Take this 'Journey'

What begins as a walk in the desert unfolds, over just a few hours, into one of the most memorable games in years. Part nature film from another planet, part social experiment, “Journey” shares the organic, almost cosmic feeling of past greats like “Ecco the Dolphin,” but touches you on a much more human level.

The game accomplishes this by reversing most of the trends that have gunked up modern game development. Instead of an intelligence-insulting tutorial, the game drops you in an ocean of sand. There’s no explanation or backstory; only a mountain in the distance. Walking toward the mountain is no more mysterious a task than walking from left to right in “Super Mario Bros.” (That modern Mario games explain this is a tragedy.)