Jackal

About

Jackal is a single player shooter game with drama and violence themes. It was developed by Transhuman Design and was released on February 5, 2026. It received very positive reviews from players.

Execute ultra-violent raids in retro 1970s hotels. Master precision and timing to take out bad guys in unforgiving top-down close-combat. No two playthroughs are alike with stackable gameplay mutators and randomly generated rooms.

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 245 reviews

gameplay49 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Engaging and fast-paced gameplay with satisfying physics-based combat and innovative slide and kick mechanics.
Strong artistic presentation featuring a unique 70s Las Vegas vibe, stylized visuals, excellent voice acting, and a memorable soundtrack.
Replayable content through randomly generated levels, modifiers, spells, and speedrun modes that add variety beyond the short main campaign.

The game is notably short, often completed in around 2 to 3 hours, leaving players wanting more content and depth.
Several gameplay issues such as inconsistent hit detection, clunky animations, enemy spawn mechanics, and occasional bugs detract from the experience.
The story and dialogue, while stylistic and poetic, can feel disjointed, overly bizarre, or underdeveloped; late-game removal of powers and some level design choices frustrate players.

gameplay
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The gameplay is generally praised for being fun, fast-paced, and satisfying with sharp mechanics and a strong homage to Hotline Miami, enhanced by unique elements like spells and sliding. However, some reviews note occasional clunkiness, imprecision, and gimmicky later levels that detract from the core experience, with a few issues in combat responsiveness and weapon handling. Overall, the gameplay offers a solid, addictive loop with good replay value, though it can feel uneven or less polished compared to its inspirations.
- “Fun mechanics, stellar voice acting, great music, and a really fun story.”
- “The gameplay is sharp, snappy, and feels satisfying when you pull off chaotic moves successfully.”
- “Gameplay is tight, responsive, and deeply satisfying thanks to physics-driven combat that makes every encounter feel dynamic and unpredictable.”
- “Later levels are gimmicks and strip away core gameplay mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is just not as crisp as it needs to be for something this fast-paced and difficult.”
- “And gameplay segments later on were an absolute mess of enemies on the screen converging on me while I'm kicking and executing multiple in a row leading to such a crazy amount of move speed I start flying around areas and my reaction time not keeping up, leading to constantly mashing leaving me feeling like I'm in a fever dream once I finally die to repeat the process over again.”
story
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The story is generally described as fun, stylistically bold, and enhanced by great voice acting and music, but often criticized for being short, somewhat clichéd, and occasionally confusing or anticlimactic. While it captivates with its surreal and noir elements, many find it less impactful or meandering in its narrative, serving more as a colorful backdrop to the gameplay rather than a deeply engaging plot. Ultimately, the story is appreciated for its tone and style, though it may not satisfy those seeking a substantial or complex narrative.
- “I genuinely would prefer this as a short film—again, I cannot stress enough, I adore the dialogue, the writing, the music, the acting, the story—all of it really captivates me.”
- “The style, the story, the music, the voice acting, all of it is top tier and unlike a lot of reviewers, I think the gameplay in this is far superior to Hotline Miami 1 and introduces gimmicks better than Hotline Miami 2.”
- “The story is great (I also particularly like the main character's voice, the actor did a great job) & I enjoy the gunplay.”
- “The story itself is.. eh.”
- “If a lukewarm plot is a dealbreaker for you when playing games, then I'd skip Jackal as you won't be missing much by skipping the plot of this game because damn dude you're telling me he keeps looping himself into killing his boss, getting head over heels for a hooker posing as the boss' wife, stealing his boss' money, getting sober for a moment and then doing it all over again?”
- “Jackal is a little rough around the edges, the presentation is slick, but the story and writing don’t quite hit the mark for me, but at the very least it is able to carve out its own distinct identity.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
39%
5%
The game's music is widely praised for its energetic, groovy, and thematic soundtrack that significantly enhances the fast-paced action and immersive atmosphere. Many players highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, often describing it as "killer," "phenomenal," and essential to the game's vibe, with several purchasing the soundtrack separately. Overall, the music is seen as a perfect complement to the art style, voice acting, and gameplay, elevating the entire experience.
- “The music doesn’t just accompany the action—it fuels it.”
- “Has an absolute vibe with a great art style, a groovy and pumping soundtrack that I went out and bought, and great voice acting from a guy who sounds almost exactly like Troy Baker.”
- “You pulled off something brilliant where there is a harmony between the writing, the music, and the gameplay.”
- “The music's alright.”
- “It's not to the same level as Hotline Miami's soundtrack, but it suits the game well.”
- “Soundtrack is fine but nowhere near close to either Hotline Miami.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
28%
11%
The graphics are widely praised for their unique, captivating art style that sets the game apart from similar titles, with many highlighting its cool low-poly and surreal visuals. While most find the aesthetics impressive and fitting the game's intense atmosphere, a few note that the visuals can feel cluttered or less intuitive during gameplay. Overall, the art style is considered a standout aspect, complementing the game's vibe and narrative effectively.
- “The soundtrack is engrossing, the art style is gorgeous and impressive, the writing and the voice acting genuinely leave me in awe time and time again.”
- “Many have compared it to the well-known Miami themed title, but Jackal does an excellent job of branching out and becoming its own thing with its setting, graphics, and unique spell mechanics.”
- “Graphics, sound, music, such slick combat and UI, 10 out of 10.”
- “What if Hotline Miami had looser combat with harder to read visuals, many times more dialogue but with nothing to say.”
- “And like El Paso once I got through the halfway point started to like them, this game's especially with how out there the visuals get.”
- “Rarely does media accurately recreate the aesthetics of some combination of illicit substances to add to an atmosphere.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
42%
16%
The game offers strong replayability through features like randomized levels, various difficulty settings, unlockable modifiers, and alternate modes, despite its relatively short main story. Speedrunning and collecting all unlockables further enhance its longevity, making it a fun and repeatable experience. Overall, the blend of procedural generation and gameplay variety keeps players engaged beyond initial completion.
- “Real short, about an hour or less to complete on repeat playthroughs, but the randomized levels make it very replayable, as do the unlockable modifiers and spells (which function like Hotline Miami masks).”
- “I can't recommend it enough, and even though it isn't long, the level reroll option, random spawns, several difficulties, and time attack make it replayable.”
- “The gameplay here is very fun and reactive and the spells really add something here to make it stand out from just being a Hotline Miami clone; the game also has good replay value with randomly generated level layouts, modifiers, and difficulty options.”
- “That'd be fine on its own but the game has very little replay value beyond speedrunning it or trying the other difficulties.”
- “Passive powers would've been more unique, would've added more replayability.”
- “Story's not much to hack at but the gameplay is a good timekiller if you're missing a piece of Miami in your life; there is some replayability with how the levels are randomly generated.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is noted for its quirky, unexpected moments such as weapon antics and entertaining character interactions, providing genuine laughs despite a scatterbrained, twist-heavy story. Players find the comedic dialogue and amusing enemy reveals particularly enjoyable, especially when experienced in a relaxed state. Overall, the humor adds a fun and lighthearted layer to the gameplay.
- “Loved the gunplay, and the times I thought I had died randomly, I actually died throwing a weapon and it bounced back to me, which made me laugh.”
- “It's the best Hotline-like game I've played in a long time, great soundtrack, and while the story is absolute nonsense, Anubis and the main guy have some funny lines and bounce off each other well.”
- “The combat is probably the most entertaining thing for me as multiple times I couldn't stop laughing at certain enemy reveals.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is mixed, with occasional glitches and visual quirks that some may find intentional due to the theme. However, several users report frequent bugs and jankiness that negatively impact the overall experience.
- “I got scammed by the positive review; this game is horrible, nothing like Hotline, extremely buggy, janky, and not fun.”
- “Expect little glitches here and there, with a few funky things happening now and then.”
- “There are also some visual glitches on certain levels, but given the character's drug use, it may actually be intentional.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive and passionate design, effectively capturing unique aesthetics that enhance the experience. It improves notably towards the end, complementing a strong story and engaging combat.
- “Good atmosphere, good story, good combat.”
- “Rarely does media accurately recreate the aesthetics of some combination of illicit substances to add to an atmosphere.”
- “It got better towards the end, but the gameplay and atmosphere are fantastic; a lot of passion has been put into this game.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The character development features interesting concepts, design, and soundtracks, but some users feel the character design appears somewhat off or inconsistent.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Optimization is lacking, resulting in subpar performance that could be improved.
- “Performance isn't what it could be.”