Mysterious Creature

This article or section may contain spoilers.

Main articles: Tower, Trophies, Entities, Objects

Mysterious Creature

Mysterious Creatures are glowing segmented worm-like creatures that can be found in the Tower level. It's an Easter egg referring to the game Flow (flOw) which was the first commercially released title from ThatGameCompany.

Alternative names:

• Flow Creature (after the game it's from)
• Glowworm

Occurrence, appearance, behavior

A Mysterious Creature can be seen in the Whale Room swimming behind the cloth banners, or in the lowest gallery at the bottom of the central tower. The two creatures, whilst visually identical at first glance, are actually two different creatures using two different mesh objects; in game files one model is called "Flow Hunter" and another one "Flow Creature".

• Flow Hunter has four distinct flippers or fins and appears in the Whale Room;
• Flow Creature looks more like a snake or worm, and can be found at the bottom of the tower.

The creatures fly from Out of Bounds to their areas when the fifth picture is activated filling the tower with magic goo. For a long time it was believed that only one of these creatures would spawn depending on which area the player chooses to visit first. A more detailed analysis in late 2021 revealed that when the sequence is activated both creatures are swimming into the level simultaneously, but only one can be observed in a normal play-through (when you visit either creature, the other one disappears).

Visiting both creatures

Although not intended by the game developers, it is possible to visit both creatures by carefully navigating around the trigger plane that makes the Whale Room creature disappear. This is demonstrated in the video below:

Video by qtzl3000 on PS4. Length: 2:18 minutes.

Interaction

• If chirped at they'll sometimes respond with a distinct multi-tone chime
• When touched for the first time they'll swim to the Wayfarer and attempt to "bite" (it's harmless), then retreat to their normal location.
• Interacting with either of them for the first time will unlock the Ancestors trophy on platforms that support this feature.

Pictures and videos

• 

  Spawn location 1 (Creature)

• 

  Spawn location 2 (Hunter)

• 

  Mysterious Creature up close and personal

• 

  Flow Hunter (left) and Flow Creature (right)

• 

  flOw recreation of the Hunter as seen in Journey

• 

  flOw recreation of the Creature/Snake as seen in Journey

Riding The Whale With The Flow Creature

Here is a very special experience shared by a fellow player David Moore.

Video by David Moore on PS4(?). Length: 1:15 minutes.

Trivia

• Although only one Mysterious Creature can be seen in the Tower normally, until they "spawn" they both sit out of bounds and can be reached by a highly experienced player; that's how we know there are two creatures not just one spawning at either location.
• Since they're always spawned and visible they're technically teleporting into the level rather than spawning.
• All that is necessary to enable Mystical Creature spawning is to activate the last glyph at the top of the tower (the one after the ribbon bridges, it shows the Sunken City slide story).
• Both creatures feature fins or decorations, it just happens to be less obvious on the snake.
• The connection with flOw is complex and multi-layered:
  • The Flow Creature is the Snake creature featured in the first campaign/level of flOw.
  • The Hunter creature is from the 5th flOw campaign.
  • Each creature has its own sound in Journey, called FlowHunterCall and FlowSnakeCall in game files
  • It is possible to replicate the length and decoration of Mysterious Creatures when playing flOw, by eating a specific combination of food and other creatures.

Abusing the biting behavior

• You can make the creature chase you, either in or Out of Bounds. You need to trigger the bite, but avoid getting bitten, quickly flee from the creature. That way it is possible to bring the creature to other places. Example: quickly fly through the gallery at the bottom of the Tower where the creature circles, touch it while flying by. It will start chasing you in the goo outside the gallery. It can go as far as needed until it's able to chew on the Wayfarer. See video above.

Quotes

“	Once on top of the Tower, I like to try to show newcomers, how to sit and stay seated. Then i can push them off and if they trust enough and stay seated, they will quickly land on the ground, nearby the room with the Mysterious Creature. If it fails, we just go to the Whale Room and eventually get that Symbol there too...	„
	~ Ravingmadness

References

. . .