Superbrothers' Jett: The Far Shore blends cosmic scale and ambient gaming with unique puzzle mechanics.
Released in 2021 by Superbrothers, Jett: The Far Shore delves into ambient experiences within video gaming, featuring an interstellar storyline that shifts between first-person walking and the weightless flight of the Jett aircraft. The narrative showcases characters in tunics engaged in an expansive space exploration initiative, drawing parallels to Soviet Cold War programs and Ursula K. Le Guin's 1974 work, The Dispossessed. While later gameplay introduces standard puzzle elements that lessen the atmospheric feel, Superbrothers—previously recognized for Sword & Sorcery EP (2011)—offers their second significant title following extensive development. Gareth Damian Martin's review notes cinematic influences and emphasizes Jett's striking visual aesthetics and thematic richness, despite a disconnect caused by later mechanics.
Key facts
- Jett: The Far Shore was released in 2021
- Developed by Superbrothers, known for Sword & Sorcery EP (2011)
- Game alternates between first-person walking and aircraft flight sequences
- Narrative evokes Soviet Cold War space programs and utopian fiction
- Contrasts with settler-colonial themes in No Man's Sky and Astroneer
- Later sections introduce conventional puzzle mechanics that diminish atmosphere
- Author Gareth Damian Martin is creator of In Other Waters and Citizen Sleeper
- Review references 2001: A Space Odyssey, Prometheus, and Ursula K. Le Guin
Entities
Artists
- Gareth Damian Martin
- Chris Foss
- John Harris
- Ursula K. Le Guin
Institutions
- Superbrothers
- Apple
- Eurogamer
- Heterotopias
- ArtReview
Locations
- Soviet Union