Jack of All Worlds

Jack of All Worlds

Journey with Jack through seven different worlds to find his father

After his father dies in a freak accident, Jack vows to do whatever it takes to bring him back. He begins a journey that will take him through seven different worlds and show him how much of a difference one person can make.

Throughout the journey Jack will find new masks that give him the ability to do things he never thought possible. In order to change history and prevent his father’s tragic death, Jack will need to become the … Jack of All Worlds!

GamerTell Review:

Pros: Very affordable, wonderful script, easy to save (walk over save points), Dawn’s Light cameos, interesting and unexpected battle system, can use items lying around to instantly heal and boost stats, collect items to progress through the story and there’s no level grinding as you get no experience points from battles - just stat boosts and items.
Cons: Few tutorials, so beginners may get lost. Some puzzles (like the one in the Lone Wolves HQ or in the wild West world) aren’t obvious. Short.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 88/100; B+; * * * 1/2 out of 5

John Wizard Games is an indie developer that has become known for well written, funny and interesting Windows PC RPGs. The company’s most recent title is the brief Jack of All Worlds, an affordable, short and somewhat simplistic RPG that presents an interesting, world-hopping storyline with an innovative, turn-based puzzle battle system.

Jack’s got to stop events that would trigger the end of seven worlds.

Jack of All Worlds begins with Jack and his father exploring some sort of cave. We don’t know why, or what they’re doing there. Just that they’re there. Right when Jack’s father finds something interesting, a boulder falls out of nowhere and crushes him.

As Jack is starting to mourn, a mysterious and shadowy figure called Loki shows up. He offers to help Jack bring his dad back, but for a price. Jack must become Loki’s agent, going from the World Between to seven different worlds to effect events to keep each of those worlds from ending. He’ll temporarily borrow the body of one of each world’s residents, then be tasked with completing some kind of errand. He has to follow every single one of Loki’s orders though, even if it involves doing something he doesn’t agree with.

Refreshing and novel, though a little more explanation would be nice.

Jack of All Worlds is probably the one case where I’d advocate for more tutorials. I only say so because it’s a simple sort of RPG, the kind casual or younger gamers may pick up as a way to test and see if they’d enjoy the genre. Anyone who’s played an RPG before will have no issues with Jack of All Worlds but beginners may have problems with things like opening up the menu and knowing that they should be collecting the potion items lying around since there are no explanations. Some puzzles may also pose a problem, because beginners may not even recognize that there’s a puzzle there to solve.

Aside from that minor quirk, Jack of All Trades is a refreshing kind of Windows PC RPG. It’s the sort of game you’d want to bring out and play when you need a quick smile, or have fifteen minutes free. It isn’t too difficult, but it isn’t too easy either. The dialogue is witty and the story interesting. Plus, there are multiple save points so you can easily fit in a few minutes of play.

It also has two interesting gameplay mechanics that you don’t often see in RPGs. The first is the mask system. Jack can acquire masks throughout his world-hopping, and each one has a special ability. He must equip them to use them, and progress through environments. The second is the Simon style battle system. Enemies will launch a series of color-coded attacks at you (green, red or blue), and you must successfully repeat the series back to launch stronger attacks and the finishing blows. Each attack also has a set “sound”, so in case you miss the color you can still know what to do if you were listening closely. You only get items, stat boosts and health from battles, no experience, which makes it easier for RPG beginners since they don’t have to worry about level grinding.

Uncomplicated and somewhat unconventional.

It’s best to think of Jack of All Worlds as a convenient distraction and another example of a fun diversion from John Wizard Games. It’s a great game to pick up and play if you have a few free minutes each day. If you want, you can power through it in a single sitting and few hours, but it’s best enjoyed over the span of a week, enjoying each world and adventure in bite-sized portions.

Jack of All Worlds is also a great starter RPG for people who’ve never actually played one. The battle system is simple and uncomplicated, more similar to a casual puzzle than a standard turn-based affair. There’s no need to level grind, as there are no levels - only stat bonuses you collect from exploring and fighting. You also don’t need to worry about items, equipment or getting sidetracked - just keep moving forward, grabbing any items and you’ll do fine. I think it’d work well as a means of introducing casual gamers to more straightforward games.