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Jusant

Mountain climbing somehow became extraordinarily peaceful and relaxing.
88%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
optimization, stability
93% User Score Based on 4,016 reviews
Critic Score 83%Based on 41 reviews

Platforms

PCPCP5Playstation 5SDSteam DeckWinWindowsXSXXbox Series X|SCloCloudPlaPlayStationXboxXboxXCGXbox Cloud GamingXGPXbox Game Pass
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About

"Jusant is a single-player Fantasy Platformer game with an intriguing story and amazing gameplay, graphics, and music. Climb a mysterious tower, master your tools, and explore different paths to uncover secrets. Enjoy breathtaking biomes, atmospheric music, and a wholesome story, but be prepared for grinding, missing optimization, and bugs if you wishlist it now on Steam."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Jusant screenshot
Jusant screenshot
Jusant screenshot

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,057 reviews
gameplay727 positive mentions
optimization36 negative mentions
  • Beautiful visuals and art style that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Engaging climbing mechanics that feel intuitive and rewarding.
  • A unique and emotional story told through environmental storytelling and collectibles.
  • The game is relatively short, taking around 4-6 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Controls can be clunky at times, leading to frustration when navigating the environment.
  • The narrative relies heavily on collectibles, which some players may find tedious or uninteresting.
  • gameplay
    1,707 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Jusant" centers around a unique climbing mechanic that is both intuitive and engaging, allowing players to explore a beautifully crafted world. While the climbing mechanics are praised for their fluidity and the introduction of new elements throughout the game, many players feel that the overall gameplay lacks depth and can become repetitive, with some expressing a desire for more challenging puzzles and varied mechanics. The game is generally seen as a relaxing experience, enhanced by stunning visuals and a calming soundtrack, though its short length and simplistic gameplay may not appeal to everyone.

    • “The climbing mechanics are intuitive and well-designed.”
    • “The developers laser-focused on a handful of compelling gameplay mechanics, capturing the mechanical feel of mountain climbing without making the ~6 hour game feel like a chore.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth and very satisfying, and the story is engaging.”
    • “The climbing mechanic, while interesting and unique, got boring really quickly because of how simple it was; because of how the mechanic is set up, it actually physically hurt my hands to do it for too long, so I would have to take breaks in between.”
    • “There is absolutely no puzzle mechanics in this game, or if they are there, it's extremely light.”
    • “However, if you need strong gameplay to keep you interested in a game, Jusant is probably a miss, as the climbing mechanics are fairly simple, incredibly forgiving, and not very memorable.”
  • story
    1,448 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in *Jusant* is primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling and collectible notes, creating a rich but often fragmented narrative experience. Players piece together the tale of a civilization affected by drought as they climb a towering structure, with the emotional depth of the story resonating through its visuals and sound design. However, some reviewers found the reliance on text-heavy storytelling to be cumbersome, leading to a disconnect between gameplay and narrative engagement.

    • “The story is fantastic and is built in a way that encourages exploration. Super interesting concept behind the story, and it feels like the world was built before the idea for the game.”
    • “It manages to create a beautiful but hauntingly melancholic atmosphere throughout the game with a perfect combination of light written narrative elements, focused background music, and deep environmental storytelling.”
    • “The rich world building, story, environment design, and soundtrack combine to create an amazing experience.”
    • “The story and worldbuilding is presented through notes which can be confusing; especially since you have no idea who wrote most of it.”
    • “Unfortunately, half the time you have no idea who is writing the note, there's not much variation in what is said, and then you get one final info dump from the last note on the only character who had a story thread.”
    • “The story being told through collectible notes was kind of lame, and the central intrigue of the plot never gets satisfactorily resolved.”
  • graphics
    817 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Jusant" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and unique art style, which effectively utilize Unreal Engine 5 to create immersive environments. Players appreciate the vibrant color palettes, atmospheric lighting, and the overall aesthetic that enhances the game's meditative experience. While some users noted performance issues and a lack of texture detail, the game's artistic direction and visual storytelling are often highlighted as its strongest features, making it a visually captivating experience.

    • “The graphics were stunning, and the different biomes you explore are incredible.”
    • “The visuals are incredible and any direction you look in looks full and complete and fits the space incredibly.”
    • “Both the art style and individual execution of the graphics of each area are mind-blowing and whisk you away into the world, definitely the strongest point of the game.”
    • “The framerate is also surprisingly low for a game that is just not that graphically intensive.”
    • “No joke, it's such crap that I could not afford to turn up the graphics without tanking an already miserable framerate.”
    • “I found this game very boring and the graphics disappointing.”
  • music
    817 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in *Jusant* has been widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, creating a hauntingly melancholic yet soothing experience. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack complements the stunning visuals and environmental storytelling, often evoking strong emotions and a sense of discovery as players navigate the game's world. While some felt the music could be sparse at times, many highlighted its effectiveness in accentuating key moments and contributing to the overall meditative quality of the gameplay.

    • “The music is a real highlight and loved how it layered and changed throughout each level - very 'stars of the lid'-esque for anyone into ambient music.”
    • “The beautiful art style, sound design, and musical score all coalesce to make this a magically meditative experience.”
    • “The music, sound design, and art on display in jusant are also just amazing, with the music in difficult climb sections heightening tension, and the beautiful vistas asking you to stop and look.”
    • “The music, along with the final cutscene of the game, had me crying tears of mixed feelings, supported all by what I learned of the mountain's past, and the civilization long gone.”
    • “In certain parts of the story, I think there could've been a more powerful impact of the story and the music; sometimes the build-up was great, but the end of that build-up wasn't that powerful to make me feel something.”
    • “The themes were basic, chord progressions and melodies were predictable, and there was only one bit of ambient music that really did anything for me (chapter 4).”
  • atmosphere
    339 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in *Jusant* is widely praised for its haunting beauty and meditative quality, enhanced by stunning visuals, a captivating soundtrack, and deep environmental storytelling. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of solitude and melancholy while exploring diverse biomes, making it a relaxing and immersive experience. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay mechanics, the overall ambiance and artistic direction create a memorable and atmospheric journey that resonates with fans of contemplative gaming.

    • “It manages to create a beautiful but hauntingly melancholic atmosphere throughout the game with a perfect combination of light written narrative elements, focused background music, and deep environmental storytelling.”
    • “The greatest asset to Jusant is how excellent the sound design is; each level is littered with non-diegetic sounds filling the world you climb, which creates such a wondrous atmosphere, which is vital as your main character is the only human left.”
    • “Jusant is a relaxing climb that blends breathtaking scenery, intricate routes, and a mystical atmosphere into a short but meaningful exploration into humanity's relationship with nature.”
    • “It's a journey full of abstract, cryptic symbols and magical lights that aim to elevate atmosphere without having much to say.”
    • “The atmosphere is one of solitude and desolation, enhancing the feeling of being in an empty world.”
    • “Add to it the haunting atmosphere and the sadness implicit in the picturesque environments, and you have a memorable and very meditative experience.”
  • emotional
    205 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game "Jusant" has garnered a wide range of responses, with many players praising its heartfelt narrative and beautiful visuals that evoke strong feelings. While some found the ending deeply moving and even cried, others felt the emotional payoff was undermined by weak writing or a lack of investment in the characters. Overall, the game is described as a touching, calming experience that resonates with players, making it a memorable journey despite some criticisms regarding its storytelling.

    • “One of the most beautiful, emotional, calming, unique, touching games I've ever had the pleasure of playing.”
    • “A truly transformative experience that will linger in the best of ways, Jusant knows exactly how to masterfully transition from strategic challenge to emotional crescendo.”
    • “Jusant is a rare gem of a game, likely going unnoticed by many but offering those who find it a highly polished and emotionally-rich experience with a simple premise: climb an immense tower one hand at a time.”
    • “Weird climbing physics, glitchy movement, boring story, Unreal Engine traversal stutters.”
    • “☐ emotionally captivating (Firewatch)”
  • optimization
    91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues even on decent hardware. While some users noted that the game runs acceptably with adjustments like DLSS and lower settings, others reported persistent frame rate drops and crashes, particularly on the Steam Deck. The consensus suggests that while the game boasts impressive visuals, its optimization leaves much to be desired, impacting the overall gameplay experience.

    • “Optimization is great too; the game runs flawlessly even at high and ultra settings, with only minor glitches appearing under certain circumstances.”
    • “Performance is very solid and scales incredibly well while keeping the core of its visuals still striking.”
    • “Jusant also looks deceptively simple - but requires a decent GPU to run smoothly: it uses all tricks in the Unreal 5 engine toolbox (lumen, nanite...), so while it looks and runs decently well on a RX570 4GB, it truly shines with something like a RX6600 instead.”
    • “Performance is not great, and you have to use the circus rendering method (DLSS quality + DLDSR supersample) if you're not on a 4K monitor to make the game less blurry.”
    • “Also, a warning: the game has atrocious performance in some areas, to the point that lowering everything to minimum settings didn't help my FPS.”
    • “The optimization was lacking to say the least.”
  • stability
    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is frequently criticized for being buggy, with players reporting issues such as characters getting stuck on terrain, glitches during climbing, and erratic physics. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly overall, many experienced minor to moderate glitches that could disrupt gameplay, particularly during complex maneuvers. Despite these issues, some players found the game enjoyable enough to overlook the bugs, suggesting that it may appeal to those willing to tolerate occasional instability.

    • “Honestly, I would have given it a thumbs up for just being a bug-free release.”
    • “The game is quite buggy; a lot of times the rope would not release and quite a few times the kid would get stuck in odd places behind objects or would not jump.”
    • “When falling while attached to the wall, I end up inside the character's model looking at the void inside its head, or the whole model glitches out, or the controls stop working so I'm stuck dangling from a rope, or I get stuck on the geometry, and all of it ends up with me having to reload from the beginning and doing the whole thing all over again.”
    • “Unfortunately, the physics engine is extremely buggy, and 100% of the gameplay is the physics engine.”
  • replayability
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is generally viewed as limited, with many players noting its short length and minimal content beyond collectibles. While some find value in pursuing achievements and exploring details, the consensus is that it lacks substantial replay value, making it more suitable for those seeking a relaxing experience rather than extensive gameplay longevity.

    • “A little short (I finished it in 7 hours) but with replayability in collectibles, and it's fun enough that I did exactly that.”
    • “Short and sweet, but the collectibles offer great replay value.”
    • “I do feel like it has some replay value in terms of exploring all of the little details that the developers so lovingly included, and the climbing mechanic is fun enough that I can see myself trying to push the boundaries of what is possible.”
    • “I don't recommend this game unless you just want a relaxing, zero-stakes, easy game that offers basically zero replayability.”
    • “It's also just a really short game with no replay value.”
    • “The visuals are fantastic, and it's fun to play, but it's quite short for the price, and doesn't seem to have much replayability.”
  • grinding
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly when it comes to collecting achievements and revisiting areas for collectibles. While some appreciate the innovative climbing mechanics that keep the gameplay engaging, the overall sentiment suggests that the experience can feel superficial and overly grindy, leading to a lack of motivation for completionists.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I don't want to take away from the work the developers and artists put into it, because the environment and style are truly amazing, but the only thing I could think about towards the end of the game is that I just spent over 20 bucks on an experience that lasted for just over a 5-hour sitting - and I probably won't touch it again, judging by how grindy being a completionist seems to be, since the 6 'gather all collectibles' achievements are all well below earned by 10% of players.”
    • “Revisiting areas you've already been to isn't very rewarding, so coming back to find the collectibles can be a little tedious.”
  • humor
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky mechanics and charming characters, particularly the amusing interactions with the companion character and the comedic situations that arise from gameplay limitations, such as getting stuck on rocks. Players appreciate the natural and sometimes funny writing, although some find the tutorial pop-ups and easy mechanics to be humorously ironic. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its engaging climbing gameplay, creating a lighthearted experience.

    • “The inability to jump out of such situations or simply take a step was honestly hilarious considering the nature of the entire game.”
    • “It's very pretty and I love the funny companion character.”
    • “The notes are a bit on the long side, but the writing feels fairly natural and is sometimes pretty funny.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers praise the character development for its beautiful and unique design, particularly highlighting the protagonist's aesthetic appeal. The overall world and character design contribute to a visually striking experience, enhancing the game's immersive qualities.

    • “The character design on the protagonist is beautiful.”
    • “Great character design.”
    • “World and character design is very unique and looks pretty.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with players noting a lack of advertising and promotion despite the game's quality. Some users feel that the visuals do not live up to the high expectations set by its marketing, suggesting a disconnect between the game's presentation and its monetization strategy.

83%Critics’ scoreBased on 41 critic reviews

Buy Jusant

6h Median play time
7h Average play time
5-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 48 analyzed playthroughs

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