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Jars

Posted by GG Goblin On October - 27 - 2021

How much fun can you have with jars on shelves?

 
The tower defence video game genre is well established and new entries have been slowly churning out for years, giving fans of the genre something new to try on a regular basis. However, it is a rare tower defence game that stands out from the pack. Jars, the latest game from Mousetrap Games and Daedalic Entertainment for Switch and PC, is a tower defence game that does stand out thanks to its very cool visual style. The good news is that behind the creepy visuals is a solid, highly entertaining puzzle tower defence game with all manner of creepy crawlies.

 


 
Tower defence games are not known for their stories, and while the story in Jars is perhaps not particularly deep, it is still plenty of fun and gives the player some reason to keep moving forward beyond simply solving all of the puzzles. Players join the quiet, and slightly creepy looking, Victor as he heads down into the family basement to uncover secrets and break some jars. The story is nicely presented, in large part thanks to the great visual theme.

 
The visual theme really is the stand out feature that will likely first attract players to the game. Jars uses a Burtonesque hand-drawn style that really looks great on the small Switch screen. The multitude of different creepy crawlies and creatures in the game are animated with simple movement that suits the style. Despite the creepy nature of the creepy crawlies, many of them look really cute and endearing, adding to the fun level. There is a nice variety to the game with new objects being introduced regularly, so there is always something new to look at.

 
All of this is great, but how does the game play? Well, the player will be looking at a selection of shelves filled with all manner of objects and jars. The main objective will be to break open all of the jars and protect the Sarcophagus. The problem comes from the fact that the jars can have different things in them. Some jars are clearly labelled as containing either something that will help out the player, such as a minion, or something not so great, such as an enemy creature that will work their way along the shelves, maybe using little ladders between the shelves to move up or down, and attack the Sarcophagus. Then there are the unknown, random jars that could contain anything, adding a certain amount of luck to each level.

 


 
Players will have to make use of their minion critters to stop the nasties in their tracks. These minions can be upgraded with perks that will make them more useful in certain situations. There are also objects that can be used against the nasties, like darts or glue to slow them down, and so players will have to think on their feet and adapt to each situation as it arises. Levels are generally quite short so players will never get bogged down with ever more complex situations, and there are different objectives for players to worry about, keeping things fresh and interesting.

 
As the player works through the levels in Jars, they will earn points that can be spent in a shop on new minions and the like. This gives the player something to work towards, especially as certain levels may have limitations imposed that force the player to tweak their strategy. There is also a rather fun little Hero mode in which the player directly controls a minion, giving further variety to the game.

 
Realistically, the visuals are the main stand out feature in Jars. The gameplay is quirky and fun, but not that different from plenty of other tower defence games. Still, it is all done very well and the game is available on Switch at a relatively low price, making it even more attractive for fans of the tower defence genre.

 


 
With a fun story, a great visual style and solid gameplay, Jars is an easy recommendation for tower defence or even puzzle game fans. It may not break the mold for the genre, but it does plenty right to keep players coming back for more. It is also one of those ideal games for playing on the Switch in handheld mode thanks to the pick up and play nature and the short levels, although it works perfectly well and looks great on the big screen as well. For anyone looking for Burton-style creepiness this season of scares, or any other time of the year, and fancy a puzzle game, Jars is highly recommended.

 

 ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 



 

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