Jack Axe is a puzzle platformer inspired by Norse and Filipino mythology, for PC and Nintendo Switch.
The main character is Jack, and she lives in a Norse village, and ends up going on an adventure. There’s really not much story apart from that, near the start of the game you find a mythical axe whilst chasing after a friend, and then decide to go on an adventure. From that point, the game just lets you explore and collect at your own leisure. There are some hints at a story, sometimes when going through certain areas there are NPCs who will tell you things, but really this game is all about the gameplay.
Jack Axe is a retro-inspired platformer with one key mechanic, and that’s the axe. Using the axe, you can throw it to a point, then dash towards it and jump off of it. It works very similar to how Cappy worked in Super Mario Odyssey, except in 2D. Using this axe, you can dash and jump around any level, use it to smash up crates and ice blocks, attack enemies and more. It’s the heart of the game, and mastering it is key.
And master it you will, because this game is tough. Due to the game being a puzzle platformer, there are two aspects to each area, firstly work out what you need to do, and then work out how you can do it. The puzzle aspects come in the means of switches and buttons usually, having to work out which block to push to open something else in the right order. The platforming is the standard kind of difficult fare, with spikes and enemies hampering progress. The combination of these two things is often where the difficulty comes from, and later stages can get really tough.
Luckily, the controls are spot-on. Whilst I died a lot, never once did I blame it on the controls. They are very tight, and easy to get the hang of, which makes the game a lot less frustrating. It’s also rather liberal with do-overs. It usually creates a checkpoint when you enter a new area or a new screen, and if you die, you simply return there, but with some coins taken away. Coins let you open up some secret areas and buy new costumes, so whilst you don’t want to lose them, it’s not a huge deal at the same time.
Additionally, you can collect Runes. These are the main collectable of the game, and they open up new worlds to go too. Each world has a different theme, be that a snowy forest, a desert, or an ocean. The level layout is one weakness in the game. Every level is set out in a big interconnected way, but there’s no world map to look at and you can’t zoom out to catch your bearings. There are fast travel points which help, but it is easy to miss areas that might contain runes, or end up getting lost and double-backing on yourself. A map system would really help here.
The graphics are nice and colourful, and there is a good variety in the enemy and level design. Additionally, there is never much clutter, so it is easy to see what you are doing. Finally, the music is really nice, with lots of retro appropriate tracks that blend in well with each world.
Ultimately, Jack Axe is a pretty fun game. If you enjoy tough as nails puzzle platformers, then this will likely be up your alley. The lack of an engaging story and a map system may irk some, but it’s not enough to harm the overall experience. Overall, this is one I would recommend to any fans of this genre.
You can purchase the game on Steam here. If you’re looking for a puzzle game with slightly less stakes, why not take a look at Bonfire Peaks.
