Pro Jank Footy Review

I know nothing about Aussie rules football. Accordingly, when Pro Jank Footy was offered to me, I was in for a bit of a learning curve. Add in some weird fantasy power-ups, and things took a turn for the worse. However, I enjoyed the madness, the comical layers, and the often unpredictable gameplay. Yet, it won’t appeal to hardcore sports fans or people who want a deep career mode.

Powerbomb Games has developed this odd sports title. It is a single-player, couch cooperative, or online 2-player experience. Furthermore, it relies on short, sharp matches as you take on a computer player, a stranger online, or your friends in classic retro style. The competitive edge is where this shines, and the solo approach outstays its welcome. Therefore, if you are a lone wolf with limited understanding of the sport, you may wish to give this a wide berth.

Pro Jank Footy has an arcade design.

Pro Jank Footy suffers from a lack of plot or depth. Instead, it relies upon its 10-match season and the arcade action. This is incredibly shallow, but perfect if you have limited time to game. Alternatively, maybe you want something easy to play. Either way, this sports title isn’t for hardcore fans.

There are a handful of game modes to keep you entertained. I spent most of my time flitting between the career option and the single-player mode. My daughters were not interested, so I’ll have to wait until the full release to play this online. This is a feature I was unable to test, so I’m hoping for lively lobbies and plenty of friendly banter.

Normal or fantasy.

If you fancy taking on a standard Aussie rule match, you can do this during a single-player game. Alternatively, you can test yourself with the fantasy power-up system. This was silly, unpredictable, and often tough to handle. You’ll witness huge players, extra players, slower kicking, meat pies, and other elements. Power-ups are added to a team if you concede a goal. Consequently, this changes the balance of the game, creating an unfair and fluid design.

If you play the career mode, this becomes a deck builder-lite experience. As you progress, you add more power-ups to your team. Word of warning, however, it is a little unpredictable, and the blend of upgrades makes it tough to keep on top of things. This was probably my biggest bugbear. I don’t mind unpredictable gameplay and random ideas. However, it was often too much when it ruined your season.

Pro Jank Footy offers a limited viewpoint.

Pro Jank Footy does not concern itself with the cleanest and most modern visuals. Instead, it has a slightly dated style and a limited viewpoint. This makes it tough to move from defence to attack smoothly. It would have benefited from a brief pitch guide to help identify your players’ locations. The audio is fantastic! The wicked sense of humour and loud ambient sounds add energy to the gameplay. Although it is pretty basic, it works extremely well.

The controls are a little clunky. Swapping players was slow, and you couldn’t always select the right person. This makes it a little unpredictable and frustrating to play. Sadly, replay value and longevity are limited. Unless you have a good group of friends or you are a keen Aussie rules football fan, this won’t keep you coming back for more.

Pro Jank Footy is fun and silly, but limited.

I enjoyed Pro Jank Footy, but it isn’t the deepest sports game. Furthermore, the sense of randomness and the often challenging action make it a frustrating title. Despite this, I found it fun, comical, and enjoyable to play. Accordingly, I like it and recommend grabbing a copy from the Xbox Store!