Ever since Journey, there’s been a specific subgenre of the indie scene, in which players control a small, relatively fragile character toward a fascinating overarching goal on the horizon. Dialogue is often sparse, if at all, and the storytelling in general is both esoteric and vague, often symbolic, focusing on graphic aesthetics and a simple but responsive gameplay formula.
This sounds very specific, but if you think of Journey, you realize that there are also games like Abzu, Rime, Grow Home, Inside, Submerged, and to some extent GRIS, all of which use it to a greater or lesser extent Same pattern.
Jusant is one such game, but after spending just four or five hours with it, I can say that Don’t Nod’s latest is not only one of the better examples of how this type of game works, it’s the best One of the games.
Here is an ad:
Okay, so “Jusant” is French and is a term that directly corresponds to our word “ebb” which means the tide recedes outward. This is very appropriate, as the world has become dry, with no idea why the rain finally stopped and no idea where the ocean disappeared. All that remains is the desert, and in the middle of it stands a huge cylindrical mountain that was once inhabited, from the bottom to the top where it was once surrounded by the sea.
You play a lone traveler who comes to this mountain with the purpose of climbing to the top. With you is a water elf, Ballast, who also has a goal. So you crawl upward through the remains of this now-dry civilization while discovering the remnants of thriving development, bustling daily life, and ultimately, inevitable collapse.
Here is an ad:
This is the premise of Justin, and while the game falls into the same narrative shit as some of the aforementioned games, where the messaging becomes a little too obscure and misunderstood, it works in the same way as Journey in that the player never lacks motivation. In Thatgamecompany’s iconic title, you’ll feel yourself being drawn towards the mountains on the horizon – you feel like you must reach the top of this mysterious pillar of the earth.
You do that by climbing, and navigating and climbing is what you need to do. This is because L2 is your left hand and R2 is your right hand, so by finding a rhythm, you can conquer the steepest walls quickly. Additionally, you have a few extra abilities, many of which are specific to their respective chapters, but the idea is the same. You have to climb up. Sometimes you have to swing, sometimes your climbing frame can be moved, and Don’t Nod does its best to maintain interest in this rather honest and revealing identity.
They succeeded. They succeed because there’s something surprisingly physical, tactile, and visceral about traversing terrain in this way, and Don’t Nod really manages to make the journey believable, affordable, and manageable. You really feel like you’re conquering this pillared mountain piece by piece, and while it’s obviously mechanically one-sided, it’s a testament to the fact that the sheer number of mechanics or forced assist systems doesn’t always lead to more fun. A satisfying gaming experience.
That said, it would have been nice to have a little extra here and there. Maybe the ability to set up camp and rally troops would be nice? Or collect resources to use here and there? I’ll admit, I felt like it needed more, but at the same time, I applaud the decision to keep such a tight gameplay identity from beginning to end, with the result that the game doesn’t take a second longer than it needs to. Really four or five hours, maybe less. Just like Journey.
It’s gorgeous most of the time, with a simple but vibrant graphics style that’s reminiscent of games like Abzu, but always maintains a breathtaking perspective. This is of course helped by the razor-sharp draw distance, which always makes an emphasis on showing you how far you’ve come and how far you have to go. The music also swells as you gradually go down the hill, and although it’s a bit minimalist, it works when it needs to.
Justin thinks a lot and speaks little, without words. The same goes for its gameplay, which squeezes an incredibly expressive amount of immersion from very few simple mechanics. Highly recommended, hope Don’t Nod makes more of the same.
