JETT: The Far Shore + Given Time

So, it's over. Somewhat abruptly. I don't know what to make of that. I don't have a problem with the length, but I felt somewhat that I spent the entire experience of the game in a tutorial. Yet I still found the game very moving. I'm not sure what I would write in a review if I were to write one right now. Part of me is almost convinced that Superbrothers made an interactive experience for a Scntfc album called JETT. But only just.

The ending is quite open ended and ambiguous, which I enjoy, but the game story also feels like the beginnings of an idea. There is also a free roam mode nestled in one of the chapters that you can access at the end of the game. But I am not sure the jett mechanics and navigation are what I enjoyed about the game. They can be very satisfying one moment and then deeply frustrating at other times. However the free roam mode does seem designed toward encouraging the former, so if someone enjoys simply jetting around it can be very comforting and chill.

Although I'm still processing my thoughts, I now think this is my review. It's as muddled and unclear as the game itself, which is fitting. I don't know if I would recommend it to anyone. It's not fun in a conventional sense, but I don't know if fun is what it was meant to be. I found it affecting, which might be enough for some. It might even be enough for me. I simply don't know yet, and I don't know if I will in a month, or a year. It was certainly an interesting way to close out my self-curated trilogy of sci-fi exploration games, wherein Sable and The Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye gave me some pretty satisfying answers, and Jett: The Far Shore left me to ponder meaning in a sea of questions.

The controls in Jett: The Far Shore are a little finicky. Not in the sense that they are broken, just that there are a lot and they are fiddly. As an added layer there's also a lot to take in during the early game and it can be overwhelming. Especially since your co-pilot is explaining systems at a dizzying rate and in a fictional language. So you have to read while also tending to all the various icons on your Hud. There was a point during play today where he was firing off things I needed to do all while I was trying to navigate something hazardous. I tend to be very good at reading subtitles while playing, but even I missed about 30% of what he was trying to tell me. All of it can be reviewed in the pause menu, and there is a rewind feature to the game that lets you return to earlier segments of a chapter, but it can still be a lot to assimilate quickly. I've seen a few reviews now that say the game is beautiful and wonderful but shoots itself in the foot with it's systems, and I am beginning to understand what they are referring to. It's not putting me off the game, but I can see this being a title that people will easily bounce off of if they find it too frustrating.

Essentially, if you don't like fiddly systems that are not well conveyed during the early game, don't rush into this one. Read some reviews, watch some gameplay before you buy. If you liked the chill vibes of Sable, Jett has similar moments but they are punctuated with a lot to do and a lot of controls to learn. You’ll have nice serene moments navigating the planet but you’ll also have frustrating moments where your craft won’t quite do what you want it to. The chill moments are respite from the other 80% of the game.