Clouds – SamaGamer

“Jusant describes a marine phenomenon, specific to nautical coasts, in which sea level rises regularly from its highest point before receding to reach its lowest point, generally known as low tide.”

It is not just any term, it is not a random word that Don’t Nod has pulled out of its sleeve, but the French developers have chosen the noun to reflect your most particular world. The studio has presented us with gems of the caliber of Life is Strange or Vampyr, but all of them were always attached to a terrain that we already know. By the way, the creators themselves clear up all doubts about its pronunciation.

In the case of Jusant We are taken to an empty stage, a place where our protagonist barely has company and where water, the much coveted liquid, has completely disappeared. The journey from the base of the stone tower to its summit is full of beautiful pictures, beautiful corners and a very hard journey based on climbing.

Although I would like to put the comparisons out of my head, I can’t help it. Jusant is the Death Stranding of mountaineering, of which he has his gaze fixed upwards and on the points on which he can lean. Not only because of a mechanic based purely on the method of movement, but because of everything we contemplate throughout the process. An experience that is close to the well-worn mantra that video games are art.

Not a single word is spoken in the entire game. and the only testimony that the tower was once inhabited is found through notes that recount the last moments of life of the locals. The tower is divided into different sections, starting with a sunny beginning and ending with inclement weather in the highest parts. In all of them we will come across the remains of humanity, among their belongings made up of fishing nets, boats that no longer float and tools to go out to fish that no longer have prey to capture.

For an unknown reason, rain hasn’t fallen from the sky for too long. So much so that many doubt that it even existed, which is why they do not know the tremendous risk that comes with not progressively renewing the water. Discovering the cause of this drought will be our goal, so our skill in placing pitons and tying ropes will be essential.

Obviously, the vertical progression is constant, looking for natural supports such as crevices in the rock, a mill that has passed away or a saving ledge. However, We’re not exactly Nathan Drake., so trying to scale at full speed is not the most beneficial. In fact, we won’t be able to jump constantly, since we have a resistance bar that limits our ability to act.

It is the first call of Jusant for us to take their challenge patiently and calmly, because there is a lot to climb and no reward for getting there faster. We are not in a race, but rather facing the pure challenge of having a huge wall before us and knowing that we have to climb it. Of course, a little friend will help us shortly after the adventure begins.

Ballast is a small creature made of water that reveals the path we must follow, reveals clues hidden between the cracks and launches a very particular energy pulse. If we activate it, we will see how some plants grow in a flash and many others have cocoons that we can hold onto to reach a new point. Their work is essential for both of them to reach the top of the tower safely.in addition to guiding us to murals painted in stone about the tower’s past.

Not only does Ballast help, but the creatures that live in the tower will continue to go about their lives and we will take advantage of them. For example, tiny beings come out of holes carrying stones on their shoulders as they walk along a wall, so we will have to lean on them as they move to continue. In the same way, a kind of fireflies lift us several meters if we ask them to.

And with all this you swing in the void, you reach a support where you can rest, you perform double jumps along a facade and you shake your hand to relax it after so much tension during the climb. The heat incites the plants and consumes their cocoons, while the wind whips so hard that it can knock us off the cliff we are on. There is no skill tree, we do not find any improvement that helps us climb better, we simply arrive with what we are wearing and end up with the same toolbox on our back.

It is not necessary to know the terrain as if we were going to climb Everest, but they are details that provide interaction with the environment that culminates after four hours of departure in a beautiful ending, without the need for text, words or any other sound other than that of nature itself. Jusant reminds us of Studio Ghibli at times and its magnificent pulse between the purely artistic and the narration of a message that resonates. They are small moments, but they allow us to appreciate the great work done.

SamaGame’s opinion

There was a desire to Jusant and Don’t Nod has fulfilled the line that previous tests pointed to. The journey to the summit is full of mystery, beautiful scenery and an atmosphere that surrounds you with every grip you manage to reach. The work, due to its narrative nature, will connect more with those who are completely involved in the journey, but otherwise you will come across a title that focuses on beauty.

The soundtrack is really relaxing, the flora and fauna seem extremely friendly and everything that appears on the screen has the gift of being able to captivate. It lasts a sigh and perhaps it is for the best; Don’t arrive expecting a frenetic climb, the use of all kinds of mountaineering gear or anything similar. Just let yourself be rocked by vibrations that appear, sooner or later, but they are there.

Jusant Price

Jusant It can be obtained on the main platforms of PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. In all cases, the sale price is 24.99 euros, although it is also available at launch with Xbox Game Pass.

Jusant duration

Jusant’s campaign lasts around four hours, although it can be a little longer depending on whether you want to get all the collectibles. There are murals, notations and small stone towers to find, but they are very easy to find and would take you maybe an hour longer to do 100%.

Jusant

Platforms	PC (reviewed version), PS5 and Xbox Series
Multiplayer	No
Developer	Don’t Nod
Company	Don’t Nod
Launch	October 31, 2023

The best

A comforting and pleasant experience
The art direction is sublime
Climbing is fun…

Worst

…but you won’t find a challenge in it

Square Enix surprised friend and foe with Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The first title in a trilogy of remakes turned out not to simply retell the story of the 1997 game, but to supplement (and even continue) it. It was a bull’s eye, but will the sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, also surprise as much? Find out in our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake managed to delight old fans again in 2020 with a retelling of the game that once appeared on the original PlayStation, while creating many new fans. One thing was certain: everyone was presented with a big cliffhanger. Four years later, it’s finally time for the sequel that continues the story of Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII.

Feast for the eye

This time that happens on the PlayStation 5. While Remake was developed exclusively for the PS4, the next part was developed specifically for Sony’s latest hardware and that is noticeable. The game looks stunning in 4K 30 fps, but plays even better at a tight 60 fps in Performance Mode.

It is clear that the PS5 has allowed Square Enix to make the game a lot more graphically impressive. Many of the vast locations in the open-world look stunning, while we encountered few or no bugs in our 50-hour adventure.

Combine it with lightning-fast loading times and it quickly becomes clear that the game runs like a charm. That’s a good thing, because Final Fantasy 7 Remake sometimes had some strange problems (such as the low texture door that quickly became a meme).

On the hunt for Sephiroth

Our heroes leave Midgar behind as they search for the big villain of the story: Sephiroth. It soon becomes clear why he must be stopped, after which the search begins. You are soon thrown into the open world, but the story sometimes gets a bit stuck here.

Here and there, just like in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the story deviates from the 1997 original. The changes are often pleasant, but that will ultimately depend on how much you stick to the story that was originally presented on the PS1 .

Fortunately, the core of that 1997 story is still present in Rebirth, including quite a few memorable moments that are sometimes completely crazy. Final Fantasy 7 Remake featured a much-discussed moment where Cloud was put in a dress. Without giving anything away, we can say that the second part also offers crazy antics.

Yet Rebirth especially shines when more depth is given to the cast surrounding Cloud. Barret and Aerith play a major role in this, as do newcomers Yuffie (who you could already play as in Intermission) and Cait Sith (who was briefly seen in Final Fantasy 7 Remake).

Get lost full of joy

New to the game is that there are large open areas to explore, which are seamlessly stitched together. This makes it an open world, but you can’t always go everywhere. Sometimes that’s not possible because of the story, but when that lock is off the door all those areas are full of things to do.

Each of the areas has large towers to discover, after which you unlock new interesting locations on the map with small activities to do. Think of defeating specific enemies, where you are encouraged to do this in a certain way.

By completing some of these monster challenges you’ll unlock challenges in Chadley’s fighting simulator (which is back in Rebirth). Beating those challenges in the simulator will yield useful rewards, such as new Materia that Cloud and the rest of his friends can use in future battles.

There are also various animals that lead you to interesting locations, like Ghost of Tsushima did with foxes that took you to hot springs. In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, young Chocobos and owls act as guides during the moments when you are on a journey of discovery.

Together you are strong

All these interesting locations also provide XP points for your Party Level, a new mechanic in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This means you gradually unlock more skills and abilities in the skill tree, called Folios. This allows you to, among other things, unlock new attacks for each character.

Considering Rebirth continues the tactical edge that was on the combat in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, that is a great pleasure. This means you no longer have to rely solely on Materia for magical attacks that cause extra damage, because via the skill tree you can choose new attacks that have a magical edge.

You can also unlock new Synergy skills through the Folio system. These are new in Rebirth and provide new ways to unleash powerful attacks on bosses. During a battle, a meter builds up for each character and when it passes a certain point, two characters can perform a special Synergy attack together.

Fighting with all three characters within your party provides many more options. It’s a good evolution to let you switch more between Cloud and the rest of the crew. Sometimes it’s just more convenient to fight Barret or Aerith who do good damage from a distance, while Tifa, like Cloud, is good for close-quarters fistfights.

On foot or by bird?

You do enough fighting during the adventure that it can easily keep you busy for 40 hours. Especially if, like the undersigned, you want to explore every region. Then there is a greater chance that you will double the number of hours, although fortunately you do not have to cover everything on foot.

Chocobos are soon introduced as a method of transportation, including a mini-game where you can dig up treasure as an inspector gadget. While they are walking, you can also easily pick up materials lying around the world. You can use this for the game’s new crafting system, so you never have too little or.

Mini games galore

Other types of side activities come in the form of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s array of mini-games. Racing with Chocobos, Fort Condor and Queen’s Blood are the most notable three, but one beloved location from the original game serves up plenty of others.

Yet it is Queen’s Blood that will conquer hearts after just a few hours. The card game is introduced in a similar way to how Gwent was woven into The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt in 2015. Numerous characters you’ll encounter in each town are looking for new Queen’s Blood challengers.

By defeating them one by one, you collect new cards, which can also be purchased at stores. In the meantime, you make a name for yourself as a good Queen’s Blood player and unlock new challengers who want to play a game of tactical cards against you. The undersigned lost quite a few hours left and right playing this fun game.

The Chocobo racing is also a wonderful distraction between all the developments of the story, while Fort Condor has been further expanded. That mini-game was introduced during the Episode Intermission expansion of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. This is only the tip of the veil, because that is far from all the mini-games (which can also be found here and there outside that beloved location of the PS1 game).

Choices full of character

Just like in the previous part, it is possible to make choices in the story. What’s different is that this time you influence the relationship you have with different characters in your party. Tifa, Aerith, Barret and Red XIII; everyone has a little emoticon above their head that changes based on the conversations you have with them.

At least that is the idea, but in practice this does not always work well. Although the game indicates that the bond you have with your team members is changing, you initially cannot keep up with this. While your relationship with the characters changes based on side missions you do with them and through mutual conversations between you and someone from your team.

Several times we tried every voice option that Cloud could choose from, but the story turned out the same. So there is sometimes an illusion of freedom, but fortunately that does not take away from the conversations you have.

The conversations between Cloud and Tifa about their shared history are always interesting and you feel the bond between Barret and Cloud growing stronger. The same goes for any conversation with Aerith, whose relationship with Cloud is especially interesting if you’ve played the 1997 original.

The fact that you have free choice in who is under the control is a great pleasure and gives more than ever the feeling that you are not simply going through Cloud’s story. This is just as much the story of Tifa, Aerith, Barret (and to a lesser extent Yuffie and Cait Sith).

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review – Bigger than ever

Although the story of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a bit slow to get going, it cannot be denied that it is more than worth playing. With a more in-depth combat system that improves the interaction between Cloud and the rest in many areas, defeating the many bosses (and enemies via optional missions) feels even better than in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

You will encounter more than enough of those bosses during the crazy story that takes some time to get going. Fortunately, the PS5 game manages to do that well and when the pace picks up, the story is both impressive and dizzying.

There is also plenty of room for extras, because the open world is full of valuable side missions and extras to look for. The fact that it further provides the bonds between Cloud and his friends is an extra icing on the cake, although we would have liked to be able to track the progression of these relationships more conveniently.

Order Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth here now!

8.8

The plus and minus points

Impressive (and dizzying) story
Improved combat system
Open world full of valuable extras
Tons of mini games

Runs like a charm

The story sometimes falls a bit short

Keeping track of relationships is sometimes confusing

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Available from February 29, 2024

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