Game Reviews

Junk Jack X

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iOS
| Junk Jack X
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Junk Jack X
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iOS
| Junk Jack X

Exploration in video games has changed a lot in recent years. Many games let you set out on your own, establishing your own boundaries and playing around with the mechanics the developer has provided.

When done right, this can open up a world of possibilities. When done wrong, it can leave you standing in a digital field, rubbing the top of your digital head and crying for a digital parent.

Junk?

The first Junk Jack just about managed to walk the line between the two, but Junk Jack X is a more considered beast. Here you've got simplified crafting, a more open tutorial, and even an Adventure mode for those looking for a little more linearity.

The end result is, in all honesty, pretty similar. There's an extra layer of polish, and a few neat ideas here and there, but you're still side-scrolling through a destructible world gathering up resources and building new objects.

The controls are smooth and slick, letting you navigate the blocky world with ease. You slide a finger to move, swiping diagonally to leap onto higher outcrops, and tapping on materials to break them down into usable pieces.

All the randomly generated worlds you explore are vast, stretching a good 15 minutes long at the top, and with deep caverns you can mine into below.

A simple crafting option lets you create anything you have the materials for with a couple of taps, while a more complex system, recommended for seasoned players, requires you to position the materials in a three-by-three grid.

Jack?

The Adventure mode adds a little more impetus, and the ability to play with your friends over wi-fi or online is a great boost, but in the end Junk Jack X is more of the same, albeit far slicker and more refined than its predecessor.

If you're looking for your first taste of mobile craft-'em-ups then Junk Jack X is a great place to start. It's a big welcoming space where you can experiment and explore to your heart's content.

If you're yet to be convinced by the genre, though, there's not much here that's going to sway you in its favour.

Junk Jack X

A polished and well-contructed side-scrolling sandbox, Junk Jack X doesn't build much on the foundations of its predecessor, but what it adds is well worth exploring
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.