JOURNEY - Complete score with text commentary

[@awintory]

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking this out. I first uploaded this video several years ago with all the text commentary as annotations. KZbin has since erased that feature so I had to recreate it and re-upload. Feel free to help spread the word on it once again :) Thank you all SO MUCH for the years of support for this beautiful game!

[@SilverZephyr09]

Favorited this years ago. I still can't believe it exists. Very few composers go out of their way to give their fans this kind of insight into their work. I just want to thank you for being awesome.

[@Vernnell]

Beautiful work, still think Journey is one of my favorite games ever made, and the music just make me remember every detail of it. Thank you for re-upload it.

[@BillyPalmerMusic]

I played this years ago and it made me want to get into game audio, and now I've got into game audio! Will always hold a special place in my heart as a result :)

[@victoroos]

Thanks for doing that!

[@mjschal]

Austin, thank you! I had just remembered that KZbin disabled their annotation feature--and then that your original video used them--and felt a cold panic. I'm very grateful you were able to upload a new version. It would have been heartbreaking to lose this.

[@eosborne6495]

I've played this game so many times and never noticed that the mountain we've been trying to reach the whole time is just a silhouette of two cloth people embracing.

[@shaerenuel9950]

I've been binging Journey and content about it again lately, but never have I seen something so poetic or read something whose power came close to the sheer emotion I felt when I first watched someone play Journey on KZbin (then subsequently played it myself--I still wish I'd played it for myself first, but at least I discovered the game at all!). It's a beautiful counterpoint to what I felt, too--I cried watching the ending of Journey, but the notion that the destination itself represents companionship and bonding is so heart warming. "Maybe the real (goal) was the friends we made along the way."

[@DerelictEarth]

@@shaerenuel9950 my wife actually became super sad when she lost her friend during her play for like 20 minutes, and became moved to tears when she found him back. This game is an incredible and truly unique experience.

[@ianlarsen3920]

And apparently, it's shape is also meant to symbolize the narrative arc of the hero's journey. It all melds together so beautifully.

[@ChuckSploder]

@@ianlarsen3920 Not the mountain, the world as a whole.

[@aurianox4541]

WAIT WHAT??? I have replayed this game at least a dozen times, and I never once noticed that. That's incredible! This game just keeps giving.

[@PippetWhippet]

About 5 years ago, my son got seriously ill, he started having seizure after seizure - he would go on to have hundreds a day. That weekend I took him to the hospital and sat with him all day, but I was eventually told I had to go home. I had just bought Journey, but hadn't yet played it, so in the middle of the night, needing something to just take my mind off all the thoughts, I put it on. That moment, 46:19 - you can imagine how I was feeling before that, I was in tears, I thought my son was going to die alone without me there and after that mountain climb... that moment gave me hope. I've used your soundtrack to help me through so much since then, it gives me strength even to this day. My son is still with us, but every day is a challenge to cope with his condition, and I honestly do not know how differently things might have gone without this music, crazy as it sounds, I genuinely think it has made a definite and real difference to my life! Thank you!

[@nerdie0]

damn deep

[@nerdie0]

damn deep

[@thickerthanabowlofoatmeal791]

My deepest respect for such an august soul as your and your precious child, that section when it starts gives me the chills, it's truly amazing what music is capable of. My longest and earnest prayers to you, your son and all those who supported you through the many hardships.

[@_Unpleasant_]

😔

[@zhiqiyeoh8375]

Basically how JOURNEY was made: designers did something beautiful; composer wrote something beautiful to match; designers decided game prototype is not beautiful enough for the soundtrack so they redo it; game is now more beautiful than soundtrack, so composer redoes it; rinse repeat. NGL that is one tried-and-tested method to create beautiful games.

[@awintory]

If only it worked every time! :P

[@liveforlife2494]

I was thinking about this earlier today: both Mr. Wintory and TGC ratcheting each other to greater and greater heights of sheer beauty in their creations, haha!

[@skykidnadir]

I just came back to this game after a months long break. I immediately ran into a second-time player who was clearly thrilled to serve as my guide. They had no idea I was a veteran, and enthusiastically showed me all the secrets, waited for me when I lagged behind, and were right by my side when a buggy Guardian hit me. Their enthusiasm really inspired me and definitely changed how I want to act as a guide. Multiple Feet, if you ever read this, thank you for the Journey!

[@faxardebatintenebris]

One of the best soundtracks ever made.

[@koryscholle9316]

Hello Mr. Wintory, I dont know if you'll read this, it being years late. But I wanted to post a comment anyway. I want to personally thank you. Journey is, straight up, my favorite interactive experience (I dont even want to call it a game) of all time. In 2012, or 2013, i was two years out of high school, and like many people in that time of their life, struggling to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Journey was an inspiration. I always loved video games, ever since I was a child. Journey made me realize just how much games meant to me, but it did much more than that. Journey inspired me to enroll in a college, to learn how to make video games. I now hold a bachelors of science in game design. My time in college was the single most formative experience of my life. It, like many others, defined who I am, what I like, and how I think. While I don't work in the industry, I am constantly influenced in my life by my choice to persue education in a art form that prior to Journey, had been little more than a hobby to me. You might think something along the lines of "that's great but there were plenty of other brilliant people that made journey what it was" and you are right about that. But let me be perfectly clear: your music is what made it MEANINGFUL to me. Your music is what brought out my emotions and helped me connect with everything that everyone else was trying to do. If not for your music, I know for a fact without a shadow of a doubt that had anyone else composed journey's score, i would have enjoyed it still, maybe even loved it, but I doubt I would have been so moved to change my life. You said in this video in the apotheosis portion that you were anxious or scared of ruining the brilliant work that everyone else at TGC had made by the challenge of nailing the final sequence (or something along those line). When I read that, I teared up. Because never have I heard a peice of music so recongizably elevate something to be so much more that it otherwise is. That goes for every note, from the start "the call", to the end of "I was born for this" and even when the player presses x again and starts over. I will always love video games, because you (and others) helped me realize what they can do, how they can move the soul. And I will always be thankful to you for that, and the impact you and your work has had on my life. Thank you.

[@koryscholle9316]

By the way, I am SOOOO excited to play The Pathless, simply because I know I'll get to hear your music :)

[@tinomendoza7045]

This will be recognized as a classic soundtrack in the future

[@namiro1705]

It already is

[@colli_wolly]

19:54 You’re kidding, right?? The music that you have composed is the quintessential voice of the game. Without it, the game would not have been as impactful as it is. Not only did you deliver its voice, you’ve exceeded it to many levels. It’s as masterful as the story and the scenery of Journey, and it’s probably my favorite aspect of the game.

[@jameswalker9095]

I always loved how the music backs off at this moment. It's like it knows you're gasping at the beauty of what you're seeing, and gives you a moment to just take it in. Then as you stare at the sunset, the cello comes back in and plays a note that is somehow the musical expression of the words "achingly beautiful".

[@spockvanvulcan5041]

A grown ass man cried after playing this game for the first time. This game is amazing. The score is the soul of it.

[@heyitsseabass]

I heard this the first time today because Journey is free on PlayStation and I can honestly say this is one of the most INCREDIBLE pieces of music I have ever heard. I almost cried at one point and I can't explain why, it just reaches into you. I don't think this will let go anytime soon. Thank you so much for this, Mr. Wintory.

[@MorningSunglasses]

Journey made me reconsider my view on video games being considered art, and the soundtrack was a key part in that. At the risk of uncharacteristically sounding over dramatic, the experience moved me, changed me and literally saved my life. I’ve since then told others that if I had a chance to choose, this would be the final soundtrack I would want to hear before I passed.

[@anticyclone0321]

Hey Austin! Three years ago, when I was still on the equivalent of 9th grade, in middle school here in France, I had to find a subject for the final oral exam of the "Brevet des Collèges". I can remember finishing Journey and being like, that's what I'm gonna present to the jury: how art, and especially music, could change what they thought about video games, and how those latter could generate an emotion and transmit a powerful story just as books and movies. I thus featured some of your music, notably Apotheosis and Descent (that one is deeply underrated) , and I remember that they were very impressed. I got 100/100 at the end! So thank you for sharing such moving music with us, and I really like your work on The Pathless too! You're being a real game changer :D Greetings from the country of croissants!

[@awintory]

AMAZING!! I'm honored!!

[@simonhis2680]

Magnifique ! Impressioné que tu aies réussi à marquer un jury d'examen national sur un tel sujet ! Du coup, si je ne me trompe pas tu devrais être en terminale là, bonne chance pour la suite ! PS: si tu es en effet en terminale, j'espère que tu n'as pas trop subi les conneries de parcoursup (si tu comptes poursuivre dans le suéprieur)

[@DerelictEarth]

Félicitations, c'était a la fois très courageux et pertinent comme sujet !

[@Callumbuddy]

The note at 48:57 really stood out to me, especially because at the end of it all, not only did your score not ruin the game for me, it absolutely made it for me. I say with no exaggeration that Journey's score is easily my favorite score in any game. It's not even close. I get chills throughout so much of it, whether it be when the music swells in Nascence or Nadir, the shift that happens in Atonement, or the entirety of Apotheosis. In fact, Apotheosis is one of my favorite pieces of music, period, and I cry each and every time I hear it. Like the game itself, this score is a complete and total masterpiece from beginning to end, and I truly cannot imagine Journey without it.

[@ninjastellar]

"The road of trials" 16:25 always turns me into a sobbing emotional mess because of how beautiful it is. This game is a masterpiece. Me listening to it's magnificent soundtracks for years after says a lot. Not a single word had been spoken during the gameplay and that goes to show how powerful music can be, it is a language of it's own kind. And the symbolism..my god the symbolism. And those viola solos..as you can see, I am in awe. People such as yourself make this world a better place.

[@nemoguy]

Time to revisit an old classic

[@daviddockery1953]

It's hard to understate how indispensable the score is for this game. After watching Austin's video on The Last of Us, I think his use of themes is precisely why he was the perfect composer for this game. The music is what turns aimless wandering into a journey. We get a sense of progression not because the scenery changes from one level to another, but because the music evolves as we go. It imbues a telos into the game design that no amount of camera work can ever achieve. For that, I think Austin Wintory is worthy of the title genius.

[@miragetheshadow]

Just two days ago I got White Cloak. It was incredible, and I am glad to have the lovely opportunity to keep playing the game, guiding those that remain. I still see new people coming to play, and fanfic being written, and new fanart. It's really an honour to be a part of the community. :)

[@ruggbean]

Apotheosis is so popular because it is so damn satisfying to get to that part. It is vibrant and colorful and we're finally done with the darkness and the monsters and back out into the sun. It feels so victorious and playful, like I accomplished something substantial. Seriously, Austin, as I'm sure you can see by those that have posted, you really knocked this out of the ballpark - you and your whole team. I've been using this soundtrack as writing music for the past 24 hours or so and I have written more pages in one day than I have written in a few weeks. Can't tell you how much of a pleasure this game and its soundtrack have been for me and I hope that you will go on to continue to make masterpieces like these for years to come.

[@AstrumG2V]

But it never becomes so joyful that it becomes jarring, which I think is the biggest power of that movement: it's so bittersweet and beautiful yet so sad

[@shafir2]

Best game ever made

[@Astrih_Konnash]

Got this amazing game on PS3 (was coping with my mother's passing back then) The music (bought the CD) still gives me the goosebumps and the game leads me to tears everytime I play it, but I love it dearly.

[@bradleyjohnstone3155]

Hi Austin! I'm a third year Humanities student taking a history of music class in which we were assigned to attend a virtual concert this year and report on our findings afterwards. I managed to convince the prof to allow me to use the MAGFest, Fifth House Ensemble live performance of Journey and needless to say, it worked out great! Normally we would've had to use a more traditional symphony recording but the prof seemed very interested in your work, so I got out scot-free! I'm a weekly listener to PWL since the beginning of this year, so I felt it appropriate to wrap up the school term with some more Austin Wintory. Thanks so much for what you do! Looking forward to playing The Pathless over Christmas break!

[@naveenviswanathan8370]

When I sat down to play a 7 year old game, I never thought I was about to go through the best interactive entertainment experience of my life. Undoubtedly the best video game I have ever played. And Journey's music is a character in itself. I have never felt such bliss in a video game soundtrack. Apotheosis makes me cry every time I hear it. Thank you Austin.

[@batterib]

Everything about this game is both so otherworldly yet so... human. The sheer magnificence and beauty of the art, the soundtrack, and the story itself will shine on for centuries to come. It's been ten years already and it remains as my #1 game, and it always turns me into an absolute sobbing mess. May my tear ducts never run dry for this game!

[@banjohero1182]

i had played journey years ago, but saw someone's (hbomberguy maybe?) video about this game and its music and i had to go and download it again and play it all the way through and then spent several hours in white helping ppl find all the things. time well spent!

[@Seth_M-T]

I'm not exaggerating when I say I've listened to this soundtrack in full maybe 200 times. It's wonderful to be able to get a glimpse into your thought process for it all and to learn the names of some of the performers! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for creating such a heavenly score. Having played games for almost 20 years, I can confidently say that few games manage to achieve the same level of beauty found in Journey.

[@maggienewson8859]

I genuinely cry every time I listen to Apotheosis. Something about the mixture of the music and the experience of it all just overwhelms me every damn time. Thank you so much for this, it is beyond words what this game means to me, and the music is a huge part of that.

[@silversong4VR]

Agree fully, Maggie. Even listening and watching the images here got me choked up 💖

[@improvement-ryu-man5427]

Amazing Game, in this whole whirlwind of tasks and stress, this game is a blessing. I can use it to regain my focus

[@KeyHero21]

Journey was my first time hearing your music, and then I played Flow and Abzu and couldn't get over how beautiful it all was. I get excited when your name is attached to a game because I know it's going to sound incredible.

[@awintory]

I hope I can continue to live up to that!

[@sean..L]

This to me is a modern masterpiece not to mention the game. So many images flash in my head when I listen to this, there is definitely something spiritual within this score.

[@liveforlife2494]

It seems my comment didn't take, so I'll say it again: THANK YOU for uploading your own personal commentary and your "As Noted" videos - they're a real gift to us! I played Journey for the first time about a week ago and (of course) I got goosebumps many times, my jaw dropped, and I cried, in no small part because of your music. It's so lyrical, atmospheric, and moving - you have truly touched millions of souls at this point because of it, including mine. Your final version of "Apotheosis" has this unique gentle energy that's epic in an understated way (I also love triplets, so there's that), and the ending with just the cello is truly genius. I saw from your Polygon interview that that piece was CRAZY tricky to get right, but get it right you did. Thank you for introducing me to Tina Guo, who was able to render your theme so expressively and heartbreakingly, and giving us such incredibly profound music that elevated Journey to another level altogether. The game is better for it, we are better for it, and the world is better for it. And my mind is blown that you're friends with Eric Whitacre and that, y'know, he almost became involved with this through "Apotheosis." But you're right, it wouldn't have fit!

[@markrabideau4067]

Can we talk about the cellos at 48:37? I'm always caught up with the melody at that part, but holy crap those cellos...

[@melodysymphonystar]

So apparently the serpent was invented in France, in the late 1590's, early 1600's. It was used as a church instrument, then later on, as churches eventually replaced it with organs, it was used in the 18th century as a military instrument, and was fitted with keys, so it could be easier to play while marching, then was after used in classical music, by Mozart, notably. I had no idea: a) It even existed b) We Frenchies created it. (and more impressive is the shape.) Side note: on the wikipedia page: Serpent (instrument) (in English), the very last line of the "History" part may or may not reference this very soundtrack we're currently listening to :p

[@COIFISHGAMING]

Hello @Austin Wintory, your work on this score is not even human. You reached for the heavens and lowest depths of the soul. If humanity had a soundtrack to explain their existence without words long after we are gone this would be it. My only sorrow is that one day when the last star has gone dark so will this Journey. Bravo Sir.

[@awintory]

Poetic and moving comments

[@SamC77]

i want to say the casting for the singer of the credits was done perfectly, i would definitely not have chosen a teenage or early 20s popstar for this song. i hear the voice and i can feel there is strength inside the voice. it feels perfect because i sort of guess this character singing has been through some rough times and surpassed it, has experience and can blast out that voice with some wisdom and emotion, that voice shines in the greek, japanese and french parts. it feels sort of like a grandmother, but if she really was a grandmother she would have a little trouble blasting out the voice, so, maybe that singer was at the perfect stage to combine the power of youth and the experience of age into the voice. i feel it, i don't know this person, but i feel it.

[@AyBee9725]

Please stop making me cry over every other second. Actually don't. This is the only thing in the world that can make me feel emotion. As a sociopath, it's an odd feeling.

[@Guc_KYSG]

19:51 Yes. Yes it does.

[@overninja]

After more than 2 years of leaving this game alone i begin to speedrun it just a few days ago and there it is you reupload the whole soundtrack. What a coincidence. One more reason to get into it again. Thanks for this incredible game and music scores.

[@TheEckoEcho]

One of the few games that still wake me up in the morning to play and listen to the music.

[@Minilena]

So here I sit, once again singing and crying to I Was Born For This... Thank you, Austin. This game and its music has meant so much for me for years now, and it's still magical every time I get to introduce someone to it for the first time. The fact that it's on Steam now makes me incredibly happy - everyone deserves to play this game! So thank you. Thank you so much.

[@MarioMarinato]

Oh, gosh, I'd just finished watching the video and my wife comes into my room and she's like, "oh, God, why are you crying, what happened?" I played Journey for the first time about a month ago and I more and more touched by it. Thank you, Austin, for such a great... uh... journey, on this video.

[@bewilderbeestie]

This video should definitely be listed as NSFW. I got interrupted by a colleague halfway through _I Was Born For This_ and not only did I have to wipe tears out of my eyes, it took me about thirty seconds to collect myself enough to answer coherently.

[@camillanelson3651]

I use this soundtrack as brainstorming music to help me write the script for my graphic novel. Thanks for making music that sparks the imagination!

[@tailsfnas2062]

Best. Music. Ever.

[@diogotito5259]

Everytime I listen to these pieces, I feel so pained and sad. The brief time that I played and replayed Journey got so strongly engraved in my mind. Every so often I enjoy torturing myself, in reminiscing thesr masterpieces for the ears and soul. Austin Wintory, you are a genius. Your enbodiement of emotions throughout these orchestrated pieces are pure, innocent bliss. You touched me in many ways through tears of joy but mostly sadness. Thank you.

[@rasmuszn]

Listening to this masterpiece every now and then. I’ve been listening ever since the release. Makes work easier. Favorite part is Temptations, the harp solos get me every time... beautiful. Once again, *Thank you*

[@WolfOfHarmony]

Austin, I can't thank you enough for composing a soundtrack as meaningful and impactful as this. Time and time again I find myself listening to the soundtrack for Journey and Abzû when I am writing - and every time I do that, I find myself filled with motivation and a perfect ambience to turn ideas into words. During times where I need that perfect ambience or tone to bring an idea to life, or those times where I just can't seem to turn something into words, I play your music, and next thing I know I've written hundreds of words. Your music has helped me bring my ideas to life and allowed me to improve as a writer over the years. Thanks to your music, I was able to turn my passion for writing into a career and follow my dreams. Thank you so much, Austin! I can't wait to hear more of your incredible work in the future.

[@awintory]

You can't imagine what this comments means to me. That middle paragraph about your writing improving. I live for the hope to help others in that way. Stay tuned in this space very soon ...

[@hyliadreamer]

Beautiful. As I said on your Abzu commentary, I have not played this game, but I've watched walkthroughs. This morning, watching these two commentaries, it's occurring to me that the two games actually tell essentially the same story, but with different environments and outcomes: The character discovers in their wanderings that they are the problem. While Abzu tells a story of interconnectiveness bringing back to life what the character's originators destroyed, this one tells of ruin, and of solitary penance.

[@likesyngates]

This apotheosis brings tears to my eyes, I can even remember when I cried last time, but this is tears of joy, compassion .. thank you for this blissful music.. it's somehow helps realize the truth

[@ryanyouwei3448]

Scores with annotation is just another pure art form. Thank you so much for this, Austin. THANK YOU.

[@ahmetenesbulguru2985]

Dear Austin(it's okay if i call you Austin right? considering what your music did to me, i can easily say that while i have no clue about who you are, you must definitely know me through my soul). I know the game was amazing in every aspect but the soundtrack, it almost feels to me that the entire game was created just for the sake of music and while i know that is not the case, it is so beatiful that i will still make myself believe it. In Silmarillion, Tolkien describes the creation of Universe, Earth and people as a result of a Celestial Orchestra. I could say the same about this masterpiece as well. My only regret is that i wish it did not create this avalanche of feelings that i am neither explain nor share with anyone. This music transforming me in a way that i haven't felt before and catapulting me to the lenghts i have never witnessed before just like at the end of Journey. I just feel powerful and amazing. Thank you so much

[@adriancam5331]

No, thank YOU Mr. Wintory. Your music, especially from JOURNEY, has touched my soul and left me with a beautiful and indescribable experience that I'll always keep with me. Yes the gameplay for the game was well put together, but your music left such a huge impact on the experience together, digging deep into my soul. I loved reading through your notes on each part of the score!! Even though I've listened to this whole soundtrack a couple times over, your notes helped me realized and hear things I never heard on my first couple listens. Every time I hear the whole soundtrack I'm brought back to my first (and so far only) run through of JOURNEY, and the whole soundtrack is a journey on it's own!! It's why I've come to love your music so much, I can feel myself making my way through a story, feeling the triumphs, the fear, the conflicts and struggles, all the emotions are perfectly expressed. I swear, I've loved your music since I first heard it in this game, and JOURNEY has become a gateway for all your other scores. Your music is truly a blessing, thank you so much for your hard work and dedication.

[@awintory]

Your words are profoundly generous and kind

[@kdreamscosmos4279]

This music will help me to recover from Covid 19

[@awintory]

So sorry to hear you had to deal with covid

[@kdreamscosmos4279]

@@awintorythank you so much.. you made my day sir... currently healing fast.💗

[@hellywatermelonsmellinfell3436]

I think I play this game at least twice a week and I cry every single time. The music just hits you in the feels.

[@Balfour.]

From 50:43 to the very end, music pulls the deepest strings of my heart. Such a moving experience.

[@paulmerviel1617]

This stands near the top of my favourite video game soundtracks ever made, the top 15 being: 15) Titan Souls (by David Fenn) 14) Hyper Light Drifter (by Disasterpeace/Richard Vreeland) 13) To the Moon (by Kan Reives Gao) 12) Celeste (by Radical Dreamland/Lena Raine) 11) Finding Paradise (by Kan Reives Gao) 10) VVVVVV (by SoulEye/Magnus Pålsson) 09) Entwined (by Sam Marshall) 08) Undertale (by Toby Fox) 07) Child of Light (by Cœur de Pirate/Béatrice Martin) 06) Hollow Knight (by Christopher Larkin) 05) Rakuen (by Laura Shigihara) 04) Gris (by Berlinist) 03) Ori and the Blind Forest (by Gareth Coker) 02) Journey (by your boi) 01) Unravel (by Frida Johansson & Henrik Oja)

[@Seth_M-T]

I'll have to check some of these out! I recommend: Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Monument Valley 2 Furi Hotline Miami 2 Braid Abzu Just to name a few :)

[@paulmerviel1617]

Oh I definitely know rapture, monument vallet, braid and abzu soundtracks, they're really good. There's also a few others you should check out that aren't in my top faves: Night in the Woods, RiME, Fez, OneShot, Valiant Hearts, Seasons After Fall, Flower, Okami, Slime Rancher, Subnautica... I'm a sucker for video game soundtracks lol

[@Otohoto]

Fable : The lost chapter, have a very nice soundtrack, which make most of the game ambiance

[@Seth_M-T]

Here are some more!! Bastion The Beginner's Guide Cuphead Dark Souls Dear Esther Doki Doki Literature Club The Elder Scrolls (Jeremy Soule is my favourite game composer. He also has an album called The Northerner Diaries which is very Skyrim-esque) Eufloria Firewatch Gone Home Ico The Last of Us The Last Guardian Life is Strange Machinarium Minecraft Poker Night 2 Portal 1 & 2 RuneScape Shadow of the Colossus Shovel Knight Thomas Was Alone The Unfinished Swan Telltale's The Walking Dead What Remains of Edith Finch Literally any Zelda/Mario game There's a KZbinr called Liltommyj who does great video game remixes. There's also a guy called Soundole who makes VGM covers. You might like SiIvaGunner as well if you don't know him already :)

[@pablohermes7096]

This. Is. Amazing. I can't believe I haven't come across this earlier. Journey is one of my favorite games and it's soundtrack is easily the best I've ever heard. Listening to it again along with the composer's commentary makes the whole experience even deeper, however unimaginable it seemed before. Thank you for sharing your journey with us, Austin. "Final Confluence" will always make me cry, and I'm grateful for that.

[@awintory]

Thank you for the very kind words

[@kieranm.5471]

Because of this and Abzu, you're one of my favorite composers of all time. Thank you for this!!!!

[@jameswalker9095]

Final Confluence is the most underrated piece in the game. Full of realization - realizing the long road traveled thus far, and seeing the struggle of what's to come in the final phase. It really highlights the emotional core of the game's story.

[@gavinsmith8105]

I like coming back here every once in a while

[@whitedragon1204]

so much inspiration. I can write several novels to this ^^. I still remember when Sony first showed this. We were such in aw by the opening it was nothing like before!

[@davidmcblitzen9267]

A perfect soundtrack for that special game. Your commentaries are very interesting and the fanart pics are able to show everybody the ambience and the unique tonality of this little masterpiece.

[@allenflores3621]

I just saw this video complete for the first time. Please know the game and your music has had a tremendous impact on my life. I can't help but cry everytime I listen to the final parts. It's happened so many times since I need to come back and listen to this every once in a while. I have nothing more to say than Thank you Austin for this gift to our souls.

[@awintory]

You are too kind

[@DongMemphis]

I lost my dad to cancer this month 10 years ago. After that, March became a difficult month to get through. By chance I played through Journey a few years back. I've listened to this soundtrack every March since then. Your music helped me start the healing process in my life, and continues to help me process my grief. Thank you for this, it means alot to me.

[@WiresDawson]

This album is honestly some of the greatest music ever composed/performed, and at its most emotional moments it's some of the only music to ever make me cry without fail. Mr Wintory, both you and TGC deserve all the success you attained, since imo both Journey and its soundtrack are masterpieces of videogame art.

[@WiresDawson]

Unfortunately, in the new PC port, a lot of the musical cues and atmospheric audio are broken and at times severely impact the experience, which saddens me deeply. If you ever are in contact with Annapurna studios (responsible for the port), please mention this issue to them and encourage them to fix it! It's a wonderful game, but all players across all platforms deserve to experience it in its full glory!

[@awintory]

Thank you so much

[@silversong4VR]

@@WiresDawson latest update fixed a LOT of those music queues! Unfortunately some of the weird sound effects persist, but are much more rare.

[@KuMa_187]

Touches my heart, inspires my soul, my thoughts are no longer here in the here and now. Thank you thousandfold Austin Wintory ...!

[@ChuckSploder]

I can't pause, it's too beautiful

[@Obligatedx9]

I have never once listened to Apotheosis without crying. It happens every.single.time. Without fail. I don’t know if it was you, Troy Baker or a youtube comment somewhere that said that the music manages not only to touch the listener’s heart, but also their soul. The combined beauty of the music and the game - or the melancholic nostalgia of the memory of the game - just stirs something so profoundly deep within me. As a non-believer, this is the closest thing I’ll ever come to a god. And for that, Austin, I’m truly thankful.

[@Oliver-Akins]

Hey Austin, I've been listening to the Journey score for a couple years now, but I only got to playing it about a year ago, and ever since having played it, the Journey score is always one which manages to get me to reminisce and makes me feel better. Thank you and the TGC team for all of the hard work you put in for giving us this absolutely beautiful game that is my favourite of all time. It's an absolutely perfect length for playing and the reactive score is phenomenal in the game, I noticed it while playing and it was a really nice touch.

[@scolefeld]

Simply life-changing.

[@Cincelia]

I can't wait for journey on pc. I played it when it first came out and now I don't have a game consol anymore and Journey is one of the games I emotionaly miss the most

[@OtaconLav]

Every time I hear apotheosis I can't help but cry. Thank you so much for this, thank you

[@SohiHien]

Loved this "Journey" through your thoughts and process while creating this amazing score. It was interesting to see what some of the original ideas for the score were, how you put together some of the tracks and how the main track most people seem to love most was made at the last minute. I find myself listening to this score often, it is my number one "paper writing" score. Hearing it live during a video games live concert a few years ago was also one of the highlights of the entire show! Thank you for this insight into your thoughts and for your music! Journey would not have been the same without it!

[@akirahojo2]

Journey is one of those rare gaming experiences, up there with Shadow of Colossus and Silent Hill 2. And Mr Wintory’s music is one of the main reasons this game was not only magical, but also spiritual. I wish you a peaceful and wonderful journey ahead wherever life takes you. God bless.

[@Snowprism]

Huge thank you for taking your precious time to reupload the video while putting in the commentaries back again! I will continue to look forward to the day when Journey is released for PC so I can lose myself in this musical roller coaster of emotions.

[@Voitan]

HELLO, watching this diamond of a video once again.

[@ShopSongs]

Huh, I was just looking for this two days ago! By far the greatest soundtrack for a video game I've ever heard.

[@rashkavar]

Thank you for the wonderful experience. Both all those years ago when I couldn't stop playing Journey and now when I'm dealing with some weird health issues in the midst of a pandemic. The emotional journey inspired by your incredible music is a reminder that while the good times eventually pass, so do the bad, and that's really quite beneficial to me right now.

[@awintory]

Thank you for sharing this

[@Laurikoivisto]

i've always wondered is that apples notification sound at 17:03

[@kuat7665]

5 years later, and this is still an awesome commentary on the tracks of the game. Thank you!

[@GillesOfEarth]

Austin - this was fantastic and such a treat! Loved all the commentary notes giving all the wonderful behind the scenes insights into the making of this beautiful score! Thank you so much for sharing

[@DerelictEarth]

Still coming back to the OST 5 years after discovering the game. Still getting shivers and being moved to tears by the imagery and the music. Best OST ever made for a game, a true masterpiece.

[@92JinKazama]

Me and my fiancé (now my wife, thankfully!) played this game together online during COVID-19 when we were separated for a year, as we lived in different countries. The ending with the "I Was Born for This" left us both as emotional wrecks but brought us so much closer together. Thank you for this memorable experience, Austin.

[@awintory]

Stories like this mean more to me than I could possibly ever say. Thank you for sharing

[@92JinKazama]

@@awintory Thank you, Austin. You're wonderful

[@craigrussell7542]

Dear Austin, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the music of Journey! Your work has moved me deeply, repeatedly, profoundly. And although I'm only a novelist and not a composer, after listening many times to Journey I feel I know something of the profound love and envy that Antonio Salieri felt for Mozart's timeless work. May you be blessed with a long, happy and productive life in music! Sincerely, Craig Russell

[@flameraven42]

I really enjoy getting to see your thoughts and notes on the creative process! It's really fascinating to see the way you describe the give and take between composing music and then the game designers actually re-designing to match the music, and then re-composing to match the new design. Journey is such an amazing work of art with such a clear vision, and your beautiful music is such an integral part of that. I can't imagine the game with any other sound; you really captured that solemn but awe-inspiring feel of the story.

[@LunaBianca1805]

I'm not much of a gamer, but I love listening to score music. Just stumbled across your works today and instantly fell in love with it (well, sometimes that KZbin algorithm just hits the nail in the head, doesn't it? :3) 🥰 I love the more solemn slightly melancholic tone of this and I guess I'll go and purchase the downloads of this and Abzû because else I'm totally going to bust the high speed volume I got on my cell phone contract listening to this ^^'

[@Kat-de8sz]

I seriously need to play some of these on my instrument sometime! I rarely play game OST’s but Journey’s is an exception. I still get chills, to this day!

[@ericrobins9415]

Nicely done Austin. While I haven't played the game, I've enjoyed watching a few other players walk through it. The score is perfectly adjusted to fit the story. Apotheosis is worth listening to over and over again.

[@wehitextracellularidiombit4907]

Goosebumps on apotheosis

[@kildashade461]

Thank you for your work. Both your writing and the game itself are inspired.

[@theamericanyoutuber]

Journey forever...

[@satellight5925]

Finally got to play the game now that I got my hands on a PS4 from a friend of my dad's... I'm not a crier - but everything flowed together so seamlessly, the music, the scenery / imagery. Up until last night, I had only watched a single playthrough. I had only listened to the music separately from the game, and even then I chose my tracks with the pickiness of a child. So, while I know you wrote this for us and for the game. I can't help but to thank you for this, because it blew my expectations through the roof. Playing it, a controller in my hands, a friend by my side as curious as I was, never straying far - everyone involved had made a game that portrayed exactly what they wanted to. A journey. (And one, at that, that you didn't have to go through alone.)

[@Hotrob_J]

An utter masterpiece. I've no other words. Every part of this is a hymn to the human spirit, and that is underselling it.

[@maidros85]

Austin, seeing you tonight in Belgrade's Kolarac was a privilege. I wanted to tell you in person, but it looks like I missed the opportunity to apply for the Q&A thingy tomorrow. Your work on Journey has UNLOCKED me, as a person. It made me open to gentleness, to art, more than many other things in my life. I am a better person for it, and now I am, at 38 years old, learning to become an actor. Just wanted to say thank you. :)

[@awintory]

What a truly touching comment, I can't thank you enough. These words hit me deeply. If you come tomorrow I'll happily do what I can to ensure you get in. Just tell me your name and I'll tell them

[@maidros85]

@@awintory Goran Kristic :) If you aren't able to, that's fine. I said what I wanted to say.

[@awintory]

@@maidros85 I gave your name to the organizers :) If you can come , great! If not, no worries at all! And thank you again for your kind words

[@awintory]

@@maidros85 I gave your name to the organizers. It should be ok. If you can't make it in the end, no problem but hopefully should be easy for you to arrive now! And thank you again for your beautiful words

[@maidros85]

@@awintory 🙏🥰

[@Androvalius]

Years later, still one of the best soundtracks ever made, still one of the best and wholesome commentary sections in all of YT.

[@theamericanyoutuber]

Honestly, though... the way every part of this soundtrack makes me feel is just... I don’t think I have a word for it... The joy.. the serenity... the passion... the excitement.. the melancholy... the anxiety... the fear..... and the hope.... all wrapped up into one hour of pure-.. soul... that’s it... it’s soulful. I’ve listened to this soundtrack consistently for the past 8 years (I probably will for the rest of my life), and... even to this day, I feel all of that. Especially this right here at 53:42 with the bell. _Every_ time I hear this, I get choked up and have to sit back for a second on pause. It’s...

[@theamericanyoutuber]

You’re makin’ me cry yet again, Mr. Wintory... well done... ❤️

[@gamingdragon2361]

Hey Austin, I just want to thank you for everything you do. I first discovered you from 8 Bit Music Theory's video on "How to Write a Main Theme" and I've been a massive fan ever since. You are my biggest inspiration and if it weren't for both of you, I would still be wondering what I want to do with my life. My life has been changed thanks to you and I've been working every day to get better at my own composition and performance. And whenever I get down and feel like I won't make it and I'm making a mistake, somehow fate decides to play "Apotheosis" or "I Was Born for This", 2 out of 1,000 + songs I have saved. It gives me hope and reassurance that yes, I Was Born for This. I Was Born for Music. And whenever that one chord in Apotheosis plays, all my worries fade like mist in the glory of the rising sun. "Music truly runs through your veins" my teacher has said. I've bought so many games that I saw you composed for, Monaco and Abzu especially, which are absolute favorites of mine. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such an amazing composer and inspiration and being so open with your works and not hiding it like secret knowledge. Thank you for helping me realize want I want to be and indirectly helping me get there. Everyone has their own Journey, and this is the start of mine. Thank you.

[@SLOmargamer]

46:19"Journey Ascend" Is favorite part of the chapter apothosis. And the scene of spiritual elevation while evading mechanical beasts IS my favorite climax. The best CLIMAX of all times. I LOVE IT. I'm more then glad to hear this part of the music and that Intense CLIMAX scene that I've experienced I love that scene.

[@hecdavid11]

This is one of my favorite videos in the entire KZbin because of your beautiful music + the informative and very interesting commentary. Thank you for the reupload! Now it's easier to read

[@TwiztedDezign]

Journey is love. ❤️❤️❤️

[@direitocomnathaliaviana]

Journey is perfect Austin! Really! I came to know it just this year after the cover from Grissini Project, and i can't believe, that i took this long to became aware of this soundtrack. This work is remarkable! And i will for sure, remember it as a change of waters in my music studies.