It has to be said that with the few-and-far-between nature of games in this genre, the gameplay does feel very dated now, and very slow. With these games only coming out once every few years now, with nothing really changing bar a slight graphical upgrade, it can feel like you've seen it all before.
Trudging around looking for a way to solve a puzzle to progress through a story you don't really care about with a main character you have total indifference for isn't most people's idea of a good time. Jack Keane is one of those games that will do nothing to attract new fans to the genre, but for those of you who have fond memories of LucasArts titles and others in that vein, this might be worth looking into.
Graphics - 7
Gameplay - 6
Sound - 5
Lifespan - 6
Overall -
Available for one week only, players can purchase The Great Adventure Bundle 2010 which includes: Hothead's Penny Arcade Adventures, Episode 1, Daedalic's The Whispered World, Activision's King's Quest Collection, Deck 13's Jack Keane; plus Telltale Games' own Puzzle Agent and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space.
Telltale Games writes: "The Great Adventure Bundle 2010 is here. Telltale has teamed up with some awesome partners to bring you six great PC adventure games for only $19.95. A portion of your purchase - 25% - will go to charitable causes, including Child's Play, The World Wildlife Fund, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Nyota e.V., and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Games in the bundle include Daedalic's The Whispered World, Deck 13's Jack Keane, Activision's King's Quest Collection, and Hothead's Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode 1. The Great Adventure Bundle 2010 also includes two bonus games from Telltale - Puzzle Agent and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space - which will unlock as more people purchase the bundle."
The Monkey Island series is one of the most loved and charming point and click adventure series of all time, combining quirky humor and traditional gameplay into an engaging overall package. Which is bad news for Jack Keane. Because while the game bares a lot in common with the Monkey Island games, both in terms of its look and style as well as the way it plays, it also fails to muster any of what made them so popular: charm. Instead we're left with a fairly bland and boring adventure that lasts a little too long and is decidedly light on laughs.
