Jawbreaker
- April 22, 2024
- Vincent Lade
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Jawbreaker is a single-player Action game with awesome visuals and a fantastic soundtrack. Survive in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by gangs after the Great Economic Collapse of 2028. Venture into a dangerous police station in New Citadel City to scavenge for supplies, but beware of the terrifying inhabitants that may have set a trap for you."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a great aesthetic, with impressive graphics and a chilling atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- Voice acting and soundtrack are engaging, adding depth to the characters and overall immersion.
- The puzzles and world-building are interesting, providing a mix of challenge and exploration that keeps players engaged.
- Stealth mechanics are poorly designed, leading to frustrating trial-and-error gameplay where enemies can detect players too easily.
- Ammo is extremely scarce, making combat feel ineffective and forcing players into a stealth-heavy approach that can be tedious.
- Controller support is lacking, making the game difficult to play for those who prefer using a controller over a keyboard and mouse.
- graphics23 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their aesthetic appeal, immersive art style, and overall polish, especially for an indie title. While some users noted occasional lag during chaotic scenes, the visuals are generally considered excellent and well-optimized, contributing to a captivating atmosphere. The combination of great graphics, sound design, and a chilling soundtrack enhances the overall gaming experience.
“The atmosphere, art style, and worldbuilding are top notch and very immersive.”
“Graphics are amazing and quite terrifying.”
“The graphics are excellent, and everything is running smoothly so far.”
“Graphics don't matter in this game.”
- music23 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the powerful metal and punk soundtracks that elevate the horror experience. While some players appreciate the energetic tracks that drive the action, others feel that certain music choices detract from the intended horror ambiance. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic and emotional impact.
“The biggest point for playing it is the music!!!”
“The soundtrack rocks as well and greatly enhances the general vibe of the game.”
“An excellent addition to the horror genre, Jawbreaker exceeds expectations with its eerie atmosphere amplified through playful use of music, and excellent scene setting.”
“The loud metal music playing on the radio in some levels really fit the theme and made it difficult to hear footsteps.”
“I don't appreciate the loud rap music in some scenes though; cut the crap, it's a horror game.”
“Like many others state, the stealth mechanics aren't very great, and I found the rock/punk music (although good) to ruin the horror atmosphere of the game.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a mix of stealth and puzzle-solving elements, requiring players to navigate enemy patrols and utilize items strategically. While some players appreciate the challenge and depth, many criticize the underdeveloped stealth mechanics and trial-and-error boss battles, which detract from the overall experience. The game has potential but suffers from inconsistencies between its promotional material and actual gameplay, leading to a lackluster reception in terms of gameplay quality.
“The gameplay is pretty difficult, but if you take your time to look around for enemies and things that can distract them, and use the motion detector you get at the start to look out for them, you can get past them easily enough once you memorize their patrol paths. It's a puzzle/stealth game for most sections, with you trying to sneak past enemies to collect and interact with things that'll unlock the next section, with the boss battles revolving around using their weaknesses against them.”
“The gameplay is quite fun once you get the hang of it.”
“The gameplay is what I'm really digging though, switching up items to try a level in different ways adds a level of strategy that's a great mix with the horror genre.”
“The premise and setting and the way the game looks are excellent, but the game has horrifically underbaked stealth mechanics that are currently, in my opinion, almost unplayable.”
“Boss battles are a series of trial-and-error until you figure out the mechanic and what is going on.”
“Underbaked stealth mechanics, enemy detects through by a pixel.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, enhanced by strong sound design and art style that create a tense and engaging experience. While some players find the stealth mechanics frustrating, the overall ambiance—often described as claustrophobic and reminiscent of horror films—contributes significantly to the game's appeal. Despite mixed feelings about certain gameplay elements, the atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates players.
“Though the story is pretty mediocre, the atmosphere is fantastic.”
“The atmosphere, art style, and worldbuilding are top notch and very immersive.”
“An excellent addition to the horror genre, Jawbreaker exceeds expectations with its eerie atmosphere amplified through playful use of music and excellent scene setting.”
“The creepy atmosphere (even if it wasn't 'scary' per se) detracted from my overall experience.”
“Like many others state, the stealth mechanics aren't very great, and I found the rock/punk music (although good) to ruin the 'horror' atmosphere of the game.”
“An excellent addition to the horror genre, Jawbreaker exceeds expectations with its eerie atmosphere amplified through playful use of music, and excellent scene setting.”
- story16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally considered mediocre and lackluster, with many players finding it barebones and not particularly engaging. While the atmosphere and graphics are praised, the narrative feels incomplete, especially towards the end, leaving players wanting more. Overall, the story does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience, leading to mixed reviews on its effectiveness.
“Really enjoying the game, amazing graphics, amazing soundtrack with a great chilling story.”
“I got through the game with the help of YouTube walkthroughs; it's not a beginner-friendly game at all, but the story, graphics, and the whole vibe of the game are pretty amazing, that's why I kept playing.”
“Epic story.”
“My only issue is that after you beat the game, it feels like the story of a second game is about to start up, but then it ends.”
“Story is also a bit barebones, and the final boss 'jawbreaker' felt a bit out of place.”
“To the poor level designs to the predictable and easily breakable AI, to the 'storyline', to the puzzles, it's just embarrassing.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its smooth controls and strong optimization, with many users highlighting the impressive graphics. However, some feel that other aspects of the game lack effort, suggesting a disparity in quality.
“Control is smooth, and the game is well-optimized.”
“It has amazing graphics and is very well optimized.”
“Graphics are good, optimization is good; everything else is as lazy as it comes.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Users express mixed feelings about replayability, with some finding the game infinitely replayable, while others feel that current difficulty levels and lack of quality of life improvements hinder their enjoyment, leading them to consider returning only if these issues are addressed.
“Infinitely replayable.”
“Refunded for now, but an easier difficulty and quality of life improvements might mean I try again when the title becomes more playable and accessible instead of a chore.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating and tedious, with encounters often feeling repetitive and unenjoyable.
“Each and every encounter is frustrating and tedious, made even worse by this.”
“Tedious.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the game generally performs well, players have reported occasional glitches, such as enemies spinning indefinitely and missing audio in cutscenes, which can detract from the overall experience.
“Some glitches do occur; one part of the game had an enemy and his dog spinning around in a circle indefinitely if you alert them.”
“A cutscene doesn't contain audio for the faceless speaker shortly after the Bob's Big Boy fight.”
“The game frequently crashes, making it difficult to progress without losing significant progress.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Sega appears to be reviving interest in "Alien Isolation" after years of neglect, possibly indicating a new monetization strategy or attempt to capitalize on the game's legacy.
