Stanislav Kostyuk, a game designer at Ubisoft, told in his blog exactly how the narrative structure “The Way of the Hero”, which he came up with Joseph Campbell, embodied in the Journey game from the studio Thatgamecompany.
“The Hero’s Way” is a narrative structure that was first described by Joseph Campbell in the book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” and which was later adapted for the modern reader by Christopher Vogler in “The Writer’s Way”. Campbell found and described recurring motifs in myths and stories that tell how the hero/heroine leaves the everyday world for adventure and, having faced dangers and overcome crises, returns home changed.
This structure is present in many stories: in “The Lord of the Rings”, in “Harry Potter”, in “Star Wars” and in hundreds of thousands of other works, including games. I believe that such a narrative structure attracts us instinctively: this is a story about how to achieve your goals, face difficulties and fall to the bottom, but do not give up and eventually overcome all the challenges. And eventually become better. We are constantly confronted with this in everyday life, even if we are not always aware of it.
In a series of 2-part posts, I’m going to look at the Journey and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons games and check out exactly how they use the “Hero’s Path” as interpreted by Campbell and Vogler, respectively. The reason I chose these two games specifically is because they use gameplay and controls as tools that help to uncover the plot, which not every game does. Also, I think EVERY game should not resort to these techniques (well, or not the way Journey and Brothers did it). Simply because of their characteristics, these specific games help us form a certain emotional connection with the characters, since we share the hero’s path with them.
I warn you: there will be spoilers next. I strongly advise you to play Journey and Brothers before reading further. Believe me, it’s worth it.
And one more disclaimer: the structure of the myth about the Hero is not a template according to which cool stories are stamped. This is a tool that needs to be used wisely. Even if this narrative structure is found in many stories, it will not make the story interesting by itself.
Now let’s get started.
Travel — the structure of the Cambell
Campbell’s monomif consists of 17 stages. Each of the stages in the “Hero’s Path” can be attributed to one of three groups.
1. Separation — the hero lives in an Ordinary world, accepts the call to adventure and crosses the threshold between the Ordinary World and Another world.
2. Initiation — the hero goes through trials, meets death face to face, receives a treasure.
3. Return — the hero returns to the ordinary world, where he shares the received treasure with others.
Not every story or myth has all 17 stages, and they don’t necessarily go in that order. As I have already said, the structure, regardless of whether we are talking about Campbell’s version or Vogler’s interpretation, is a tool, not a template.
1. The Call to Adventure
The hero is in the status quo and is in the Ordinary world. Imagine Luke from Star Wars on Tatooine, or Bilbo from The Hobbit going about his hobbit business in the Shire. But then something unexpected happens or the hero receives some new information that makes him go on a journey. In Star Wars, it’s Princess Leia’s message, in The Hobbit, it’s Gandalf, who appears at the front door and literally calls Bilbo to go on an adventure.
In Journey, we start with the fact that we find ourselves in the desert, where there is nothing to do and there is nothing interesting. The call to adventure is a mountain that can be seen in the distance. By this point, it becomes clear where to go and what to do.
2. Refusal of the call
Often the hero, after hearing the call to adventure, refuses to follow it. The reason may be fear (Bilbo) or obligations (Luke), or some other reasons. One way or another, the hero may refuse to follow the call. This is usually followed by some events that demonstrate to the hero that he must accept the call. Or someone/something forces him to do it.
Someone may object that in games this step is usually skipped. And that it is also skipped in Journey. But then the connection between the game character and the player comes to the fore. Not only the character can refuse the call. The player can do it too.
In Journey sooner or later, but usually closer to the very beginning of the game, the player becomes interested — “What if I don’t go to the mountain? What if I go somewhere else?” This is the rejection of the call. The player tries to get away from the goal, only to end up being dragged back by the magic wind.
3. Magic help
As soon as the hero — voluntarily or not — has started his journey, he meets a magical mentor or assistant, and receives a talisman or artifact (one or more) that will be needed to complete the quest. Like Bilbo, who got the Sting and the Ring. When it comes to “Star Wars”, many mention a lightsaber — although this is a mistake, Luke does not need a sword to complete the quest. The item/artifact must be used during the passage. So Luke’s magical assistant is Obi—Wan, who teaches him how to use the Force.
In Journey, on this leg of the journey, we get a scarf. This is the legacy of our long-vanished people (so it has to do with the whole world of the game), and without it it will not be possible to complete the quest (so it has to do with the whole quest). And our mentor is a figure in white. We talk to him from time to time with the help of ancient monuments that tell the story of our people.
4. Transition to Another world
Here the hero embarks on the path of adventure, leaving behind a familiar world, and enters unknown and dangerous areas that exist according to their own unfamiliar rules. Bilbo leaves the Shire, Luke — Tatooine, Neo is going to the real world. As a rule, the threshold between the Ordinary and the Other World is the point of no return. Once the hero has passed it, there is no way back.
In Journey, the role of the threshold is played by a broken bridge. There we learn how to use our talisman (scarf) correctly. We “rebuild” the bridge, and a real threshold of sand falls in front of us. We go through it with the knowledge of how to use the talisman and what we are going to do. This is the end of the tutorial.
5. The belly of the whale
At some point after crossing the threshold, the hero enters a zone where he is at great risk. Usually this zone is symbolized by some underground areas. Here the hero shows that he is ready to go through all the metamorphoses and change himself. Remember how Bilbo got lost in the depths of the Misty Mountains and he had to find the courage to go through them alone. And he also learned compassion and pity when the opportunity presented itself to kill Gollum.
In Journey, underground locations correspond to this stage, where the player meets the Guardians for the first time. These are combat vehicles that the hero’s civilization built many years ago (and which, for the most part, caused her death). The player resists the Guardians and begins to learn the origin story of the hero.
6. Testing road
The Road of Trials is a series of tests that the hero must undergo before the transformation begins. Luke passed the tests when he got inside the Death Star, trying to save Leia and escape. The same thing happened to Bilbo in the Blackwood, where there were elves, spiders and all that, and where he saved his friends.
In Journey, the Road of trials begins from the top of the tower, where we get from underground areas. This is literally a testing Road. I like that in this location we meet images of the previous stages of the “Hero’s Path”.
7. Meeting with the Goddess
This is the stage at which the hero experiences unconditional love. In other analyses of Journey from the point of view of the monomyph, I often met the opinion that this stage in the game was skipped.
Actually, no. You will be able to pass the stage only if you are online — at this point other players will appear in the game. You will start bumping into other users. It will be impossible to communicate with them, it will be impossible to find out who they are. The gameplay is built in such a way that it will not work to prevent them, only to help.
This is unconditional love. Interestingly, if one player has moved away from the console for a while, then sometimes the second one stays and waits. One day I paused the game for 10 minutes, and when I returned, my companion was sitting next to me and patiently waiting for my return.
So in Journey, this stage is represented by a joint game.
8. A woman as a temptation
More precisely, it is a temptation in any form. There is not necessarily a woman present. At this stage, the hero is faced with a temptation that may force him to return or quit the quest. For example, in Star Wars, Han suggests that Luke leave with him rather than attack the Death Star.
Game researchers usually believe that this stage in Journey is also skipped. And I disagree again. Yes, there is nothing in the game itself that would tempt the hero to quit the quest. But if we consider Journey as a gaming experience where the character and the user are closely connected, then there is a temptation. This is the real world.
By the time the player gets to the Test Road, about an hour of real time has passed. This is the average length of a game session for most players. Usually after an hour the game has to be turned off to do business, daily duties or whatever. So the player is faced with the question of when to continue the journey — now, later, or perhaps never.
9. Reconciliation with the Father
It is considered that this is the central part of the journey. The hero meets an entity that has unlimited power in his life or over him. He first confronts her, and then passes initiation with her help. Often this essence is embodied in the father figure, although in fact it is just something more powerful than the hero himself, whose approval (literally or figuratively) must somehow be achieved. In The Hobbit, it’s Smaug. Outsmarting the dragon, Bilbo proves that he is a robber, and gets “approval”.
In Journey, this stage corresponds to the last meeting with a figure in a white robe — at the end of the Road of Trials and before climbing the mountain. Remember, I mentioned that on the Road of Trials there are images that show the previous stages of our journey? Communicating with the figure in the white robe, we also see future steps and the danger that awaits at the top of the mountain. Our character is worried, but the mentor believes in us and gives us his approval (well, or at least I made such a conclusion from the way they looked at each other in silence).
10. Apotheosis
The hero becomes something more than he was before and finally reaches the goal. Usually this stage is represented by death and rebirth. For example, in the Matrix, Neo dies, and then returns with the ability to control the Matrix. But in most cases, death and rebirth are more a metaphor rather than real events.
But in Journey, this stage is embodied quite literally. After a hard climb up the mountain, our character dies before reaching the top. Then a figure in a white robe appears and returns to us all its former strength (and the whole scarf!). We soar into the sky.
11. Treasure
This is the achievement of the main goal of the entire journey — what the hero set out for. For example, the destruction of the “Death Star”. In Journey, this is definitely climbing to the very top of the mountain. After the hero has received the treasure, he is ready to return to the Ordinary world.
12. Refusal to return
Having obtained the treasure, the hero may want to stay in the world of heavenly bliss and refuse to go back. Just as with the rejection of the call, in Journey this stage is completely tied to the player. I’ve seen users who liked the last location so much, where you can fly back and forth without touching the ground, that they didn’t want to finish the game. In Journey, the refusal to return is embodied in this way.
13. Magic flight
Sometimes a hero needs to run with a treasure or desperately rush home. Usually this stage is embodied with the help of flight. In Journey, this happens quite peacefully — we literally magically fly to a location that will return us to the real world.
14. Rescue from nowhere
Sometimes a hero needs a powerful guide, some kind of entity that will return him to everyday life. In Journey, this stage is also tied to the user. It so happened that for the player mentioned above, I became such a guide. Drawing attention to myself (I tried to crash into him several times), I reminded him of our goal, and we went to the final destination.
15. Return
This stage mirrors the transition to Another world. The hero leaves Another world to return to the Ordinary One. In Journey, we reach the light source at the top of the mountain, transform into a star and go to the original location.
16. The Lord of two worlds
Despite the fact that the hero left Another world, the knowledge and wisdom acquired there have been preserved. Therefore, the hero becomes the Ruler of two worlds. In relation to Journey, this means that the character changes every time he completes the game. Embroidery on the mantle is becoming more and more, and the scarf is getting longer. And if you reveal all the secrets of the game, you will get a white robe — it symbolizes that you have achieved mastery in the game.
17. Freedom of choice
Having defeated demons, having overcome all internal and external obstacles, having mastered the Ordinary and Other worlds, the hero gets the right to choose how to live. In Journey, at this stage, you can start a new game and lead other players. If you want.
As you can see, Journey is the perfect embodiment of the monomyph described by Campbell. The game follows a narrative structure from beginning to end, although some stages can be called “built-in”, since they are rather passed by the player, not the character.
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A source: stanislavcostiuc.com
Translated by Irina Smirnova