Developer: DON’T NOD
Publisher: DON’T NOD
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
Code Received.
Jusant is a meditative climbing adventure that lifts you up one hand at a time. The stark, waterless world it introduces is just as compelling as the fluid climbing mechanics that will have you sweating as you jump from ledge to ledge. It’s a visual feast that rewards progress with stunning views and a message of hope in the face of apparent extinction, and it should not be missed.
The story has you arriving at a massive rock spire stretching up from a sun-scorched desert to the wispy clouds hiding its peak. This is a dead world that was once covered in water, thriving and bustling with life. All that remains now are husks of old boats, empty homes carved into cliffs, and notes left behind by those who witnessed the end of their people. As you make your way up the treacherous cliffs and chasms, you learn that these people perished because the spire mysteriously stopped providing the life-giving water that the people relied on, and you intend to turn that faucet on again.
To do this you must climb, which is something you’ve prepared for. With a belt-mounted winch and reusable carabiners, you begin your climb one hand at a time. Literally. Jusant requires you to climb its massive mountain one hand at a time by pressing the left and right triggers in rhythmic motion, reaching out to the next hand-hold with the analogue stick. This provides both a tactile feel to the climbing that can leave your hands feeling just as exhausted as your character.
Stamina is also a concern, with it draining slowly over time and dropping considerably when making long jumps. Luckily there are several ways to recover stamina while climbing, making each climb a methodical race against your own limitations. As you progress you will unlock new abilities that can help you bridge the gap between ledges. It all converges to bring you spiritually closer to the mountain.
Don’t be fooled into thinking Jusant is difficult, in fact it’s quite the opposite. The stamina system is mostly used to provide limited tension to these climbs, and I never once actually ran out of stamina or fell. As long as you remember to recoup when possible you’ll find the game to be quite forgiving. The reason your actually here is to uncover the mountain’s story and secrets, while gazing upon Jusant’s amazing visual set-pieces. Not to be punished for mismanaging stamina.
Jusant employs a unique art style which makes everything look like it’s molded from clay. Hard edges and smooth, uniform surfaces are used to convey a sense of scale to the mountain, while clearly showing you the path before you. It’s a real visual feast, with barren sun-soaked cliff faces, dark chasms highlighted by bio-luminescent flora and fauna, and even wind-swept meadows. The game often culminates in grand set-pieces that left me in a awe, while also inspiring me to push forward. One detail I really enjoyed was looking back at the path I had just climbed and seeing objects that I had passed 20 minutes before that seemed so massive then, now transformed into miniature toys. It provides a real sense of progress and scale to the world.
Jusant proves to be a wonderful medley of visual splendor and free-form climbing that is engrossing from start to finish. It’s a testament to DON’T NOD that they were able to blend storytelling, visuals, and gameplay into such a compelling package. It took me about 6 hours to climb to the top of this mountain, and I still have to go back and collect all the secrets and notes I missed the first time through. But the pacing is such that I wouldn’t mind revisiting this one from time to time, if only to reminiscence about the first time I saw a striking view or how I felt when I finally reached the top.
