Jazzpunk feels like the video game love child of an unholy union between Family Guy and Sun Ra. It’s a lo-fi comedy adventure that emphasizes absurd humor as your sole gameplay reward.
I love a good spy movie, but I'm just as fond of movies that lampoon the genre, like the Naked Gun series of films. Everything is so serious that it makes a really great target for satire. Jazzpunk does this not only for spy and espionage games, but...
Quirky humor and an abundance of outrageous antics keep things buoyant through much of the short but flawed journey. Jazzpunk is an enthusiastic attempt to answer the question of just how much weirdness you can possibly cram into a few hours of gaming. In that endeavor, at least, it's a great achievement.
Not loving Jazzpunk is as difficult as classifying it. Few games are this confidently weird, and even fewer manage to pull off anything even resembling humour. If you’re looking to laugh a lot, and maybe even think about stuff just a little bit, give it a play.
Good for a quick laugh, but not much more than that. If you value an evening's entertainment over having a significant chunk of your spare time eaten up, Jazzpunk is for...
And one day I just clicked on it and I've never stopped being confused and amazed at it. It's a spectacle, a gonzo dream where I am sure, quite sure, I met Hunter S Thompson three times. Or was it three Hunter S Thompsons? Who can be sure? Who can really be sure of anything these days? Don't make me give a score. Don't make me give a sc--
It's more than enough time to be submerged in JazzPunk's style of humor, and the poor production values ensured I was ready for air by the time credits roll. Play it for the novelty and the rapid-fire assault of jokes, but don't be surprised if most of them miss the mark.
That Jazzpunk so frequently caused me to laugh is a sign that it's a great comedy. That, days later, I'm still desperately fighting the urge to blurt out its best moments is a sign that it's a remarkable, unique and lasting one too.
If you're not the type of person who likes to roam around miniature sandboxes and locate every single hidden secret, Jazzpunk may not be for you. But for everyone else, you'll revel in the ability to play a completely missable game of Fruit Ninja with Jim Sterling.
Adults will appreciate the more clever references and gags though. In fact I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t like this game, but while I’m excited for the internet to get at it so I can find out what I missed, at two hours long many people might find it hard to justify a purchase. Just keep the meter running, I’ll be right back.
So, what is Jazzpunk? It’s style, jazz, pizzazz, music, and fun. It’s an adventure game unlike any other with a look’n'feel that, while simplistic, explodes with color and life. Mixed together with a perfect musical background, caricature-like voiceovers, and that perfect spy vibe, and you get Jazzpunk: comedy, adventure, and a great time.
Jazzpunk may have a handful of suggestive jokes, but they’re very mild. The humor in the games is right around where Adult Swim is. Those in their young teens and older will enjoy this game and no innocence will be lost.
Jazzpunk sets out to makes us laugh, and unless you're the sort of person who can't appreciate a well-executed fart joke, there's a good chance it'll do just that. It starts out strong with dozens of hidden gags hidden among the scenery, but unfortunately it loses its momentum once minigames start to dominate its three-hour running time.