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."
Reviews
- The game features an excellent atmosphere with great graphics and sound design, creating a chilling experience.
- The mix of stealth, puzzles, and combat is engaging, providing a unique gameplay experience that keeps players on edge.
- The soundtrack is highly praised, enhancing the overall vibe of the game and making combat encounters more thrilling.
- The stealth mechanics are poorly implemented, with enemies detecting players from unrealistic distances, leading to frustrating gameplay.
- Boss fights can be overly difficult and lack clear instructions, resulting in trial-and-error gameplay that can be tedious.
- The game suffers from a lack of manual save options and frequent unskippable cutscenes, which can disrupt the flow of play.
- music22 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the energetic metal and punk soundtracks that elevate the gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the intense and gritty music that complements the horror elements, others feel that certain tracks, particularly rap, detract from the overall horror ambiance. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's thrilling and immersive vibe.
“The music awakens your inner beast and you want to go straight to the enemies, kick their asses, pull off their skin, bite out a piece of their rotten flesh and spit it out.”
“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.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of stealth and puzzle-solving, requiring players to navigate enemy patrols and utilize items strategically, though it can be challenging, particularly during boss battles that rely on trial-and-error mechanics. While some players appreciate the fun and strategic elements once they adapt, many criticize the underdeveloped stealth mechanics and the overall lack of polish, which detracts from the horror atmosphere. Overall, the gameplay experience is polarizing, with some finding it engaging and others deeming it frustrating and lacking depth.
“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.”
“Been excited for this game for a while, but no thank you, stealth gameplay needs to be finely tuned for it to be fun.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are highly praised, with many reviewers noting their quality, polish, and immersive art style. While some minor performance issues were mentioned during chaotic sequences, the visuals are generally considered excellent and well-optimized, evoking a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic gaming. The combination of great graphics and sound design contributes to a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
“The atmosphere, art style, and worldbuilding are top notch and very immersive.”
“The graphics are excellent, and everything is running smoothly so far.”
“Graphics are amazing and quite terrifying.”
“Graphics don't matter in this game.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, featuring strong worldbuilding, excellent sound design, and a mix of creepy and chaotic elements that enhance the overall experience. While some players noted minor issues with stealth mechanics and music choices, the general consensus highlights the atmosphere as a standout feature that effectively contributes to the game's tension and enjoyment.
“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.”
“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.”
“Creepy atmosphere (even if it wasn't 'scary' per se).”
- story14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally considered mediocre and somewhat barebones, with many players feeling it lacks depth and engagement. While the atmosphere and gameplay are praised, particularly in terms of stealth mechanics, the narrative is often described as disjointed, leaving players unsatisfied with its conclusion. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some finding it enjoyable and others deeming it lackluster.
“Really enjoying the game, amazing graphics, amazing soundtrack with a great chilling story.”
“An departure from Vincent Lade's normal style of horror & storytelling games, but it still packs in interesting gameplay via stealth.”
“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 be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I fully grasped the story on this one.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its smooth controls and impressive graphics, indicating strong overall optimization. Voice acting performances are noted for their enthusiasm, contributing positively to the game's immersive experience.
“Control is smooth, and the game is well-optimized.”
“It has amazing graphics and is very well optimized.”
- 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.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 200 % 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.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, indicating that it can become a monotonous and unenjoyable experience.
“The grinding feels incredibly tedious and repetitive.”
“I find the grinding mechanics to be a major chore.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is exhausting.”
- 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.
