Pumpkin Jack

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.

Pumpkin Jack has rough edges to it, but it still delivers a fun experience in spite of them. It’s very much a game that is greater than the sum of its parts. It has a wide array of gameplay styles to enjoy, with most well implemented. The action-platforming content is great, while the slower-paced tightrope-style sections are iffy due to some collision issues.

Pumpkin Jack is a fantastic addition to the Halloween game canon, delivering an exciting, energetic platformer with lots of variety and hidden delights. It’s not without its design frustrations, but there’s a lot more candy than raisins in this trick-or-treat sack.

Pumpkin Jack, then, is getting in while the getting is good; while there’s still an appetite for a good indie 3D platformer, even if it is a little rough around the edges.

Pumpkin Jack is a competent Halloween platformer that's too generic, shallow, and short to make it a must-play.

Pumpkin Jack's delightful NPCs, boss battles, visuals and music outweigh the clunky platforming and uninspired combat. This is the perfect game to ignite your Halloween Spirit.

I however overall enjoyed what the developer tried to do (especially when it was all largely done by ONE person) and appreciate this mascot platformer. Especially the time I spent towards the end of the game, which seemed to be influenced by a Nightmare Before Christmas (but I enjoyed the hell out of). At 30 dollars if you are looking for something a little different before or on Halloween, this fits the bill.