Pumpkin Jack (Xbox Series S/X) review

Pumpkin Jack tells the story of Jack, the Mythical Pumpkin Lord, who just happens to be the Devil himself. As the titular character, along with their trust crow, will go into the Boredom Kingdom, a mythical realm shattered by the Curse, and hunt down your nemesis.

Pumpkin Jack is a 3D platformer akin to Crash Bandicoot or even Jak & Daxter games on PS2. While you can expect a lot of platforming, our skeletal pal Jack can also defend himself. While you first start off with a shovel, beating bosses rewards players with new and stronger weapons. Albeit the combat is overly simplistic. Mash X to attack, B to dodge… and that’s it. I would’ve appreciated a bit more depth a normal and strong attack to give the protagonist a bit more flexibility combat-wise. You can throw you’ll little Crow buddy to dole out damage to enemies or clear paths.

As with any classic 3D platformers, each level has hidden skulls to find; picking up those will allow players to purchase new skins for Jack. While in general, this is a platformer, there’s a bit of gameplay variety. You can ride around mine carts or ride a horse in on-rail sections of different levels. It’s a nice diversion from the typical platforming and combat.

There are also fun, simplistic puzzle sequences. When reaching a well, Jack can throw his head into it and players will then have the head roam about on octopus-like legs you’ll need to solve puzzles in order to help you progress forward in the other world. For example, oftentimes, you’ll need to “move” a bomb into a specific spot, while moving around platforms, in order to blow up an obstacle.

The game’s biggest nuisance is the controls. While they aren’t game-breaking, they’re not as tight as they should be and this is especially noticeable during certain areas where precise movement is required to progress forward. It’s 2021; even if you’re want to make a 3D platformer akin to those on PS2, there’s no reason to not have solid controls.

The game’s visuals and overall presentation are an homage to the classic PS2 era of gaming. The game looks good as a whole, but don’t expect a styling that will push your Xbox Series console to its limits. Each level is uniquely designed and each of them offers a unique challenge. The soundtrack is enjoyable but not as memorable as other 3D classic platformers. There’s also no voice acting, which is a bummer because, given Jack’s arrogant attitude, I believe with voice acting, it could’ve been better.

Despite the loose and slightly clunky controls, Pumpkin Jack is a fun throwback to the classic PS2 era of gaming. It’s a short, simple, and fun entertaining 5-6 hours romp. Bosses are fun and challenging, there’s enough gameplay variety to avoid a feeling of repetition. A surprise gem this year and despite its main nuisance control-wise, I highly recommend it.