Pumpkin Jack

From start to finish Pumpkin Jack is a joy to play thanks to its magnificent soundtrack, impressive writing and gorgeous visuals that complement the solid gameplay

Pumpkin Jack is a superb game, but its flaws come baring teeth once the glass shatters and you start to notice them. The combat is fun and rewarding, the writing and story are fantastic, but there are certain parts of the game that fall short. Plus, for no more than 3 hours of playtime to finish, that $30 price tag is pretty hefty. Putting that aside, every single moment of that short playtime is fantastic. I loved every minute of it, and there’s no doubt that developer Nicolas Meyssonnier made something extra special here.

Pumpkin Jack's delightful NPCs, boss battles, visuals and music outweigh the clunky platforming and uninspired combat. This is the perfect game to ignite your Halloween Spirit.

Pumpkin Jack is both a love letter to years of 3D platformers and one of the most timely releases of 2020, delivering a great family-friendly adventure just in time for Halloween.

Halloween is upon us which means only one thing: spooks abound. This review of Pumpkin Jack will introduce you to the evil pumpkin-headed spirit himself as you aid him in his mission to destroy a meddlesome wizard. Hold onto your scythes, light up those cauldrons, and get ready for a spooktacular review of Pumpkin Jack.

Halloween is near us, so you know what that means: publishers and developers will rush in order for their latest horror game to be released alongside fifteen others during that particular period. That’s how we end up getting rushed and bare bones titles like Remothered: Broken Porcelain, but also some great gems like the brand new Amnesia game. With that being said, none of these games are actually Halloween-themed. You know, pumpkins, ghosts, everything being spooky yet lighthearted at the...

Pumpkin Jack has rough edges to it, but it still delivers a fun experience in spite of them. It's very much a game that is greater than the sum of its parts. It has a wide array of gameplay styles to enjoy, with most well implemented. The action-platforming content is great, while the slower-paced tightrope-style sections are iffy due to some collision issues. Thankfully, the exploding puzzle sections help make up for this and the overall tone keeps things light-hearted and fun even with a dark, gothic look to the world and its inhabitants. It looks good and sounds even better and is a perfect...

When you go trick-or-treating, you don’t come back 100 percent with candy you love. There’s some bleh stuff mixed in, stuff that you put up with to get to the candy you can’t wait to eat. That’s a perfect analog for Pumpkin Jack. You’ll push past parts of it because this mascot platformer has some really great qualities. And, when viewed as a whole, a bucket full of candy ain’t so bad.

Pumpkin Jack is a competent Halloween platformer that's too generic, shallow, and short to make it a must-play.

Pumpkin Jack is an unspectacular 3D action platformer, but considering it’s largely the work of just one man, it’s quite an achievement. There’s a nice variety of gameplay on offer, some solid visuals, and an enjoyable soundtrack. And even though some gameplay elements outstay their welcome, they at least offer a reprieve from the annoying combat. If you can grit your teeth as you spam the attack button time and time again, there’s some enjoyment to be had here, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.

Ultimately, players' enjoyment of Pumpkin Jack will crux on how nostalgic they are for the 3D action platformers of yesteryear. The makings of a great game are definitely here, with witty dialogue, a wonderful selection of fun mini-games, and some serviceable platforming. But, outside of its clear homages and lofty inspirations, Pumpkin Jack feels like it has nothing new to say and no modern insights to add. It ultimately winds up a jack of all trades but a master of none, offering plenty of ideas rife with potential but never honing in on one long enough to make it stand out.

Beginning as gruesome folklore about a headless horseman, Pumpkin Jack reenvisions the myth as a colourful 3D-action platformer. Solo developer Nicolas Meyssonier presents a game where “Medievil meets Jak and Daxter”, with several puzzles, collectables, and Halloween themed stages. A short playable demo from PAX Online 2020 highlighted the nostalgic potential for this jaunty project. After playing through the entire adventure, Pumpkin Jack certainly captures the child-friendly and spooky ...