Don’t know if the studio behind Tell me Why and Life is Strange, I’ve just read you sign on multiple platforms now. Follows up the mountain as we explore Jusant.
Have you ever wanted to just get away from it all, avoid the onslaught of explosive action titles and just ease into something different. Jusant is potentially the perfect remedy for anybody looking to slow things down and avoid the world ending fates of the upcoming apocalypse. Instead, this beautiful narrative walking sim, turns things around and sends us scurrying up in the world with an atmospheric climbing caper that is eerily reminiscent of Abzu.
Initially announced back in June 2023, Jusant is a difficult title to pin down. Even after numerous trailers and an effective blurb, the weathered rockface and nautical title already conjure contrasting ideas. What begins as a simple cell shaded character moving up a set of stairs quickly escalates. A nameless person steps into a sandstone wall and winds up through the rockface to reach a ledge. This is the start of a journey up a gargantuan monolith that stretches up beyond the clouds, encompassing a range of biomes and housing the remnants of long forgotten societies.
First Steps
Getting up the first flight of stairs is as simple as moving forward, but progression is a bit more complex. The core mechanics in this unusual mix of ideas the climb. Where most platforming escapades like Song of Nunu allow the protagonist to clamber up a wall with a couple of clicks, Jusant has more nance. Clipping in a carabiner and safety rope is a necessary first step. The control system grabs each rock edge and ladder rung one hand at a time. A slip could be the end and this rope provides at least a little initial confidence. Separate buttons control each hand hold. Pressing and releasing each of these to interact with every outcrop is initially unnatural. Given time, it quickly becomes a steady rhythm that helps establish a kind of meditative calm, in the same way that idle match 3 games manage.
That initial climbing mechanic has plenty of scope to evolve as things unfold up in the air. Eventually increasing layers of complexity unlock, swinging down and rappelling across openings, timing huge leaps, and navigating increasingly complex environmental puzzles. Even with such a simple idea, there are plenty of ways to avoid mindless repetition. Climbers must navigate a range of obstacles and manage a stamina bar by resting, while the dexterity required to perform some of the larger leaps can be surprisingly challenging.
What’s Left Behind
It’s worth taking some time off the wall, however. Take a breather and you’ll be able to explore what’s left after the Jusant, a French term for the receding tide. Learn a little about the people that are gone and how they lived. Animal inhabitants still skitter around adorably, cute houses stand, murals remain, and abandoned homesteads all give a look into the world. Written logs, messages, and records also clutter the tower, giving a human context to what’s left and providing an intriguing context to the lives of what came before. There’s still plenty of ambiguity. Enough to make the snippets intriguing and allow for some personal interpretation. Jusant doesn’t expect players to know the name of every inhabitant. It’s about experiencing a slice of that life, much like SEASON: A letter to the future.
That ambiguity reveals a huge number of questions about this tower and the Jusant that effectively drive climbers forward. Thanks to your only companion on the tower, getting there is a little easier. A small water creature, known as a Ballast can be found hitching a ride. The isn’t just an adorable pwt. It unlocks a range of abilities that seem tied to the strange structures in the tower and the nature that still survives. A single button press might help turn an environmental object or make a vine grow, each helping in their own way.
Much like climbing, there’s a simplicity to these ideas that manages to still be engaging, much like the rest of the game. Across four levels, each with their own concept, players work through a gorgeous world crisply presented. Climbing simulator doesn’t cut it for this charming trek. No, don’t expect to replay this or try another route. Like Journey or Abzu, this is an experience, and a wonderful one at that. Do try out Jusant now across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.
