Playing JustAxe brings back memories of those vintage Flash games we used to dive into on platforms like Newgrounds and Kongregate. It’s a straightforward platformer that carries the same fluidity and control feel that defined those classic games. However, for gamers who haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing such titles, the sluggishness and puzzling game physics might be a turn-off. For a console game set to be released in 2024, it doesn’t exactly set the bar high.
The behavior of the enemies is a prime example of what we’re dealing with here. The foes can’t seem to get enough of little Martha, the character players guide through levels. Their aggression is so intense they’ll stack up and tumble into traps, all in a comical attempt to catch her. Once they actually manage to attack, the way Martha is flung several yards away defies all real-world logic. This, my friends, is Flash game physics at its finest—or perhaps its most frustrating.
Now, let’s talk about moving Martha around. The game has her running, jumping, and wielding her trusty axe as you’d expect, but there’s this persistent lack of smoothness in the controls that keeps popping up. Take one of the chase levels, for instance: when Martha finds herself plummeting into the spiky abyss, rather than suffering a definitive end, she bounces off the spikes, taking damage each time. These quirky details give the game an unfinished feel.
Fortunately, JustAxe is a short affair, clocking in at around three hours, making it a perfect way to kill time when you’re stuck on a long commute or enduring an awkward family gathering. The storyline is minimalistic, which isn’t surprising for this genre. It serves its purpose well as a means of escaping reality for a bit, tackling those mildly irritating level challenges and pesky enemies.
This review was crafted from a retail copy provided by the publisher.
