Jazzpunk: Director's Cut

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,343 reviews
  • humor
  • story
  • gameplay
Jazzpunk: Director's Cut Game Cover
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Jazzpunk is a single-player, comedy action game with a focus on exploration and humor. Players uncover an ingenious and hilarious story in a beautifully designed world, interacting with NPCs and playing mini-games like mini-golf and Duck Hunt with toast. Despite some bugs, the game boasts phenomenal mechanics and a spectacular soundtrack, making for a highly emotional experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
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Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,343 reviews
humor2,231 positive mentions
replayability33 negative mentions
  • humor2,257 mentions

    The humor in "Jazzpunk" is widely praised for its absurdity, clever references, and surreal style, often drawing comparisons to the comedic sensibilities of Adult Swim. Players report a mix of genuine laughter and bemusement, with many finding the game consistently funny throughout its short playtime, though some feel the humor can be hit-or-miss depending on personal taste. Overall, it is celebrated as a unique and entertaining experience, particularly for those who appreciate quirky and offbeat comedy.

    • “From the moment you boot it up, you’re thrown into a world of bizarre humor, oddball characters, and nonsensical missions that somehow manage to be both hilarious and incredibly engaging.”
    • “Absolutely hilarious game, so many great gags.”
    • “The humor is great, especially if you enjoy the bizarre stuff.”
    • “Tedious, not funny.”
    • “The actual game is walking around open environments and talking to people, but many of them are unfunny and uninteresting.”
    • “The graphics and the overall tone of the game could have made for a good 60s-spy-thriller parody, but instead it’s just a garble of mostly unfunny jokes and an incoherent plot.”
  • story824 mentions

    The story of *Jazzpunk* is a whimsical and absurd take on the spy genre, featuring a series of short, nonsensical missions that prioritize humor and exploration over a deep narrative. Players take on the role of Polyblank, a secret agent navigating a bizarre world filled with quirky characters and comedic side quests, often completing the main storyline in about two hours while discovering a wealth of hidden jokes and interactions. While the main plot is minimal and can feel disjointed, the game's charm lies in its playful absurdity and the joy of uncovering its many Easter eggs.

    • “From the moment you boot it up, you’re thrown into a world of bizarre humor, oddball characters, and nonsensical missions that somehow manage to be both hilarious and incredibly engaging.”
    • “The storytelling of the game and its art design and characters are really neat.”
    • “The story is absurd, yes, but everything is very well connected, everything makes sense in this ridiculous world.”
    • “The story itself is a bit short, but there are quite a few secrets to discover and side missions to play as well.”
    • “To describe the events of Jazzpunk as a story feels a little too generous.”
    • “The story isn't coherent enough to be intriguing, and not silly enough to be fun in a Monty Python way.”
  • gameplay405 mentions

    The gameplay in *Jazzpunk* is largely simplistic and serves primarily as a vehicle for its humor, featuring minimal mechanics and a focus on exploration and interaction with quirky environments. Players can expect a short experience, typically around 2-4 hours, filled with absurd jokes and references, but the lack of depth and challenge in gameplay may leave some feeling underwhelmed. While the comedic elements are praised, many reviewers suggest that the game is better enjoyed as a humorous spectacle rather than a traditional gaming experience.

    • “The gameplay brilliantly blurs the lines between traditional gameplay and pure comedic art, ensuring that every moment is unpredictable and delightfully absurd.”
    • “An overall enjoyable experience with funny gags and creative gameplay that fits perfectly into the simplistic art style.”
    • “The gameplay is simple and you cannot lose, even when you actually are.”
    • “The gameplay doesn't really matter since it's only a prop to hang jokes on, but since the jokes themselves are weak sauce, the game has nothing to fall back on.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics fail to provide any sense of immersion, and the product quickly descends into a mundane and trivial 'click-and-collect' exploration game after a mere thirty minutes of playing.”
    • “The gameplay is next to non-existent, but more of a theme park of unusual non-sequiturs, references, and segments that will leave you asking what drug the developers were on when they designed it.”
  • graphics398 mentions

    The graphics of "Jazzpunk" are characterized by a unique, retro-futuristic art style that blends cartoonish visuals with vibrant colors, creating a surreal and whimsical atmosphere. While some players appreciate the simplicity and charm of the graphics, others find them basic and occasionally overwhelming, leading to mixed feelings about their overall quality. Despite the varied opinions, the distinctive aesthetic and humor are consistently highlighted as integral to the game's appeal.

    • “It feels like a fever dream wrapped in a retro, neon-soaked aesthetic, where nothing makes sense, yet everything is oddly brilliant.”
    • “The game's art style is incredibly distinctive, with a retro-futuristic aesthetic that is both nostalgic and surreal.”
    • “The graphics are like a cartoon, very stylish, and the best part of this game is its humor; it made me laugh a few times.”
    • “Graphics - ass, story - ass”
    • “If you’re looking for something groundbreaking or with extreme graphics, keep looking.”
    • “One quick glance over any screenshot from the game will tell you everything you need to know about Jazzpunk's graphics; there are no surprises and no breathtaking moments in the scenery, it all looks bland and basic.”
  • music228 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique blend of jazz, electronica, and retro influences that complement the game's quirky aesthetic and humor. However, some players find the repetitive nature of the soundtrack grating and overwhelming, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is often described as fitting well within the game's absurd and chaotic atmosphere, making it a memorable aspect for many players.

    • “The soundtrack is also top-notch, featuring a mix of jazz, swing, and lounge music that perfectly complements the game's world and atmosphere.”
    • “The humorous musical accompaniment creates a great atmosphere.”
    • “The music is fantastic, too!”
    • “The soundtrack is harsh and abrasive in a rather interesting way, and it's clear a lot of care was put into recording it, which is a shame since it ends up really grating when you hear the same cues over and over.”
    • “Every single song in the soundtrack feels more like brain-scratching white noise than it does music, to the point that it can almost feel weirdly overwhelming.”
    • “The music in the game was crap, most 'songs' only lasted maybe 20 seconds at most, and they were all on loop.”
  • replayability128 mentions

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily due to its short length (around 2-3 hours) and the linear nature of its content, which means players are unlikely to find new experiences upon replaying. While some users noted that exploring for achievements or hidden jokes can provide a bit of replay value, many agree that the humor and surprises diminish after the first playthrough. As a result, it's often recommended to purchase the game on sale rather than at full price.

    • “Yes, it is a bit short, but it has great replay value.”
    • “The replay value is immense, with each playthrough revealing new jokes and hidden gags that you might have missed the first time around.”
    • “This game is genuinely fun to play and will definitely have you coming back to continue progression, or to play it all over again from the start, making replay value extremely high.”
    • “This is the main reason behind the game’s lack of replayability; if you have discovered something on a level, then play it again, it will always be the same.”
    • “Sadly after you complete it, it has no replay value.”
    • “There are no branching paths or other reasons to replay this game, so it has no replay value whatsoever.”
  • atmosphere47 mentions

    The atmosphere of Jazzpunk is widely praised for its unique blend of humor, surrealism, and retro-futuristic aesthetics, effectively immersing players in a quirky and captivating world. The game's soundtrack, featuring jazz and lounge music, complements its vibrant visuals and offbeat style, enhancing the overall experience. While some players found certain elements repetitive, the majority appreciated the game's ability to create a lighthearted and engaging atmosphere filled with comedic moments and interactive details.

    • “Jazzpunk will completely captivate you with its incredibly weird and funny atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack is also top-notch, featuring a mix of jazz, swing, and lounge music that perfectly complements the game's world and atmosphere.”
    • “The style and atmosphere that this game has is absolutely breathtaking and has been one of my favorite games for years now.”
    • “I can see that it was intentional that way to contribute to the atmosphere, but the first level was nerve-wracking to get through by virtue of the repetitive, obnoxious background music.”
    • “The atmosphere is weird.”
    • “There's no atmosphere, I'm not even convinced the game has a plot.”
  • stability25 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting persistent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as freezing and clipping issues. While some users experience minimal problems and find the game runs smoothly on certain systems, others face significant stability challenges that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" with varying degrees of impact on gameplay, leading to a generally unstable experience.

    • “Well written and runs great on Linux Mint.”
    • “Hilarious and absurd, and best of all, it runs great on my old laptop.”
    • “Flawless gameplay, no glitches, totally original concept.”
    • “However, my only complaint is that even after all these years since its initial release, it is still quite buggy at times, with the chance of the player accidentally clipping out into a wall or being sent off the area without a way to go back.”
    • “Only way to play is to turn v-sync on and use a controller, and even still it freezes consistently.”
    • “Glitches that make it impossible to win the game are a very serious thing, and a lot of people are still reporting them, yet the developers haven't updated in a while.”
  • emotional18 mentions

    The emotional responses to the game vary widely, with some players experiencing profound joy and laughter, while others felt discomfort or emptiness. Many praised its ability to evoke strong feelings, from heartwarming moments to tears of laughter, though some noted that the minimalistic design and graphics could detract from the experience. Overall, the game seems to elicit a unique emotional rollercoaster, appealing to those who appreciate its quirky charm.

    • “One of the two games that have made me cry.”
    • “This game was an extremely emotional trainwreck and it made me cry for hours on end.”
    • “The style was absolutely heartbreaking and it hurt me so when it had finished... this game left me empty inside wanting more, as it dragged me through otherworldly pleasure of amazing beauty, such heartwarming feelings.”
  • optimization17 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues, including low frame rates and memory leaks. While a few players noted satisfactory performance on less demanding hardware, the overall consensus highlights a lack of optimization that detracts from the gaming experience.

    • “The performance is beautiful and the jokes are really funny!”
    • “Optimization seemed fine (it's not terribly demanding) and it never crashed on me.”
    • “The game’s framerate was rock-solid, and I was extremely impressed by the performance in general (I even managed to livestream it from my 6-year-old laptop).”
    • “My computer can run very demanding games but not this one; it has nothing to do with hardware, it's just the most poorly optimized game in history.”
    • “Didn't like the jokes; game optimization is non-existent.”
    • “It seems as though there's a memory leak or something because sometimes performance gets progressively worse after certain events.”
  • grinding17 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often unenjoyable, with many describing it as a slog filled with repetitive tasks and mini-games. While there are moments of humor and unique gameplay, the majority of the experience is marred by a lack of substance and excessive grinding, leading to a frustrating experience for those seeking to unlock achievements.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Making sure that the game isn't grindy is good.”
    • “Tedious, not funny.”
    • “There are a few segments which are unique and fun to play, but the vast majority just comes off as annoying and tedious.”
    • “The first level was fine, but eventually the onslaught of pop culture references, along with the lack of any substance in the interactions or mini-games made a short game feel tedious.”
  • character development6 mentions

    While the game features appealing and stylized character designs, reviewers note a lack of depth and meaningful character development, leading to a sense of superficiality in the overall experience. Although it may be enjoyable for a short time, the absence of real challenges and character growth diminishes its long-term engagement.

    • “I kind of liked the heavily stylized character designs.”
    • “If you love silly games and interesting character design, I recommend buying/playing this game if you have some extra money in your pocket and a few hours to spare.”
    • “I do really like the aesthetics, the graphics, character design, and the audio; it is actually a pleasant game to play from that point of view.”
    • “It's like one of those games that's intensely interesting for a short while, but sooner or later you realize that you might not bother finishing it because a) there doesn't seem to be much of a real challenge and b) there's not any real concept of character development or depth.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for its intrusive advertising, which feels out of place and detracts from the overall experience. Users noted that the ads are reminiscent of outdated content, leading to frustration rather than engagement.

    • “With advertising as confident as it was, it looked like it would be a pretty solid title, despite the fact that it was never disclosed exactly what you did in it.”
    • “Go to a cinema, annoy the patrons while watching a repeated advertisement from the 1950s.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Buy Jazzpunk: Director's Cut

Play time

3hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 57 analyzed playthroughs

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