Developer: Nicolas Meyssonnier
Publisher: Headup Games, Beep Japan, Hit Point Co. Ltd.
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
Pumpkin Jack – Review
Simple action platformers were extremely popular in the 90s and early 2000s, but they have faded somewhat to the background. Now, these games are often only developed by small indie studios, or they are parts of franchises that have simply never vanished, such as Mario and Donkey Kong. A few years ago we also saw the very amusing Yooka-Laylee franchise being brought to life, which eventually spawned two games. Now, a sole developer brings us Pumpkin Jack, which is an absolute blast from the past, albeit with modern standards in mind.
Story
Humanity has grown weak and they are enjoying their lives too much. The devil has become bored, as the world is not a broiling pot of chaos, and because of this, he sends his minions to the surface. While a lot of blood is spilled, it seems the humans still have an ace up their sleeve. There’s a wizard who might be able to push back the forces of hell, and you, Jack, have to go and stop him. This is your first outing in quite a long time, as the devil himself took away your body, making you spend eternity in nothingness. This is your chance to redeem yourself for tricking the devil, at least if your mission is a success. First, you’ll have to make it to the wizard in one piece, as the devil’s brainless minions do not recognize friend from foe.
The story is told via voiced storybook segments in-between levels, but you’ll also have some dialogues to go through during the actual levels. Sadly, these dialogues are not voiced, which is a missed opportunity in our book. Nonetheless, the story serves as a perfect frame for this adventure, and we loved the evolution.
Graphics
At no single point throughout your playthrough will you be under the impression that you’re playing a PlayStation 5 game, but that doesn’t mean Pumpkin Jack looks bad. The cartoony visuals of the game blend together well with the storybook cutscenes and the hand-drawn pictures that accompany the dialogue boxes. The different environments of the game are very fun to explore, and they all have a different theme that makes them stand out. We would have liked a bit more diversity for the enemy models, but as a whole, we loved what we were presented with. If this game was released back in the N64 or PS1 era, it could have easily become a hit.
Sound
The sound design is very good. The music is very catchy, but this may be due to the fact that the game sports very famous classical music, albeit with a proper spooky vibe added to it. It was quite fun to hear these songs being spookified for the game’s theme. The sound effects also feel properly designed, and attacks pack a proper punch. We did miss voice acting throughout the game, as it creates a stark contrast against the fully voiced cutscenes. The muted in-game dialogues did break the immersion a tiny bit.
Gameplay
Pumpkin Jack is a very straightforward 3D platformer with a clear plot and goal. You’ll have to wade through six levels, each becoming increasingly harder, while you try to avoid hazards, battle the devil’s mindless ghouls, and of course, go through a hefty bit of platforming. The game itself is quite linear, but it does pay off to check every nook and cranny for crow skulls, as these allow you to unlock new skins for Jack.
As the game progresses, you’ll get new weapons, and this adds a bit of variety to the gameplay. Nonetheless, we find that swapping weapons is a bit tedious, and it would have been more fun to actually just upgrade the weapon(s) you like best, as combat is a bit shallow and annoying in the game. You’ll notice that combat feels a bit clunky, and is actually best during the boss battles where you don’t get swarmed by smaller minions. The platforming on the other hand is actually quite accurate. We only missed a bit of visual feedback by adding a darker shadow where Jack would land. We also noticed a few invisible walls that did make some jumps harder to pull off.
Overall the game has a nice balance between combat, puzzles, and platforming. Perhaps a bit more meat on the bones of this game would have been appreciated, but we do prefer short and sweet over long and tedious. Even though the game has been mostly created by a lone developer, we did find this a near triple-A experience. Perhaps with a bit more budget, and a few helping hands, Pumpkin Jack could become a proper name in the gaming world.
Conclusion
Pumpkin Jack is a fun adventure game for young and old. The mechanics prove to be straightforward, the atmosphere is on point, and the soundtrack is very appealing. We did miss a bit of voice acting, and some polishing in the combat mechanics, but overall, this game made us believe we were once again in the golden age of 3D platforming games. We do hope this single developer gets a bit more funds for a possible sequel, as we would love to go on another adventure with Jack.
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