FIRST PLAY JUSANT
PC, PS5, XSX
Climbing has been a staple game mechanic from Assassin’s Creed to the new Legend of Zelda games, and there’s also a lot of it in Horizon Call of the Mountain. There is something therapeutic and satisfying about the very act – enough that it could work as a whole game. And that’s precisely what Jusant sets out to be.
Set in a post-apocalyptic yet also chill world, it sees your young adventurer on a journey to climb a tower that’s on such a vast scale it has multiple biomes. You pass abandoned structures, sometimes with notes scribbled on the walls; but it’s the climbing that pulls you in, as you alternate between triggers to mimic the movement of each hand pulling up on holds, while using the left stick to reposition yourself.
Aside from the warm palette and laidback score, what makes Jusant so relaxing is that you can really take your time with these climbing puzzles. You’re not Spider-Man, so you’ve got safety measures like a carabiner that you can clip onto with rope to stop you from falling, while you also have a number of pitons you can place at different parts of a wall as checkpoints. You can even stop mid-climb to rest and boost your stamina wheel.
What still remains a mystery is the companion tucked in your backpack, which appears to be a being made entirely of water. How will your character interact with it? All that’s known is that this story will unfold wordlessly, which is interesting given that the game is from Life is Strange creator Don’t Nod.
In any case, with an autumn release looming for Jusant, the only way is up.
FIRST LOOK VESS SIR, I CAN BOOGIE
PC, PS5, XSX
Star Wars games have already allowed us to live out our space fantasies through epic dogfights and lightsaber duels, but one area that has eluded us has been the opportunity to live the life of a scoundrel using our wits to survive against both the Galactic Empire and the criminal underworld. Well, Ubisoft’s upcoming Outlaws, where you play as Kay Vess, is basically Space GTA with a female Han Solo.
Ubisoft’s own Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs series may also be an inspiration, given your ability to take a stealthy approach rather than just going in blasters first, so you can sneak behind guards for silent takedowns. Kay’s even got an adorable alien companion, Nix, who can distract enemies or operate hard-to-reach switch
