Jusant: Casual Rage Climbing Done Differently

Jusant takes the niche genre of rage climbers—think Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy—and attempts to make it accessible for a casual audience. Here’s how it aims to achieve that:

1. Limited Penalty for Falling: The maximum progress you can lose is just 10-15 seconds.

2. Predetermined Paths: Clear paths are laid out for you, minimizing guesswork.

3. Simple Climbing Mechanics: The controls are easy to understand and execute.

4. Welcoming Art Style: The visuals are friendly and inviting.

Critical Failures

1. Creating a Niche within a Niche By simplifying the rage climber experience, Jusant loses much of what fans love about the genre. It's not a suitable stepping stone for newcomers either, as it lacks the characteristics that define true rage climbers and doesn't prepare players for more challenging titles.

2. Misaligned Narrative The narrative is shallow and requires too much effort to uncover. While the final chapter excels in presentation and storytelling, the rest of the game falls short. Traditional storytelling methods, like dialogue, would have better served the casual audience.

3. Lack of Progression After the tutorial, players can easily navigate any part of the game without needing to improve their skills. Introducing upgrades to stamina and rope length could have enhanced the experience, particularly since rope length is an intriguing mechanic that only truly shines towards the end.

4. Underutilized Level Design Despite significant effort in developing the game's physics, systems, and mechanics, the level design fails to support these elements fully. There are glimpses of potential in the secret areas—like using rope swings to reach difficult spots or placing a piston mid-fall to skip sections—but these moments are rare. A more non-linear level design, where players conquer multiple parts of an area and utilize shortcuts, could have created a more engaging experience. Additionally, making all surfaces climbable, with footholds being easier, would have allowed for greater player expression.

Conclusion

Jusant attempts to bridge the gap between hardcore rage climbers and casual gamers but falls short in several areas. While it simplifies the genre, it loses the appeal that makes rage climbers enjoyable. Its narrative and progression systems fail to engage the casual audience effectively. However, with some tweaks to the level design and progression mechanics, it had the potential to become a more well-rounded experience.

Thanks for reading, and keep on keeping on!