Jusant (PC) Review | Atmospheric Climbing Adventure with Depth and Minimalism

Even before I started the actual game, I was already eagerly sitting in front of the PC, listening to the gentle melody on the starting screen. With the melody in mind, I found my starting point and was curious to let Jusant take me into unknown territories.

The opening sequence only raised more questions, and soon I was deep in the game, left to my own devices. I, as a mysterious wanderer, had taken on the task of climbing a steep, historically rich and complex mountain. Back then, I had no idea how mystical and emotional this journey would end up being…

Let's find out together in this review whether Jusant has pushed me to surpass myself and climb even the steepest mountains and cliffs.

Jusant Review | The Bottom Line

• Silent key characters that convey the underlying story through body language
• Linear gameplay enriched by the vertical and intricate game world
• A beautiful climbing adventure that offers more than meets the eye
• Musical minimalism that is both emotionally evocative and beautiful
• Reading numerous notes slightly disrupts the flow of the game; voiced texts would have been desirable

Tracing A Lost Civilization

Our journey begins at the foot of the mountain, in a desolate and bleak countryside. Here, I was guided through the basics of how the fundamental controls work. What struck me most at the beginning were the numerous dried-up hills and mountains in the distance, as well as the many different stranded ships. However, nothing could compete with the giant mountain on the horizon. So, I turned away from the countryside with one question in mind: "What on earth happened here?"

Jusant does not take you by the hand, it's up to you to discover the game's history and that of the mountain's inhabitants. Because my protagonist, whom I call "the Wanderer," is mute, it's only his actions that show me what he might be thinking. Scattered notes tell me what really happened on the mountain. What historical events occurred here, how the people lived here, and above all, why the flourishing, civilization-rich life simply disappeared.

Gameplay Is Straightforward, Yet Intuitive

I tried to climb my first mountain walls and tried to get acquainted with the controls. One hand after the other and always looking up. At the beginning, I often mixed up my hands. However, the more I climbed, the more confident and faster I became.

Throughout my journey, I was never alone because I had a loyal companion by my side, the mysterious water-being called "Ballast", with whom I could share heartfelt and intimate interactions. Perhaps that was the moment when the Wanderer ceased to be just pixels for me, instead coming to life and flourishing. It was lovely to see how close the two key characters were without ever exchanging a word. Together with Ballast, who can influence the surrounding nature, I set out to reach the top of the mountain.

The gameplay in Jusant is simple and intuitive, with the game repeatedly providing small hints, so that no essential climbing aspects are lost on you. Each hand has its own button, so I must coordinate my hands while climbing to move forward. It wasn't just once that I pressed the buttons too quickly and my hands couldn't keep up. In such moments, I had to focus on slowing down to progress further up the mountain.

In addition to coordinating the hands, there's also an endurance gauge that steadily decreases as I climb higher. It's possible to relieve the hands slightly and regain some stamina, but it only regenerates completely when I have solid ground under my feet. Thus, resource management is also an important aspect of the game, but it's not too difficult or extensive.

If the endurance is completely depleted, the Wanderer falls. However, he cannot die. A grappling hook saves us, attaching to any available spot whenever you try to ascend or descend – safety first!

Visual And Musical Minimalism That Hit The Mark

With each new chapter, the game adds new gameplay mechanics, ensuring there's always something new to discover and that the gameplay never becomes boring. And Jusant's visual and musical stylings help with that as well. The game is consistently stylish and beautiful. It really left a lasting impression on me, especially with the different biomes you discover on the mountain.

In Jusant, Don't Nod opted for a timeless visual appearance that might still be beautiful in 15 years or more. The individual biomes could not be more different to each other: From dry rock walls to mystical caves and stormy rock clefts that lift us into the air. Each chapter was unique and special, and throughout the game I couldn't wait to see what unique new idea was around the next corner.

Due to Jusant's intricate and vertical gameplay, it was never clear what places awaited me or what puzzles needed to be solved next. I often just stood on a spot, observing my surroundings and enjoying the scenery that was presented to me. Particularly in the third chapter, I found myself doing this so often, because the colors, creatures, and the gorgeous lighting were just amazing!

Throughout the adventure, I was accompanied by the wind passing by rock walls, intensifying as I ascended. But at perfectly timed moments, the melancholic and beautiful music composed by Guillaume Ferran would start playing. The sparing use of music had an even more powerful impact than it would normally, contributing to the game's atmosphere. Each time the melody began to play, it always struck me emotionally, and I wanted to enjoy it as long as possible. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, not even the music – it's really fabulous though!

Coherent And Polished Throughout

Since I played the Jusant Demo prior to the review, the improvement from a technical perspective was as clear as day to me. Previously, I struggled with frame drops and slight stutters at certain points, but I didn't feel any of that in the final game. The FPS were stable and never dropped below 60, and there were no bugs or glitches that ever tarnished the gaming experience. Overall, a very consistent and polished end result. The fact that the feedback from the demo was listened to, and that the technical problems were rectified, was really nice to see.

Aside from the technology, what struck me was the incredibly clean and unobtrusive user interface. Here, too, everything was kept minimalistic, with only the very essential elements included, like the stamina display or small pop-ups to interact with items. This allowed the developers to maintain immersion consistently without ever throwing me out of the scene or having to readjust.

Verdict

With a gameplay time of 5 to 10 hours (depending on how much time you take to explore), Jusant isn't the longest game. But it leaves a lasting impression. Personally, I've long passed the point where every game I play needs to take 100 hours to complete. I appreciate the little gems that can captivate me from start to finish, and Jusant is one such gem. Additionally, after completing the game, you're able to collect all remaining collectibles super easily thanks to a chapter selection — a true blessing for all the achievement/trophy hunters among us!

With a nondescript story told solely through the body language of the main characters, I experienced a unique journey, often wishing it wouldn't come to an end. Climbing was fun, and discovering the different biomes was special in its own way. Immersion and atmosphere were always at the forefront, further enhanced by the visual style and music. In the end, I even shed a few tears, since the two characters had really grown close to my heart.

However, I would have wished that the notes you find were narrated by a storyteller or the characters themselves. Because too often I found myself thinking: "Oh, do I have to read the whole text now?" and that somewhat shattered the immersion for me and didn't help the game's pacing. That would have given the actual story, which otherwise lies only in the background, much more depth and would have perfectly rounded off the whole package.

Rating: 85/100