Inspired by the Jack O'Lantern legend, which tells the story of Jack the Miserable, Pumpkin Jack is the spiritual successor to MediEvil. There is no lesser way to define this title. The game, which Nicolas Meyssonnier practically developed himself, arrived this year for PlayStation 4 and has become an excellent choice for those who miss titles in the style of Sir Daniel Fortesque's journey. It is worth remembering that Pumpkin Jack has been available for PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One since 2020.
name="the-devil-s-outcast">The Devil's Outcast
Even in medieval times, everyone's life was extremely peaceful and without many problems. With an extremely peaceful day to day, the Devil decides to send an army of monsters to end the tranquility in the land.
When humanity finds itself in the midst of despair caused by the Devil and his army, a wizard emerges as the last hope of good to fight the forces of evil. That's how Pumpkin Jack kicks in... the man who tricked the Devil multiple times is sent back to the land of the living, with a fake body and a pumpkin head, to deal with the wizard and unleash chaos once again for the world, consigning humanity to damnation.
Despite being simple, Pumpkin Jack's plot is well written within its purpose. With several jokes and ironic jokes, the title plays with various subjects and is able to make players smile during Jack's dialogues with other characters. Furthermore, each individual encountered by the protagonist has charisma or at least some sort of mystery around them, thus making virtually every character captivating and interesting, while clearly being well utilized in the world at hand, appearing at the right moments to give momentum. to plot and adventure.
Review Hitman 3: The first game of the year nominee
Yes, it is true that Pumpkin Jack takes advantage of many elements and figures already known, but he does it very well, without intending to hide this fact. One of the strengths of the title is knowing how to take advantage of references, placing them naturally during the journey.
Speaking of references, they are many! Phrases of characters, tombstones, trophies... Pumpkin Jack is a show that references several other works, including important sagas such as The Lord of the Rings, in addition to highly successful games such as Assassin's Creed. This feature was put to good use, making the game world even more enjoyable and giving the title a greater dose of charisma.
name="extremely-fun">Extremely fun
Pumpkin Jack is, in fact, a new MediEvil. The game published by Headup Games is an authentic 3d adventure that fluctuates between platform and hack and slash. With six different stages, the adventure is made up of many combats, several puzzles to solve and collectibles that can be found. Among the collectibles, the crow skulls can be exchanged for new looks for Jack, greatly modifying the character's appearance for completely varied styles such as samurai or cowboy. In addition, the game holds other interesting surprises for those looking to find every hidden item... get ready to see Jack display "musical" abilities.
The puzzles don't demand much from the player, but mostly they fulfill their function of proposing a certain challenge alongside the fun. Enemies are varied and help the game keep away from repetition. Something that pleases is the fact that Jack receives new powers and abilities along his journey, allowing the player to switch at any time between each new acquired novelty.
Speaking of variety, something extremely satisfying for me was realizing that the game offers perfect moments to break the feeling of sameness. On many occasions the title puts the player in a completely different situation from combat, as is the case of fun "rides" on horseback at high speed. Minigames, whether puzzles or races, are fun and very different ways to get the player out of repetition. With these moments, Pumpkin Jack gets his breath and manages to remain exciting and extremely fun.
name="although-it-works-the-gameplay-has-some-problems">Although it works, the gameplay has some problems
As for Jack's movement, there are some points that leave something to be desired. Insofar as it is enjoyable to advance through the scenarios, jumping, balancing and climbing various structures, I also felt that jumping was sometimes problematic. At times, Jack doesn't seem to have enough mobility to perform some movements, although with a little more security, you can move forward without falling too many times in your "climbs".
In combat, which is also fun, Jack has a similar problem. Even with the different weapons and abilities, the protagonist's movements don't have a lot of variety and sometimes the gameplay is a little stuck. Personally, I believe that a defense button would go down very well in the title, but all we have is evasion.
name="similar-bosses">similar bosses
It's undeniable that Pumpkin Jack could be a little harder than it really is. This is even more evident when we face the game's bosses.
With a little calm and attention, the time you'll face each boss won't be too long. In addition, almost all boss fights are extremely similar, requiring similar moves and sequences. There is a slight sense of repetition here, as with bosses having completely different appearances and styles, it would also be interesting to see more variety in the way these confrontations play out. But, it is very important to say that, although they present many similarities, the bosses are also capable of exciting and offering extremely pleasant moments.
The final boss is the one who most deviates from the pattern established throughout the journey, thus making the final confrontation unique and grandiose. In my case, I ended the game feeling that the final confrontation was pleasantly different from the others, thus gaining the importance it deserved.
name="the-verdict">The verdict
Pumpkin Jack is simple, but extremely fun and enjoyable. With great characters, who even without dubbing manage to be charismatic, the title is captivating and shines in many moments.
For a small project, Pumpkin Jack is a giant game. I can say without a doubt that this is the second most fun game I've had the pleasure of checking out so far in 2021. Not only that, the Pumpkin Lord's journey is one of the biggest surprises I've had on the eighth generation of consoles.
name="note-8-5--10">Note: 8.5 / 10
Pros
- charismatic characters
- excellent minigames
- Captivating adventure and world
Cons
- Gameplay a little stuttered at times
- Bosses with very similar challenges
- Combat could be more varied
