When we talk about video games, I like to think that I’m pretty open to new opportunities. Regardless of the genre or platform, I’m usually open to playing something new and most of the time I can see the positives and strengths of what I’m trying to do. However, sometimes I come across real curiosities and despite trying to look at the positive side, it is not enough. Unfortunately, the latter is what most defines my experience with the latest from Superbrothers, Jett: The Far Shore.
This strange story puts players in the role of Mei, an interstellar explorer who was sent to the stars to ensure the survival of her people trapped on a planet on the verge of oblivion. After landing on a mythical ocean planet, Mei controls a jet, a fast and agile vehicle that dances on the towering waves that fill the surface of the planet as she and a group of explorers (scouts) explore this ocean world for their hospitality to determine.
Most of the gameplay in this game consists of piloting the jet, using its mobility and devices to interact, and analyzing the various life forms and geological structures that shape the vast landscape. In this regard, Jett: The Far Shore is designed to be a true scientific expedition that is actually quite boring for those who don’t live and breathe in an area of study because of its slow and steady pace. After 30 minutes you start to get an idea of the type of gameplay Jett has to offer, and unfortunately things don’t change much over the course of the story, which means it has some difficulty keeping interest up.
The core of the game consists of a story told by Mei and the explorers, thematizing the tremendous work they do and the relationships that are forged between the team. But since all of the characters speak in the foreign language (with subtitles, of course), that’s not particularly captivating, nor does it help that much of the narrative airs while you’re piloting the Jett, even if it comes that far for you to bring to stop your adventure, hearing a “groundbreaking” scientific discovery more times than you’d like.
This itself is one of my biggest problems with Jett: The Far Shore. I mentioned how difficult it is to keep interest going and that’s mainly due to the speed it has. Jett describes himself as a single player adventure with “compelling acts spanning monumental moments,” but it sounds a bit over the top for a title with an impossible-to-jump 20-minute narrow-terrain exploration section very early in the game. Seriously, you have to kill 20 minutes to continue the story.
And don’t get me wrong, there are moments when the design of the world knocks you out. But they often involve seeing a huge geographic landmark or new creature for the first time, and if anything, they are fleeting and very rare. The rest of the time, I had a hard time finding anything interesting, probably because the world is huge and the narrative is taking too long to be explored in any meaningful way.
Then there are the character models, who are more unsettling than the existential terror that Mei’s people are exposed to. The characters look like Playmobil figures, except they have semi-realistic faces that are highly terrifying and that, oddly enough, are a great reflection of what Jett: The Far Shore as a whole is: it’s such a weird and outrageously weird game that it is hard to follow and connect with him.
But not everything is bad. As I was expecting, there are parts of Jett: The Far Shore that are really interesting and worthwhile. The world is huge and was designed to be explored, dissected, and discovered what secrets lie beneath the surface of this planet. The soundtrack helps a lot with that, offering a list of very atmospheric sci-fi songs that will help you immerse yourself in the world and Mei’s journey. Flying with Jetts is also fun. They have a wide variety of mechanics to help you slide, roll, and jump around the planet, and their accessories (such as an analysis tool or hook) give you more opportunities to examine the ecosystem and reveal its true nature.
Despite these positives, Jett: The Far Shore is neither exciting nor does it give reason to revisit it. It’s too slow and unattractive enough to want to explore anything that I think contradicts what a video game should be doing. Superbrothers undoubtedly brought a polished and truly unique game to life, but I don’t recommend you give it a try, there are far more interesting and exciting titles out there.
