Jack Keane 2 The Fire Within
Gameplay - 7
Life Span - 5.9
Presentation - 9
Story/Creativity - 8
7.5
Jack Keane 2 The Fire Within follows a story woven around the main character Jack Keane (that’s why they call it that). The game is an action point and click like game where you play using either the conventional controls (WASD) or the old fashioned (classic, retro whichever one of those you prefer) point and click controls. The game is a parody of Indiana Jones at its’ heart, it also references popular culture and other things like the Monkey Island series.
Gameplay
The gameplay is an odd thing sometimes it seems like I wants to be a fast paced action game and sometimes it slows the action down fast about the same speed as from when someone farts in a car to when someone gets thrown out of a moving car. A lot of the game is based around more action like scenes making it faster paced and in some cases more interesting in others it seems a bit odd. The best example I can give in Indiana Jones I chose this because this is what they are parodying (in some ways) it wasn’t just big set piece, little set piece, big set piece, little set piece, big set piece, little set piece, big set piece, little set piece, big set piece, little set piece well you get my point. In short most things have pacing so instead of the entire movie having let down then excitement feel to it. However Jack Keane does have that feeling of let down to excitement and I myself do not like it that much. Nothing I have mentioned is even remotely game breaking or ruining in any way they are just little things that irritate me. The fighting bits take the form of you chose a funny looking stance then depending on what you chose will depend on what happens to the character either you will say “whippeee” or “dammit” .Overall I think the gameplay is in between fun and average, granted I doubt they will put that on to the Steam page.
Life Span
I can’t say how long it will take to finish since as of yet I haven’t finished it (don’t judge me and yes maybe it is a little unprofessional but hey). Most adventure, rpg puzzle games though take an age to complete though so if I had to guess then I would say that it would be worthwhile to go to the toilet before you start. I want to say though that the developers Deck 13 have a good track history (I have been told) apparently their previous games Ankh: Battle of the Gods, Black Sail, Haunted Ankh: Heart of Osiris and Ankh, I have been told all of them are to a high standard and every one of them is fun. I myself have not played them so I am uninformed on their previous titles.
Presentation
The game looks great with cartoony visuals and funny looking characters. The scenery looks nice as well but I think that one level steals the show there is one level reminiscent of a Psychonuts inspired level which is awesome. Not in looks or play more in feel it is a bit like that level in Gears of War 2 the one when you go into the worm (if you have not played it then it sounds weird doesn’t it). I think that Inception like level is one of the best in the game.
Story/Creativity
I think the developers talk describe and summarise the story. “Several years after his last adventure with Dr. T, the hapless but incorrigible hero, Jack Keane returns to experience the greatest adventure of his life alongside the beautiful Amanda. However he soon realises once again that nothing goes quite as smoothly as Jack had imagined.
Shanghai, 1899 -The mysterious Chinese city is the epicentre for adventurers of all kinds. Jack Keane, too, has been attracted to the place by rumours of a legendary treasure – or to be more precise, these tales have led him right inside the walls of the notorious Shanghai prison. It is within these walls that the guardian of the treasure, a secretive shaman, has been locked up for years. Unfortunately for our hero, Jack has completely disregarded the fact that it is a lot easier to get INTO prison than out of it…”
