When JETT: The Far Shore was first released, it received praise for its aesthetics but was criticized for its gameplay and the cliffhanger ending. Given Time is set three years later and sees Mei journeying alone. A “mysterious phenomena” has emerged, and players must explore hidden locations to learn more. Many lingering plot threads from the base game also promise to be wrapped.

Overall, Given Time is more free-form with less dialogue, providing a more meditative, open-world survival experience. As creative director Craig D. Adams revealed, it helps to “fully realize” JETT’s vision, providing a more complete game. For more details on the base game, check out our review here.

On the PlayStation Blog, creative director Craig D. Adams revealed that Given Time takes place three years after the events of JETT: The Far Shore. Mei embarks on a new journey solo to investigate “mysterious phenomena.” There’s more freedom and less dialogue as players discover rainbow resonances and hatching brine wisps.

You’ll need to venture to hidden locations and solve some problems to find them, though. Adams says that JETT’s vision is “fully realized” with the addition of Given Time, and the latter offers a “generally relaxing and open-world action-puzzle survival experience.” It will also tie up any remaining loose ends, including the hymnwave’s secrets and the wyld’s true nature.

Stay tuned for more details when it goes live, and check out our review of the base game here. JETT: The Far Shore is available for PS4, PS5, and PC (via the Epic Games Store).

Original story follows:

Sony has announced the titles joining the Game Catalog for PlayStation Extra and Premium this month. Starting January 17th, subscribers will have access to Back 4 Blood on PS4 and PS5, Dragon Ball FighterZ on PS4, and Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition on PS5 (along with Devil May Cry 5 on PS4).

But that’s not all. Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm on PS4 is coming along with Sayonara Wild Hearts. Jett: The Far Shore, which receives a free campaign in “Given Time” this year, will be playable on PS4 and PS5. Those seeking open-world chaos can check out Just Cause 4 on PS4 and Just Cause 4: Reloaded on PS4 and PS5.

Emotional adventure game Omno and FMV thriller Erica round out the remaining PS4 titles. As for PlayStation Plus Premium Classics, there’s the addition of Syphon Filter 3, Star Wars Demolition and Hot Shots Golf 2 on PlayStation One. For this month’s free PlayStation Plus Essential titles, head here.

In a press release, co-creator Craig D. Adams revealed that the new campaign is more free-roaming and player-driven. “We’re thrilled to have another JETT campaign to offer. Given Time will continue and conclude Mei’s story while progressing and resolving key story threads that were left intentionally dangling at the end of The Far Shore.” If you enjoyed the ecosystem and survival mechanics in the base game, the free campaign will make more use of these. A more satisfying conclusion to the overall story should also be nice.

After releasing on PS4, PS5, and PC via the Epic Games Store, JETT: The Far Shore is also coming to Steam. It will launch alongside the new campaign in early 2023. A free demo is playable starting October 3rd in the Steam Next Fest and features the prologue “0.Embark.”

For more details on JETT: The Far Shore, check out our review here.

Balan Wonderworld

When most of the context for your game’s story is explained in a separate, near-200 page book, there are bound to be problems. But Balan Wonderworld’s ending is just so many kinds of bullshit that it’s actually hilarious. Lance is defeated and subsequently dragged off by the Negati. Balan reveals himself to be a similar being to Lance and…nothing more? What was his relation to Lance, aside from their names sounding like Balance when combined together?

As for Leo, he finally fulfills his dream of being able to dance while Emma realizes that her servants were actually planning a birthday party (as opposed to gossiping rudely). What the point of it all was – the Tims, Balan’s theater and the truth behind Balan and Lance – is never revealed. Good riddance.

JETT: The Far Shore sees players taking control of Mei, a scout in a team in charge of venturing out in search of a new pasture. Mei and these scouts belong to a race of humans who have seemingly been told about the mythical item which holds several secrets of the universe. The search for this mythical item has been a long and arduous one, and many scouts have fallen to the troubles that lay in the deepest of shores. 

"It’s an awe-inspiring experience that while novel in some ways, falls short of reaching the heights it could soar due to a few annoying oversights. "

The story itself is pretty straightforward and follows this group of scouts as they try to conquer an alien planet that is supposed to be the source of the above mentioned mythical item. There are other characters in the game as well, although not a lot can be said about these since their personalities are so similar to each other. They also talk to each other in their own alien language, and the only way of getting a hold of the narrative proceedings is through subtitles. 

The writing is mostly one-tone, although there are some evocative and thought-provoking scenes in the later parts of the game. However, I actually grew to like these husky voice performances and equally shallow characters as it helped to create a distinctly ominous vibe that works really well with the story that the game tries to tell. Much like the case with Control’s inconsistent voice acting, what might generally be oddities and flaws with the game’s writing and performance actually works in favor of enriching the game’s atmosphere.

The Far Shore’s gameplay primarily revolves around scouting alien shores while zooming at incredible speeds in a jet. The game starts out simple – with you being able to switch the jet’s nitro boosters (called Scramjets) on and off, and take sharp turns. It then gradually keeps building on top of it with the ability to surge, which allows for traversing at ever greater speeds. All these moves take some points from a central meter that needs to be constantly kept in check so as to not destabilize your thrusters. Players can also hop and do sharp maneuvers through the use of a brake, all of which coalesce to form a movement system that can be a joy when the game fires on all cylinders. 

"However, a recurring annoyance with Jett’s movement system is that the game will often task you to make your way through tight spots, which even after adding up the ability to make sharp turns with the use of the left trigger, can feel awkward. "

However, a recurring annoyance with Jett’s movement system is that the game will often task you to make your way through tight spots, which even after adding up the ability to make sharp turns with the use of the left trigger, can feel awkward. This issue is further exacerbated by the problem of collision detection. The collision detection can be inconsistent at times, sometimes you will get into areas where you are not supposed to such as the inside of a tree or a ground structure, and other times your jet will come to a complete halt after hitting a tree. 

While these issues are a regular nuisance, it never robs you of the amazing feeling when you are skirting along at the surface of a sea or a forest, keeping your jet’s speed consistently at the tip of its breaking point. A special mention needs to be made for the game’s DualSense haptic implementation. Driving the jet will cause the controller to constantly emit a rumble, which increases in intensity as you pull the trigger. There are some subtle details to the rumble as well, as it changes depending on whether you’re walking on a metallic surface or plain ground. 

There’s no actual combat in Jett, and most of the time you will have to use your jet’s abilities in new and interesting ways in order to get your foes away from your tail. For instance, you could emit vapor from your jet’s exhaust to stun a particular type of enemy or eject a specific type of substance in order to lure a group of enemies towards an area, effectively clearing your path. Some enemies will also require a stealthy approach, so, overall, there’s enough variety in the game to keep you relatively fresh. 

"There’s no actual combat in Jett, and most of the time you will have to use your jet’s abilities in new and interesting ways in order to get your foes away from your tail."

Players will have to use a resonator tool in their jets in order to scan nearby surroundings, which then reveal new information regarding the flora and fauna of the planet. Jett makes exploration an important part of the experience, since solving puzzles and finding out ways to get rid of enemies can only be done through exploration and experimentation. Jett also manages to find a sweet balance between being accessible in terms of its difficulty and actually making players interact with the environments and do experimentation in order to solve a puzzle at hand.  

Jett: The Far Shore boasts a beautiful open world that is a joy to explore. There are deep oceans, treacherous mountains, and long stretches of forests that all serve to make the environment a believable place. There’s also a wide variety of flora, fauna, and landmarks present throughout the environment that all serve to accentuate the feeling of awe which makes exploring unknown realms such an endearing prospect. Of course, a lot of the heavy lifting for this is done by the visuals, the art direction for which is minimalist and muted. The game’s world truly feels like a far shore, adding to the feeling of loneliness even when there’s a band of similar scouts just around the corner. 

"There’s a wide variety of flora, fauna, and landmarks present throughout the environment that all serve to accentuate the feeling of awe which makes exploring unknown realms such an endearing prospect. "

Jett: The Far Shore also features an orchestral soundtrack by Scntfc, which again – is a vital part of the game’s overall atmosphere. There’s a rich variety in the game’s tracks, which can range from low-intensity melody to a majestic march of victory that you would hear in a more action-oriented game. It’s all quality stuff and works really well with the game’s visuals. 

Ultimately, whether you would like Jett or not depends on your personal taste. But one thing is for sure, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Jett features a vivid world to explore and a competent story paired with excellent visuals and audio. There are some issues such as awkward controls and collision detection that mar the game down, but in the face of what it does right become nothing more than annoying nuisances. Superbrothers and Pine Scented Software have delivered a quality title with Jett: The Far Shore, and those with a liking for chill experiences like Journey or Abzu should definitely check it out. 

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

FIFA 22

You know the story – another year, another slew of loot boxes/gaming/premium RNG pulls with FIFA 22. EA Sports is promising more than 90 stadiums, over 700 teams and upwards of 30 leagues this time around. Career Mode also returns and sees you starting from the lower divisions before entering the professional leagues. Volta Football and the usual FIFA Ultimate Team mode also return and some big revamps with the gameplay are promised, yet again.

These include HyperMotion which creates organic player movement based on real 11v11 matches; new personality types for goalkeepers; a new Perks system for players; and so on and so forth. Unfortunately, HyperMotion won’t be available for previous-gen owners, PC players won’t get graphical options akin to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S version, and Switch owners just get the Legacy Edition with updated rosters and bare minimum improvements. Long story short, it’s a new FIFA and it’s out on October 1^st.

Jett: The Far Shore

A more melancholic and existential approach to space exploration, Jett: The Far Shore sees space scout Mei venturing to an ocean-based planet to investigate the mysterious “hymnwave.” Utilizing a spacecraft called “jett”, players will analyze various flora and fauna while traversing the surface. There’s no combat so you’ll have to use the environment to escape from any threats. In between bouts of exploration, Mei will interact with other scouts in first person, providing more context on the universe as a whole. Mysterious but quietly endearing, Jett: The Far Shore releases on October 5^th for PS4, PS5 and PC.

Far Cry 6

Civil unrest, rebellion and outright chaos – Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6 offers this and much more when it releases on October 7^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia. Taking place in Yara, the story sees Dani Rojas battling “El Presidente” Anton Castillo (played by Giancarlo Esposito). Along with rallying the guerrillas, Dani will utilize animal companions that can cause some serious hurt – along with homemade weaponry and Resolver Backpacks to dismantle Castillo’s forces. Campaign co-op, weapon customization and activities like hunting and liberating camps should still be expected though.

Metroid Dread

Developed by MercurySteam of Metroid: Samus Returns fame, Metroid Dread sees our bounty hunter venturing to Planet ZDR to investigate a strange signal. What she discovers are multiple malfunctioning E.M.M.I. robots that are hunting her and a mysterious foe resembling the Chozo.

Along with carefully sneaking by E.M.M.I., Samus can use optical camouflage to try and avoid them. This is in addition to new abilities like the Storm Missile for locking on with Free Aim and unleashing a missile barrage and Flash Step for quickly dashing. Launching on October 8^th for the Nintendo Switch, Metroid Dread is looking to be a classic.

Back 4 Blood

Horde shooters aren’t exactly in short supply these days and Back 4 Blood isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel. It’s from Turtle Rock Studios and acts as a spiritual successor to their popular Left 4 Dead series. The setting focuses on the world being overrun by the Ridden while a group of humans called the Cleaners are determined to fight back. Each Cleaner has a unique perk that can help their team and in turn, the Ridden have special variants like the Ogre, Snitch and so on that can cause problems.

Cards are meant to be the real game-changer as players can choose various beneficiary effects – like faster reload speed, more headshot damage etc – while the AI director chooses Corruption cards to further up the challenge. Each campaign run promises to be different as a result but there’s also PvP with a team of Cleaners attempting to fortify and survive against waves of Ridden (which include player-controlled Infected). Back 4 Blood releases on October 12^th for Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC with cross-platform support.

Alan Wake Remastered

Even if it’s just a remaster of his first adventure, Alan Wake is back, traveling to Bright Falls to unravel and understand the darkness within. The remaster of the classic thriller offers 4K resolution support, though it’s actually an internal resolution of 1440p outputted to 2160p on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S (PC seemingly gets native 4K though). Ray tracing and HDR support are understandably not included, but there are plenty of significant improvements to the character models, lighting, environmental detail and texture quality. The remaster also includes both expansions – The Signal and The Writer – along with free upgrades for previous to current-gen console owners. It’s out on October 5^th for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Any Marvel property even remotely associated with Square Enix will raise a few eyebrows after Marvel’s Avengers. Nevertheless, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – developed solely by Eidos Montreal – is a single-player action adventure whose narrative promises choices that can influence the outcome. Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax the Destroyer are once again involved in a galactic-scale misadventure, one that involves the Nova Corps, Lady Hellbender and other threats, and it’s up to them to save the day. Combat is in third person with only Star-Lord being playable and the other Guardians controlled via the AI, though occasionally, our hero can initiate a “Team Huddle” to rouse everyone and provide benefits.

Releasing on October 26^th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy could help redeem the publisher’s super-hero efforts.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

Koei Tecmo’s 2014 horror title Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is getting a new lease on life when it releases on October 28^th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. The story once again sees players battling against ghosts using the Camera Obscura, taking pictures to inflict massive damage. So it seems appropriate that Photo Mode has been added to the remaster with the ability to customize lens types, backgrounds and characters for each photo. Xbox One and PS4 players can also avail of upgrades to the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions for free.

Riders Republic

Though it may seem like another extreme sports title in the vein of Steep, Riders Republic offers chaotic races with more than 50 players (on current gen platforms, that is). Incorporating activities like mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, wingsuit flying and rocket wingsuits, each with their own unique progression in Career Mode, Riders Republic also provides a massive world composed of numerous national parks, from Bryce Canyon to Grand Teton. It’s aiming for a pseudo-MMO experience while also providing a 6v6 tricks-based competitive mode and extensive cosmetic customization. Beta impressions have been positive thus far so we’ll see if it has any longevity after releasing for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia on October 28^th.

Solar Ash

From Heart Machine, the developer behind Hyper Light Drifter, comes a new fully 3D adventure. Solar Ash is about Rei, who traverses through the black hole-esque Ultravoid to prevent the destruction of her planet. The Ultravoid is a strange place though, full of the remnants of various civilizations with alternate gravity and surreal platforming. There’s a heavier emphasis on movement and exploration as Rei grapples, grinds and battles enormous boss-like foes in her quest. While a bit more unorthodox than the studio’s previous work, Solar Ash still looks good en route to its release on October 26th for PS4, PS5 and PC.

At Gamescom Opening Night Live, it was officially confirmed that JETT: The Far Shore will launch on October 5, which is a little later than the leaked release date, but not by much. The game’s newest trailer also shows quite a bit of gameplay footage, with protagonist Mei exploring a beautiful and strange planet, which is showing quite a variety of locations and biomes. The movement is looking great as well, which is important in a game like this one. Check it out below.

When it launches, JETT: The Far Shore will release for PS5, PS4, and PC. There’s currently no word on whether the game will eventually arrive for Xbox consoles and the Nintendo Switch as well. Stay tuned for more updates.

As a space exploration title, JETT: The Far Shore sees scout Mei sent to explore a strange ocean planet in pursuit of the “hymnwave”. Comprised of five acts, she’ll skim through coastlines and forests while inspecting the various wildlife and plants adorning it. In between exploration, Mei will travel to “Ground Control” and interact with other scouts in first person.

Though there is no combat, players will need to beware of stranger pursuers and large creatures called “Kolos.” What mystery awaits remains to be seen but it should be interesting to see how much the title has developed since last year’s announcement. Stay tuned for more details later today and its release later next month.

The developer didn’t say anything but it confirm more news on August 25th at Gamescom Opening Night Live. Perhaps it’ll be a stealth drop, if not releasing very soon. Either way, you can add to the numerous other reveals coming tomorrow, from Death Stranding Director’s Cut to LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

Jett: The Far Shore is in development for PS4, PS5 and PC (via the Epic Games Store). The gameplay focuses on venturing through the cosmos, inspecting lifeforms and meeting other explores. As Mei, you must unravel the secrets behind her visions and survive by any means necessary. For more details, check out the gameplay trailer from July’s State of Play here.

https://twitter.com/jettxyz/status/1430169354281365520