Jusant

(n.): a French nautical term for a receding tide.

Jusant is, in a nutshell, a game about climbing. It features the story of a boy and his fabled companion scaling a rock pillar of herculean proportion, for reasons that I shan't be sharing as it would be a disservice to potential players (although said reasons shouldn't be too much a challenge to figure out).

As they climb, they find symbols of a civilisation now mysteriously extinct: letters, sporadic residences, toys, public baths amidst other incredibly 'human' interactions that make this game truly special.

As the newest entry in my catalogue of 'meditative games,' Jusant only serves to further solidify my belief that games are indeed a valid art form - and perhaps the most intricate one at that.

There are so many aspects of video game design that Jusant just absolutely nails. The simplistic core gameplay loop that admittedly feels clunky at first but eventually becomes second nature and ever so satisfying (I'd wager it'd feel otherworldly on a Dualsense 5 controller, with the fancy haptics and what-not but I digress), top-notch exploration, unreasonably captivating world-building for a video game with ZERO dialogue, along with the sound design for seemingly inconsequential actions being pulled off to perfection, in addition to the music being cathartic, appropriate and matching its representative biome to a tee.

Speaking of biomes, despite the game essentially being centred around a single 'mega-structure,' it varies wildly in ecology and of the six chapters in the game, neither overstayed its welcome particularly long.

The way we, as the player, explore the history of this vast yet desolate world alongside the playable character is a delight. I'm an absolute sucker for dead and dying worlds when pulled off right and Jusant indubitably nailed this one. Ironically enough, the world felt surprisingly alive, with its array of flora and fauna and the strewn-about remnants of prior inhabitants.

In the clouds, I lose my way
Wandering through valleys of icy gray,
In the clouds, the water watches me stray
Will I find my love again one day?

I found myself completely lost analysing the deeply woven web of interpersonal relationships from an era bygone. From cryptic journal entries of prior climbers to letters spanning altitudes, I found myself enraptured with these characters, whom, let alone meeting, we never even get to see. Let that sink in. I know I'm repeating myself, but the whole game has zero spoken words. Truly astounding.

One complaint that I absolutely must voice however, is the performance. My Rx6600 was absolutely squealing at 1080p and, although it was capable of handling the game at custom settings ranging from medium to maximum, I turned on FSR2 for a negligible visual penalty but peace of mind over an extended duration of time. Admittedly though, Jusant does make up for it to some extent by virtue of its exuberant art style and scenic panoramas that I just could not get enough of.