Pumpkin Jack
Rating Summary
Based on 36 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Top Critic
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.
Top Critic
Pumpkin Jack is a fun and nostalgic title that is perfectly placed to be your Halloween game this year. Highly recommended for any fans of old school platforming adventures, but also worth checking out for the spookier sorts too. It doesn't revolutionise anything, but it also doesn't outstay its welcome, and the fact that it is the work of a solo developer makes it even more impressive. This particular pumpkin deserves to carve out some of your seasonal gaming time.
Top Critic
Pumpkin Jack is a great looking game, a great playing game, and a well written game. It should not be skipped in the slightest. The Halloween aesthetic may seem out of season now, but don’t let it fool you, this game is enjoyable at any time; the minions of hell rising up to destroy humanity truly is a timeless tale. The end credits show the development and love Nicolas poured into this game, and all of that can be found in the final product. I really hope this isn’t the last we see of Jack.
Top Critic
Despite some irritations, though, I enjoyed Pumpkin Jack. There are a lot of things it does right — from the boo-tiful visuals to the haunting music, to the mostly-fun gameplay. It could use a bit more work in its jumping mechanic, and there are some segments that go on longer than they should. But I had a hell of a good time overall and Pumpkin Jack is much more treat than trick.
Top Critic
Pumpkin Jack is a pleasant surprise just in time for Halloween, the overall design is amazing considering it comes from a single developer. The six levels offer enough variety and challenge as to not get repetitive and as this will take about 5-6 hours to complete on the first run players will come back to get all the hidden items for extra skins. However, the gameplay feels slightly dated, visually the quality really drops in handheld mode if playing on the Switch and the camera needs to be a bit more reactive especially as the platforming requires precision at a fast pace.
Top Critic
Pumpkin Jack is a competent Halloween platformer that's too generic, shallow, and short to make it a must-play.
Top Critic
Pumpkin Jack is a hilarious 3D adventure platformer, with clear and obvious references to MediEvil. But while the pace is good and the aesthetics charming, the repetition of the same gameplay loop becomes tedious already halfway through the game. The controls are also a bit slippery, but Pumpkin Jack is still a very enjoyable action platformer.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Top Critic
A complete 3D platform that will surprise you if you give it a chance.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Top Critic
Pumpkin Jack does not reinvent the wheel and it's far from mechanical perfection, but the game's strong atmosphere and fun platforming have earned it success.
Top Critic
Pumpkin Jack is an absolute triumph. For a debut title, it's remarkably confident in its vision, delivering a delightfully spooky experience that feels very familiar to MediEvil without outright copying it; in fact, with MediEvil's controls feeling distinctly dated by 2020 standards, we'd go so far as to say Pumpkin Jack is superior. The controls are slick with satisfying combat mechanics, and while the platforming can occasionally feel a bit frustrating, it's mostly very well done. Visuals in handheld mode can look a little grotty, so we'd recommend playing on the TV if you can, and make sure you crank up that camera sensitivity. Fear not though, folks; Halloween is well and truly alive in 2020 thanks to Pumpkin Jack.
