Jusant Review
Jusant
Publisher: Don't Nod
Developer: Don't Nod
Genre:
PEGI: 3
Comments:
Climbing in video games has become more popular since Breath of the Wild introduced its climbing mechanic with stamina limitations. Jusant makes climbing its main mechanic and introduces a unique control method. Is the method fun? Is Jusant fun? Here is our review of Jusant for the Xbox Series.
In Jusant you play as a wanderer who climbs up a mountain/tower. The story is revealed through letters and through cutscenes. There is no spoken or written dialogue in this game. If you’ve ever played the game Journey, Jusant is a bit similar to that. We won’t spoil the story, but we will say that it is perhaps the most interesting part of the game. Its a shame that the rest of Jusant is such a mixed bag.
Its been awhile since we’ve played a game that was so interesting but also so frustrating. Jusant has you climbing higher and higher, discovering more of the story and some puzzles as you go. The game feels a little like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom at first glance. It even has stamina that runs out way too quick and you’ll have to rest for it to recharge. If the climbing was just like Breath/Tears, it would be manageable. Jusant takes things a step further though by introducing a really unique and frustrating control scheme.
The controls in Jusant are unique and puzzle like: you use the left and right triggers on your controller for each of your hands and have to quickly switch triggers in order to grab the hand holds. Its a unique control scheme but its also very frustrating when you first start out. If you mess up, you could let go of your hand hold and fall. Though your climbing gear wire will save you from dying, you’ll still have to make your way back to the nearest hand hold. This can set you back sometimes.
Jusant keeps reminding you of its control scheme and that is handy, but it doesn’t keep the controls from being frustrating. That said, overtime, you may start to get a better handle on the controls and feel more at easy with it. However, it isn’t always obvious about where you need to go next!
A clue system is unlocked when you get to chapter 2, but the early part of the game lets you find your own way and that doesn’t work that well. Even when the clue system is unlocked, the game still only gives you a little clue and you have to figure out how to get to the area the clue system points out. The control scheme and the game’s lack of direction really makes Jusant more frustrating than it should be.
If you can get a handle on the controls and figure out where you’re going, Jusant isn’t too bad. Be careful of wandering out of bounds though. You can easily get stuck in a glitch by climbing or falling somewhere you shouldn’t. Jusant has a lot of potential. It has nice graphics, though the glitch issues do take away from that a little.
Jusant is a nice looking game, however the graphical glitches can take away from that. The camera can get a little close sometimes and you can see through the characters head. The camera can also feel a bit jittery at times. And as previously mentioned, if you go out of bounds the game will glitch badly. There should be some kind of limit to where you can go. Still, Jusant isn’t a totally bad game and might be worth a look for those who want something different.
Overall, Jusant is a unique game that requires a lot of patience and a forgiving mind. If you can see through its flaws and get use to its unique controls, you may find yourself enjoying the climb. Jusant will be available via Gamepass and thats where we recommend checking it out.
Thank you to Veritas Communications for providing a digital code for this review. Jusant is available for the Xbox Series now.
Trailer
Article By Daniel Fugate
Daniel Fugate has wanted to be a writer since he was seven years old. He has a bachelor's degree in English and he's a huge Animal Crossing fan. The Wii U and 3DS are currently his favorite video game systems!
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