ebb, one of the future video games developed by Don’t Nod takes the form of a climbing experience whose cryptic narration turns out to be super relaxing. We’ll need that breath of fresh air in a few weeks.
If you take a quick look at the release schedule, you will inevitably tell yourself that your banker will hate you, just like your loved ones (to whom you will not have much time to give). pell-mell, will come out Lies of P, Forza Motorsport, The Lords of the Fallen, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. wonder, Alan Wake II or Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. And we won’t forget the big recent productions, which you may not have finished yet (Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Starfield)…
Such a pace in the novelties means that we will not really have time to breathe. Except to get into less heavy and overwhelming video games, like ebb, published and developed by Don’t Nod (Life is Strange). Driven by a captivating, contemplative and poetic artistic direction, it takes the form of a climbing game reminiscent of the most refreshing video game walks of all time. ebb thus poses as an heir to the Icon, Journey and other Shadow of the Colossus. There’s worse than sitting at this table, for a game whose name refers to a falling tide, while we’re only climbing.
Long live Jusant, which will allow us to take a breather
Steam Demo
There is a Jusant demo on Steam. You can download it here.
Attention, ebb is not a climbing simulation, despite generally convincing animations and the consideration of certain physical constraints (endurance gauge, carabiner, desynchronization of the arms, etc.). From the first seconds, we understand that Don’t Nod does not want to rush us, rather to offer us a peaceful ascent, each at their own pace. Nothing is thought to assault and everyone will be free to explore a huge mountain that has been deserted for unknown reasons. ebb is therefore yet another door that opens onto mysteries, a journey into unknown territory, with breathtaking panoramas.
However, ebb will never try to answer all the questions he asks. This is undoubtedly what makes it so beautiful: what is not explained invites fascination. This cryptic argument is assumed by Don’t Nod, which sprinkles the environments with sometimes incomprehensible, but always intriguing narrative objects. The mere prospect of not being able to understand everything then becomes a carrot for always moving forward, an additional motivation towards resting the mind. And as the shape of ebb is a small visual marvel, with a truly amazing graphic quality for a title of this scale, we let ourselves be carried away without complaining.
The fact that everything is not explained greatly contributes to the poetic character of the trudge sessions. We would almost fall into the exercise of meditation when, for example, a slightly hidden corner encloses a room that is bathed in dazzling light. To advance in ebb, observation — to know where to hang on — and curiosity — to reward such well thought-out architecture — will be your best allies. You can also count on a very cute little creature, which has the power to act on the environment and reveal certain passages necessary to continue on its way.
Of course, ebb won’t please everyone. There remains a trip that requires letting go a little. You have to immerse yourself in an original atmosphere, accept a gameplay that delivers its mechanics from the first minutes and does not change after. It’s a real video game proposal, meaning that some will not adhere to the message conveyed by Don’t Nod (reconnecting with nature), at least in this less universal form, but still very pleasant. On our side, we just can’t wait to recover from all these big exhausting games with this generous little candy in flavors.
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