characters were less intelligent and refined than the other characters that did not have accents. The two main characters with accents are defined within the first chapter in unsavory ways. And while it might have been saved by giving them redeeming and realistic character strengths or motivations, it failed to do so.

And... the dialogue and voice acting is bad. I don't personally have experience with Jamaican's in particular, but I do have a lot of experience with people with accents and people where English is not their first language. So to my ear, this dialogue was almost to the point of offensive.

Again, I know I am in the minority of people who would have such a strong reaction to these flaws, that really- when looked at in a broader scope are not horrendous necessarily- I do wish I had gotten a similar review that would have steered me clear. I do NOT think the developers meant to make the game and characters come off as they did with me, but the fact remains that it did. Others have enjoyed it a lot, I only suggest you try out the first chapter before committing.

Doctor Number Four
Doctor Number Four

the character models are bad, even taking into account stylization, the voice acting is grating, and for some reason my mouse cursor jumps all over the screen when playing.

Peach Jelly
Peach Jelly

A super charming series with a truly wonderful soundtrack (and a surprisingly metal ending, LOL)!

I’d say a must-play for any fan of PnC adventure games. It’s not the most super-polished game ever, but I can tell a lot of heart went into making this. The music, the overall vibe, and the characters are all so charming. I enjoyed every moment of exploring their world.

None of the puzzles are super-duper head-scratchingly challenging, but all of the solutions make actually logical sense, and I can really appreciate that!

By the way, if you feel discouraged at all by the somewhat short playtime of the first chapter, don’t worry; I can assure you the subsequent two chapters have twice as much playtime each. :)

goose123
goose123

Brilliant Point n Click Adventure. The character's faces are a bit weird (reminds me of Grim Fandango) but that aside, the rest of the artwork is amazing as is the voicework / script etc. The puzzles are not too tricky at all and there are no illogical puzzles that often creep into this type of game. This part is very short (< 2 hrs) but you can get the whole trilogy for about £10 on offer so a bargain regardless.

landofozgirl
landofozgirl

Fun game, makes you think. Recently I have been disappointed in the various PnC games and was pleasantly surprised with Journey Down Chapter 1. I liked the puzzles, they made you think. Finished Chapter One and started Chapter Two. I bought all 3 when Steam had a deal for the trilogy. It's a series worth playing.

Stellar
Stellar

Beautiful and very fun. The afro-noir style is awesome.

TOBIAS N.
TOBIAS N.

Good one..I like the Style and the Art of Game!
Story is good wired Stuff!

sammyg
sammyg

Characters are entertaining like in Grim Fandango or Beyond Good & Evil but this chapter is pretty short (done in about two hours)

Water Spirit
Water Spirit

Extremely well made series with so much heart, charm, passion, whimsy and adventure. It just gets better and better, grander and grander and more escapist by the final act/3rd game and it's all built up incredibly, to a truly beautiful, stunning, wondrous, awe-inspiring finale.

I really loved these games, they engrossed me so much and by the 3rd game and it's finale, I was so pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the series.

The music is brilliant especially the Downtown theme, it is so full of powerful emotion reminiscent of the 80s especially Gary Moore, Guns and Roses, power ballads, emotional guitar solos and all that. 80's Cyberpunk culture definitely seems to have inspired this as well and combine this with the breathtaking aesthetics by the 3rd game (won't spoil it but it's BEAUTIFUL) and just immensely appropriate and captivating atmosphere too, that feels inspired by Noir series too especially.

This series is a wonderful mishmash of different influences including genres, stories, cultures and such and I thoroughly enjoyed my time and was well impressed with them. Thanks so much to the developers!

No.631
No.631

Really love this series. The puzzles and story are interesting and the characters are adorable.

Sienical
Sienical

This was fun. The Asian chef was pretty racist, though (oof), and they didn't really do much with the Afro-Caribbean theme this episode. I liked the Behind The Scenes, bonus content brings me joy. Looking forward to playing the next chapter.

stylo
stylo

TL;DR I absolutely cannot recommend this game. I played 15 minutes and put in for a refund.

The Journey Down is painted a classic point-and-click as "inspired by Grim Fandango" in its inspiration from Jamaican / West Indies culture. Grim Fandango was immensely respectful of and true to Mexican culture and heritage (including authentic Latinx voice acting, research from a folklorist of Aztec culture, beautiful art inspired by Dia de Muertos, etc).

However, The Journey Down fails that bar dramatically. Within the first 10 minutes of gameplay we encounter 5-6 characters all of whom have AWFUL and arguably racist voice acting. The main characters are based off of African mask designs whereas their slang is Jamaican. I can't say the accent is Jamaican, it's just too amateur to even consider close. There is no tying together of the aesthetics and the setting. It felt like this game was telling me "all black cultures are the same and all Jamaicans sound like stoners." I paused the game and read some reviews since I was so stunned; some reviews mention there is a racist Asian accent character later in the game who confuses their R's and L's like a 1950s sitcom character. This is not the game that was advertised.

From the first 15 minutes, AFAICT, this game has basically a child's understanding of diversity - aping the aesthetic of other cultures to "look cool" without any thematic understanding. I was deeply disappointed. If you care at all about cultural respect in your games, do not buy this game. It is made by white dudes who do not understand the cultures they are aping and it shows.

P.S. One of the characters in this game has the worst fake New Yaaaaawk accent I've ever had the displeasure of hearing. To the point I was wondering what accent he was even going for.

svarun
svarun

awesome game, one of the most enjoyable point n click game I ever played....funny, all the problems all logical, you never get stuck for too much time as you will sooner or later get a hint.

angjean83
angjean83

I wasn't sure about buying this at first but I thought go on Ill treat myself and boy am I glad I did. This scratches a monkey island style point and click itch which up until now I hadn't been able to scratch. The graphics are absolutely stunning, love the music, the gand has a relaxing feel good nature to it. The gameplay and puzzles are challenging but not to the point you would tear your hair out in frustration. Would I recommend this game yes abd I would also suggest buying the Set so your not left in limbo

Yarusenai
Yarusenai

A short, but good introduction into an interesting world with an excellent style. The puzzles are easy enough and the game oozes a ton of charme. The soundtrack is fantastic as well and the speakers did a great job. A definite recommendation for Point'N Click fans.

Harry
Harry

Cozy and charming. More than worth it's price but I wish all three "chapters " were one game but they're great none the less!

Hairy Rustic Pal
Hairy Rustic Pal

A rock solid start to a point and click episodic game, music is great (the music in the attic is fantastic). A few things i missed due to some more scenes not having obvious transition points. Minor niggles but a great start!

kivancabay
kivancabay

It's a nice adventure game in general but it has some bad writing parts too I think.

middletonlord
middletonlord

awesome game. beautifully done

ur Game Buddy
ur Game Buddy

Before playing the next chapter my opinion is negative because this chapter is so short the division of the whole game into three separately bought chapters seems to be a jump on player's money. If the next two chapters are as short as this one then it's hugely overpriced.

The graphics is nothing special (similar to Grim Fandango) the story so far is meh. The music and the atmosphere are interesting, though. The puzzles are decent.

Still, if you want to pay for a good trilogy point and click worthy of its price, go play Deponia.

Kai
Kai

The entire trilogy is probably the best point and click of the last decade and it's a pity the developers have done nothing in the genre since.

Kroy
Kroy

An excellent, but short, introduction to this imaginative world.

grueslayer
grueslayer

A classic point'n'click adventure playing in an extremely elaborate game world that mixes elements of real world, science-fiction, (sub-saharan) African mythology and (in part 2) Film Noir into an intense, tasty brew.

Main character Bwana and sidekick Kito are drawn into the search for a mysterious book that is said to provide instructions on how to find the even more mysterious Underland, a myth-enshrouded place that Bwanas vanished foster-father was connected to. During their search they unviel a wide-ranging conspiracy by the allmighty Armando Power Company, a huge corporation with dangerous ties to political circles.

Pros:

    • Extremely detailed, atmospheric, fascinating game world
    • Likeable protagonists, authentic villains
    • Interesting story
    • Awesome soundtrack (especially part 1)
    • Interesting character graphics style,
    • Classic point'n'click gameplay - combine items, find ridiculous application possibilities

Cons:

    • Animations could be (much) better
    • More background animations wouldn't harm
    • Puzzles are try'n'error a bit too often

DeadMeme
DeadMeme

One of my absolute favorite game music of all time :)

Emphy
Emphy

Grim Fandango vibes
Chapter two is the best one

narogugul
narogugul

Fairly easy. Way too short (yes, its just a chapter of a game.. not to confuse with the 1st game of a series.. can be misleading). Story lacks depth. Annoying main character (you can get used after some time).
Some inconsistencies with the voice quality/EQ.

Still, very enjoyable. Certainly looking forward to play the next chapters.

Would mostly recommend getting on a sale just for how short it is. Selling as chapters feels like a cheap way of charching more money than its worth.

Metsushiro
Metsushiro

Humorous crime noir and self discovery along with many puzzles to be solved. The art style and music are amazing!

zaphodikus
zaphodikus

Pretty sure I bought this or got chapter 1 on another platform and then ended up buying the other chapters later. a typical game of find items and combine them while telling a lighthearted adventure story with a nasty darker side underneath it all.

Lycheee
Lycheee

I love the story. I can't wait to get chapter 2 and 3 :)

Nubi K.
Nubi K.

not really into games like this, but it is pretty solid.

iL Tane (ARG)
iL Tane (ARG)

One of the best games i've played after grim fandango. This is a great jewel

Milkyway Commando
Milkyway Commando

This game caught my eye as it offered an opportunity for me to play something a bit outside my usual type of games… epic RPG campaigns and the like. I have not played a lot of titles tagged with “Noir” or “Point & Click” but the intro trailer on the store front is what made me want to give this a try. I am very happy that I did. It’s a very well put together piece. It took me a little over 2 hours to play but I was engaged in the story from the beginning. The voice acting is very well done as are the graphics and game play mechanics. In short, this is a very solid game and worth your time even if this a bit outside of your usual type of games. There are a total of 3 chapters in this story and I look forward to playing the next 2 as soon as I can! Great job SkyGoblin! Very good product! My score 5/5.

ZombiesByte
ZombiesByte

Classic PnC Adventure. As per usual some things didn't make too much sense i.e. The broom doesn't remove the ceiling fan but a fishing rod does. This part 1 is a little short but just finished part 2 which makes up for the length. Quality adventuring all the way through and definitely one to recommend for PnC fans. Art work great although I'd recommend turning the music down simply because the voices can be easily drowned out (especially the 2nd chapter).

littlehappyhat
littlehappyhat

nice classic point and click game. fun

Johnny Wilco
Johnny Wilco

After playing through Chapter One, I immediately bought the other two chapters! (all on sale)
VERY solid start for a point and click adventure, absolutely worth 3 bucks, story is varied, a lot of the set pieces feel cozy and appropriately warm for a starting adventure, character designs are made so every character feels unique for their cool inspired design

Only notable issue is some of the voice acting is obviously not recorded in a professional booth and it's jarring to hear alongside Bwana