Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery came out of nowhere so I had no expectations starting this game on my PS Vita. The first episode out of a five episode game was too short but left a lasting impression on me. It’s beautifu, unique art style and shockingly low price means everyone should give this title a go.
The first episode of Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery tells a simple yet charming story. You play as a young boy called Jacob who is sent to summer camp far from civilisation, here he solves numerous puzzles, encounters some very memorable characters and most importantly a friendly bigfoot called Biggie. The characters are one of the standouts in this episode with each one fully voice acted and brimming with personality. The game is powered by the Unreal engine so the graphics are beautiful throughout. The game boasts a really distinct art style which complements the characters personalities perfectly.
The sole mechanic of this game is puzzle solving. There are 23 puzzles to solve in the first episode and they are all very different from each other and mostly very challenging. There were times where I had to really sit down and focus on the puzzle to correctly solve it. The puzzles are difficult but thankfully you have help if needed. In the game there are empty cans strewn throughout the environment and collecting these gives Jacob phone credit to call a friend who will provide hints how to solve the puzzles. I found myself using these hints throughout the episode to solve the puzzles because sometimes the explanations about how to solve the puzzle were lacking.
Episode 1 of Jacob Jones and Bigfoot Mystery ended way too abruptly. Just as I was getting the hang of the puzzles and starting the feel for the characters the game suddenly ended. I felt that if the game could have been even an hour longer I would been satisfied and still excited to play the next episode. The loading times are also a bit on the long side but it wasn’t enough to detract from the rest of the game.
Episode 1 of Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery is a great start to what hopes to be an enjoyable and engaging game. It was way too short at just over 3 hours and the loading times were long in some areas but the graphics and charm of the characters made me overlook these points. The puzzles can be frustrating sometimes but at least you can skip them and come back to them at a later time. It remains to be seen if the next four episodes can retain the charm and originality of this episode but for the paltry price of €1.99, every gamer at least needs to try this out for themselves.