I don’t really know what to tell you about Wacky Jumpers. As it currently stands, it is barely a concept with so little level design that it isn’t even a prototype. It is very far from a playable title.
It is confusing that Asgard Studio reached out asking for coverage because, after 68 minutes, I have nothing else to do. Neither do I have anything encouraging to say about the title.
The Steam page describes it as a multiplayer racing game inspired by Fall Guys and Only Up. You play as ninjas, starting from a platform in the sky where you then have to climb through the level and navigate through deadly traps to reach the finish line first. You have to use a full range of movement, from wall running to sliding, dodging and even using a parachute.
Except none of that exists.
My Honest Impression aka Why Am I Even Playing This
Wacky Jumpers looks and feels like a rough idea that has been put together using an asset store. There are only 3 levels. While they have pretty background environments, they are populated with blocky Fall Guys-style obstacles. This mix of assets destroys any kind of aesthetic coherency.
The biggest sin though, the aspect that completely destroys all claims made by this game, is that the levels are unplayable. The obstacles are placed arbitrarily, and with 2 of the levels, I couldn’t even reach the end of 2 of the levels.
In the tutorial level, the Asian Village, there is no clear path forward. There are just a bunch of floating platforms that lead you nowhere, while the rest of the course hangs out in the sky. Somewhere in the Desert, I quickly hit a section where the character couldn’t jump onto the next ledge no matter what I did, meaning that I couldn’t proceed forward.
In the last available level, the mine, a glaring game design error stares you in the face. Since the obstacles are simply placed in an open world, you can run around most of them. Unless it is placed in the middle of a door/corridor.
Of all the obstacles, only one kills and resets you to the beginning. The rest just push you around a little. Unless, of course, you manage to stand under a descending platform, or you fall in the water which instantly kills you. Please note that one of the potential moves you can make, as per the description, is ‘swim.’
For now, all you can do is jump and run, but those advanced moves might be put in later. There are inputs for shooting now, but no reason for it according to the description or animation. Only one of the two available characters (the stand-in mannequin) can crouch at the moment. The other character, which is a textured, scantily clad female has some of the stiffest animation I have ever had the misfortune to see.
There are no advanced moves to make this any kind of unique racer or obstacle course. In fact, the image of the controls doesn’t even match the moves listed on the controls screen.
Despite claiming it is a multiplayer, there is no active multiplayer yet and no active servers. Although, as of the posting of this review, there has been an update that addresses some multiplayer elements. The game also does seem to support local multiplayer, but that isn’t something I could check.
At Least It Sounds Great
Now… I will be fair where I can. The music and sound effects chosen by Asgard Studio are excellent. The menu and level music may not match each other, but they are suitably epic and were fun to listen to.
Just… Why?!
Outside of that, Asgard Studio… my apologies to your wife and cat (since they are in the credits) but this game, as it stands now, is a failure. I respectfully ask that you take it back to the drawing board, because as a concept… you have something. I couldn’t tell you if it is good because that will depend on your execution. I also cannot tell you if it will be successful. I can tell you that you need to develop it a lot more before you invite others to play it.
GamesHorizon received a review copy of Wacky Jumpers for Steam.
