​The Sojourn Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: September 24, 2019

First-person puzzle games may not be the most prolific gaming genre, but they include some of the most thought-provoking and serene experiences you'll ever come across. In The Sojourn, you'll travel between parallel worlds of light and darkness, solving what seems like an infinite amount of puzzles across beautifully striking environments. While the narrative may look a tad abstract (requiring you to think), it is layered with overtones about discovery and journeys in one's life. An almost arcane soundtrack adds to the world in The Sojourn, further complementing the soundly designed puzzles with breathtaking scenery.

There are a variety of locales in The Sojourn, each one serving as a unique chapter of the game. The first dozen or so puzzles in the game serve as a tutorial, gently guiding you through the essential elements and functions you'll be using in every subsequent puzzle. The goal of each puzzle involves freeing a wispy glowing light; however, most puzzles are broken up into two separate parts. These optional objectives redesign puzzles before your eyes, adding new platforms and challenges. Also, there are entirely optional challenge puzzles that you can seek out if you are looking to test your understanding of the game's mechanics.

If you intend to follow the main narrative, don't expect The Sojourn just to roll over and let you easily breeze through. Even without attempting the additional challenges, I found some of the puzzles to be quite stimulating. It is undoubtedly a game emphasizing logical thought process, positioning, timing, and patience above all else. The hub locations change (and I can't compliment the visual design enough), from a circular designed library lavished with gold to an underground cave, but all of the actual puzzle areas are quite similar in terms of visuals, besides different backdrops. The stone building blocks may alter their hue, but you are almost always floating above an endless chasm in a surreal environment.

The Sojourn is a tale of two worlds, one of light and one full of darkness, and knowing this and how to harness the powers of both worlds is a necessary step. Either by walking into a shimmering pool of light or by staying within a projected tunnel of light, you can interact with the dark realm. While in this state, pathways become visible, and you can harness the power to swap your location with statues in the blink of an eye. Musical harps build temporary platforms, and magical booths can harness the light to open gates and duplicate statues placed within. Rotating mirrors can redirect tunnels of light for you to venture across, and replaceable relics allow you to activate statues without having to first step into the glimmering light. These are virtually all of the mechanics you'll use across the 10-12 hours it will take to complete the game, more so if you attempt all of the optional objectives and puzzles. It's not so much about needing to overly complicate the game with continually adding new mechanics, but how the game melds them together that is uniquely impressive.

I relished the time I have spent playing The Sojourn. Developer Shifting Tides has seemingly perfected the art of gradually introducing new mechanics to puzzles, ensuring you combine the usage of each before learning something new. It has been an absolute pleasure going through dozens of puzzles and reaching the eureka moment to release the little glowing light, and then tasking my brain with trying to alter all the existing pieces to collect the scroll. The scrolls themselves offer words of wisdom, encouragement about life, and how to be a better person. I would have liked to see a rewind or undo-style feature, as a single poorly positioned swap may require you to start the challenge over. With that said, all of the puzzles aren't time-consuming and probably can be solved in a matter of a few minutes (if not less) if you are sharp as a tack. You can fall off the ledges in the game; however, you respawn exactly where you were.

Simply Put

The Sojourn is a well-designed, thought-provoking first-person puzzle title with colorful scenery and a magical soundtrack. The guiding narrative about self-reflection and discovery, told through blindfolded statues and scrolls, is subtle enough to get the point across and profound enough if you look inward upon yourself while playing. The slow pacing of the game is almost metaphoric to life, giving you a reason to slow things down, take it all in, and live in the moment.