Developer: Warm Kitten
Publisher: Warm Kitten
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch
Tested on: PC
Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack – Review
Over a year ago, independent game studio Warm Kitten released their debut adventure game Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack, a well-made point ‘n’ click game inspired by great classics like Leisure Suit Larry or the many LucasArts games such as Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle. Just like the title, the game does not disappoint. Prepare yourself for a wacky adventure that contains time travel, love/heartbreaks, and ruthless, funny-accented robots.
Story
After a sudden breakup with – now ex-girlfriend – Julia, Justin felt like he had lost his world. After several days of sobbing and self-loathing, it’s time for Justin to snap out of this thing and start living his life again!
At the office during lunchtime, he sets up a dating profile on DateAndMate.com even though he thinks that it’s a stupid idea. This only makes him miss Julia more because the other profiles on there remind him that no one compares to her. To clear his head, he goes out to the kitchen to find himself a snack since he hasn’t eaten in days.
After sniffing around for some leftovers, Justin finds a VERY old pie hidden in the freezer. With tinfoil and all, Justin throws it into the microwave to heat it up. This tinfoil bottom could never cause a problem or anything, could it?? Well, lo and behold, it could! Who could’ve thought that moldy onion pie from the ‘90s combined with tin and microwaves would make – as Justin said – “one heck of a cocktail” that can create a suspicious-looking green portal?
With very little consideration, Justin walks through the portal, still hoping to find his onion pie. Unbeknownst to him, the portal was actually a gateway that took him back in time to the age of the dinosaurs! Finding himself on the other side, he encounters a caveman who isn’t very talkative. After taking his eye off this caveman for just a second, the caveman runs through the portal which closes right behind him.
This is where the wacky adventure really begins. Or better yet, adventures! Not only do we get to experience Justin’s side of things, but we also get to play with Kloot the caveman and see other characters’ stories as well.
Graphics
Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack is a 2D side-scroller with a charming art style. It’s colorful and nicely shaded. The animations are subtle and not over the top.
It’s too bad that we don’t get to see this more with different locations or time periods than the ones we got now in the game. On one hand, it’s cool to see the same locations simultaneously in the past and present/future. On the other hand, the locations start to feel repetitive and even borderline boring.
Sound
Like the ol’ point ‘n’ click classics, a great one needs good humor and silly dialogues which also have to be executed perfectly. Thankfully, the voice actors delivered just that. It was enjoyable throughout the whole experience.
Gameplay
Besides the humor and witty dialogues, it’s obvious that Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack is inspired by point ‘n’ click classics in its gameplay. As you can guess by the game genre’s name, it’s mainly about pointing and clicking. No keys are needed here.
Just like other titles in the genre, you have to use your noggin to get ahead. Not only do you have to choose the right dialogue option, but you must also be able to know how to use the items you find and collect in your inventory. Sometimes, you even have to combine items together first to make them useful, such as making and setting up a rabbit trap.
For someone who is a point ‘n’ click veteran, Justin Wack isn’t all that hard compared to other games. The puzzles and prompts felt logical and made sense overall. This was not always the case for older titles. Back then, the puzzles felt impossibly difficult at times. This game even has a tutorial and notebook for hints, as well as a checklist.
Playing Justin Wack feels nostalgic, but this game distinguishes itself from the crowd with its multiple playable characters. Besides Justin, you can switch up and play as Kloot anytime you want (and perhaps even other characters). There might even be a time that you have to help each other out, even though you are millions of years apart!
Conclusion
Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack, is an amusing game with an amusing title. It’s funny and entertaining. The game definitely is a beautiful homage to the point ‘n’ click classics. Even though the puzzles feel easier than in other games, this game does have the same charm as older titles and it deserves to be named among its peers in this genre.
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