I love climbing in video games. So much so that, honestly, even if said game is mediocre or bad, if it's got some halfway-decent climbing mechanics, it gets unconditional bonus points from me.
Thankfully, Don't Nod's Jusant is built solely around scaling a huge mother of a mountain. It's a surprising departure from the studio's previous work, which has always been more heavily weighted towards narrative than gameplay. There's still a story to be told in Jusant, but the majority of what you'll be doing in it is climbing.
So is it as satisfying and rewarding as was promised in early demos and trailers? As a matter of fact, it is. It's a very slow and deliberate climbing system compared to those in games like Uncharted or even Shadow of the Colossus, though its more closely linked to the latter. Since you have a stamina meter that drains as you exert yourself or make a particularly risky leap, you really have to be strategic in how you approach your next stretch of the mountainside. It's a simple choice that adds another compelling layer of thrills while ascending.
As stated, since the gameplay of Jusant takes center stage here, the narrative takes kind of a backseat, which is a bit of a first for Don't Nod. Even more of a first is the fact that the story is told without any spoken dialogue, a decision that largely works in its favor. You play as a boy and his small creature companion, who ascend the mountain for reasons that become clearer as you get further.
Of course, there is clearly Team Ico and thatgamecompany/Giant Squid inspiration throughout this thing, and for the most part, it lives up to its peers. However, when it comes to how the story is told, it feels like they're trying to have their cake and eat it too. There are written texts you find scattered across the mountain that provide lore and backstory to present events, as well as the more subtle visual storytelling of the journey of the boy and his small friend. Personally, I much prefer the latter, as the written texts are too 'wordy', as some have said, and try to cram too many names, locations, and factions in there.
Again, I would have preferred if they had kept it completely wordless and employed "show don't tell" exclusively, but of course it's not a total dealbreaker.
Overall, Jusant is a great, unorthodox passion project from Don't Nod and it's abundantly clear that there was a strong vision and design ethos employed throughout it that kept the whole thing consistently enjoyable from start to finish. Some camera issues, collision detection with platforming, and qualms with narrative delivery held it back somewhat, but not enough to kibosh the whole experience.
8/10
Thankfully, Don't Nod's Jusant is built solely around scaling a huge mother of a mountain. It's a surprising departure from the studio's previous work, which has always been more heavily weighted towards narrative than gameplay. There's still a story to be told in Jusant, but the majority of what you'll be doing in it is climbing.
So is it as satisfying and rewarding as was promised in early demos and trailers? As a matter of fact, it is. It's a very slow and deliberate climbing system compared to those in games like Uncharted or even Shadow of the Colossus, though its more closely linked to the latter. Since you have a stamina meter that drains as you exert yourself or make a particularly risky leap, you really have to be strategic in how you approach your next stretch of the mountainside. It's a simple choice that adds another compelling layer of thrills while ascending.
As stated, since the gameplay of Jusant takes center stage here, the narrative takes kind of a backseat, which is a bit of a first for Don't Nod. Even more of a first is the fact that the story is told without any spoken dialogue, a decision that largely works in its favor. You play as a boy and his small creature companion, who ascend the mountain for reasons that become clearer as you get further.
Of course, there is clearly Team Ico and thatgamecompany/Giant Squid inspiration throughout this thing, and for the most part, it lives up to its peers. However, when it comes to how the story is told, it feels like they're trying to have their cake and eat it too. There are written texts you find scattered across the mountain that provide lore and backstory to present events, as well as the more subtle visual storytelling of the journey of the boy and his small friend. Personally, I much prefer the latter, as the written texts are too 'wordy', as some have said, and try to cram too many names, locations, and factions in there.
Again, I would have preferred if they had kept it completely wordless and employed "show don't tell" exclusively, but of course it's not a total dealbreaker.
Overall, Jusant is a great, unorthodox passion project from Don't Nod and it's abundantly clear that there was a strong vision and design ethos employed throughout it that kept the whole thing consistently enjoyable from start to finish. Some camera issues, collision detection with platforming, and qualms with narrative delivery held it back somewhat, but not enough to kibosh the whole experience.
8/10
cowboyjosh
7 months ago
Great review!