Wander the desert in Journey, a game for explorers

Journey casts the player as a robed wanderer in the desert. There is no narrative, no backstory, and nothing to do battle with; just a landscape of dunes, ruins and strange guardians to explore.

Objectives emerge only slowly, and a distant mountain looms ever-closer as one progresses. Even better, it's designed to be played with a "stranger you meet along the way" — a second player may accompany you.

Developed by Thatgamecompany, Journey is pitched as an emotional experience, in contrast to the usual sources of games' drama and entertainment: "We look at games and how they can produce more primal emotions," co-creato Jenova Chen told Venturebeat in an interview. "But most games are just about competition or violence."

It's out March 14 for PS3.