French game studio Don't Nod, best known as the developer of the first two Life is Strange games, is «temporarily pausing» work on two in-development projects and refocusing the design of two others after sales of Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden fell well short of expectations. «We are obviously disappointed by our recent performance in an extremely competitive and selective market,» Don't Nod CEO Oskar Guilbert said in a statement on the studio's 2024 first-half financial results. «Despite an excellent critical reception, Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of new Eden unfortunately did not achieve the commercial results we had hoped for, resulting in a deterioration in our 2024 half-year results and leading us to consider all possible options regarding our roadmap.» Jusant is outstanding: We called it «a 2023 standout» in our 89% review, built around «joyful rock climbing and fascinating storytelling,» and that's a position I can endorse.
I started playing out of idle curiosity—I think the faint Far: Lone Sails vibe is what initially sparked it—and it took almost no time before I was completely drawn in.
The climbing is exhilarating but secondary to the story, a lightly-woven tale of loss and hope in a melancholy, magical world.
Banishers earned a 74% in its own review as a game «rich in atmosphere, history, and horrible deeds,» and while I've spent no time with it myself, a friend who's familiar with such things has told me more than twice that it's an unexpected (if also often sad) delight, with outstanding writing and characters.
Sadly, that did not add up to much. Don't Nod attributed a small increase in sales over the first half of the year to its older games, Vampyr and Life is Strange, while Jusant and Banishers «performed well below expectations.» The net result is a €24 million ($26.7 million) write-down—essentially a loss in value—on the two games, «given the inability to demonstrate future cash flows commensurate with the value of these assets,» and