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Jett: The Far Shore

Jett: The Far Shore

Superbrothers are back with an atmospheric interstellar adventure.

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When it comes to video games, I like to think that I'm quite open to new opportunities. It doesn't matter the genre or platform, I'm usually up for playing something new, and more often than not, I can find the positives or the strengths of that experience. But, occasionally, something just too bizarre lands on my plate, and despite trying to find the positives, I come up short. Unfortunately, that is most of my experience with my time with Superbrothers' latest title, Jett: The Far Shore.

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This odd tale puts players in the shoes of Mei, an interstellar explorer sent to the stars to ensure the survival of her people who are trapped on a planet on the brink of oblivion. Landing on a mythical ocean planet, Mei commands a Jett, a swift and fast vehicle that dances across the towering waves encompassing the planet's surface, as she and a group of explorers (known as Scouts) survey the ocean world to determine its hospitality.

The majority of gameplay for this title involves piloting the Jett, using its mobility and various gadgets to interact and analyse the different lifeforms and geological structures dotted around the vast landscape. In this aspect, Jett: The Far Shore plays like a real scientific expedition, which for anyone who doesn't live and breathe a field of study, is actually incredibly dull due to its slow and steady pace. From around 30 minutes in, you start getting an idea as to the sort of gameplay Jett will offer, and unfortunately not a whole lot changes the further you progress through the story, meaning this game has a rather tough time remaining interesting the more you play.

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There is a narrative at the core of the game, told through Mei and the various Scouts, and it approaches the enormity of their task at hand, as well as the relationships the team has with one another. But, since the characters all speak in an alien language (with subtitles of course), it's hardly a gripping storyline, which isn't helped by the fact that a lot of the narrative is conveyed while piloting the Jett - even going as far as getting you to stop your high-speed adventure to hear about some "ground-breaking" scientific discovery at frequent intervals.

Jett: The Far ShoreJett: The Far Shore

In fact, this very thing is one of my biggest annoyances with Jett: The Far Shore. I've mentioned how the game struggles to remain engaging, but this is largely down to the pacing. Jett defines itself as a single-player adventure with "captivating acts encompassing monumental moments", but that's a bit steep for a game that serves up a 20-minute long, unskippable exploration period, trapped on a small section of land, very early on. Seriously, you have to just kill 20 minutes to continue the story.

Don't get me wrong, there are a few moments where the world design leaves you in awe. But they often involve seeing a huge geographical landmark, or a new creature for the first time, and if anything they are fleeting and infrequent. The rest of the time, I found myself struggling to find interesting things to do, most likely down to the fact that the world is absolutely huge, and the narrative takes far too long to allow you to explore it in meaningful ways.

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And then there's the character models, which are more haunting than the existential dread Mei's people are facing. The characters look like Playmobil figurines except with semi-realistic faces and they are actually terrifying, and are pretty much a great reflection of what Jett: The Far Shore is as a whole: which is a game that is so strange and outrageously bizarre at times that it's hard to follow and connect with.

Jett: The Far Shore

But it isn't all bad. As I briefly alluded to earlier, there are areas of Jett: The Far Shore that are genuinely interesting and worth your time. The world is massive and has been designed in such a way that you want to explore it, picking apart and figuring out the mysteries that lurk on the planet's surface. The soundtrack helps this as well, and serves up an atmospheric science-fiction tracklist that makes you immersed in the world and Mei's journey. And, the Jetts themselves are also really fun to pilot. They have a bunch of different mechanics at their disposal that allow you to glide, roll, and leap around the planet, and the gadgets they come equipped with (an analysing tool, and a grapple for example), allow you to start picking apart the ecosystem, revealing the true nature of this mythical ocean world.

Yet, even with these positives in mind, I just don't feel enticed or excited to return to Jett: The Far Shore anytime soon. The title is just far too slow and unusual to feel engaging to play, which isn't what a videogame should be like in my book. Sure, Superbrothers has built a polished and unique game, but I just can't recommend taking a punt on it, as there are far more interesting and gripping titles out there to experience.

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Jett: The Far ShoreJett: The Far ShoreJett: The Far Shore
05 Gamereactor UK
5 / 10
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The Jett feels great to pilot when you are actually allowed to freely fly. Visuals are quite impressive. Soundtrack is atmospheric and fits the experience.
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Pacing is far too slow. Design is so strange that it feels a little off-putting at times. Narrative isn't engaging.
overall score
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Jett: The Far Shore

REVIEW. Written by Ben Lyons

Superbrothers are back with an atmospheric interstellar adventure.



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