Jackal Review: Stylish, Jazzy Chaos That Burns Bright and Fast

Introduction

From the moment Jackal boots up, it makes its intentions clear. The smooth, jazzy tones playing over the main menu immediately set a laid-back but dangerous vibe, like something pulled straight out of a grimy 1970s crime thriller. It’s stylish, soulful, and effortlessly cool — the kind of presentation that makes you lean back and think, okay, I’m listening.

That first impression matters, because Jackal is a game built almost entirely around vibes and velocity. It doesn’t waste time pretending to be something it isn’t. This is a top-down, twin-stick action game that wants you to feel like an unstoppable, John Wick-style force of violence… right up until you aren’t.

And then it sends you back to the start to do it all over again.

Narrative

Let’s be clear upfront: Jackal is not a story-driven game in the traditional sense. The narrative exists mostly to justify the mayhem, and more often than not, it leaves you scratching your head wondering what exactly is going on.

That said, the narrator does a lot of heavy lifting. Every cutscene is delivered with confidence and clarity, even when the story itself veers into over-the-top nonsense. His voice fits the tone perfectly, breathing life into the game’s simplistic but moody presentation and keeping the chaos grounded just enough to stay engaging.

You don’t play Jackal for deep lore or emotional beats. You play it for the atmosphere — the jazzy score, the grindhouse energy, and the feeling that you’ve stepped into a stylish fever dream where logic takes a backseat to momentum.

Gameplay

The easiest way to describe Jackal is this: it feels like My Friend Pedro and Hotline Miami had a baby, and nobody asked for that combination — but somehow, it works.

Each level drops you into a confined space filled with enemies armed to the teeth. Pistols, shotguns, crowbars, axes, bats — everything is lethal, and everything can kill you fast. Your goal is simple: eliminate everyone before they eliminate you. If you succeed, you move on. If you don’t, you restart the level from the beginning.

What makes Jackal special is its innate chaos.

Even after replaying levels multiple times — knowing where enemies spawn and what weapons they’re holding — things can spiral out of control instantly. The moment you engage the first enemy, plans fall apart. It’s that “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” energy, except translated into a top-down action game.

Combat is fast, brutal, and incredibly visceral. Stunning an enemy opens them up to some truly crunchy finishers: slamming them into walls, curb-stomping them, or obliterating them with whatever weapon you’re holding. These moments feel violent in a way that perfectly matches the game’s tone.

There’s also a strong roguelike-adjacent layer of replayability. Different seeds, enemy and weapon spawns, and ability cards — like teleportation — keep runs feeling fresh, at least for a while.

That said, Jackal eventually starts to feel like chewing bubble gum. The flavor hits hard at first. It’s satisfying, creative, and exciting right out of the gate. But repetition kicks in quickly, and once the novelty wears off, the gameplay loop loses some of its punch.

Presentation & Performance

Visually, Jackal leans into a gritty, minimalist aesthetic that complements its tone well. The moody cutscenes, jazzy soundtrack, and crunchy sound design work together to create a grounded but stylish battlefield.

Performance on Steam Deck is excellent. I didn’t even bother turning on the FPS counter — the game ran smoothly from start to finish with no noticeable hiccups. For a fast-paced action game like this, that consistency matters a lot.

I did encounter a few bugs, though. Occasionally getting stuck in environmental geometry, like bathroom stalls, or enemies freezing in place. Unfortunately, both types of bugs resulted in deaths, which always stings in a restart-heavy game. Thankfully, none of these moments were frequent enough to cause rage-quitting.

Pros

Jackal earns serious points for creativity and style. The combination of jazzy music, gritty violence, and fast, reactive combat creates a unique identity that immediately stands out. The narrator elevates the presentation, and the brutal finishers feel satisfyingly crunchy and impactful. Moment to moment, the game can make you feel like an absolute action-movie badass, especially when you clear a level cleanly.

The short runtime works in the game’s favor. Jackal knows exactly what it wants to be, delivers that experience confidently, and gets out before overstaying its welcome. The replayability options — seeds, weapon variation, and ability cards — add just enough depth to justify repeat runs.

Cons

The repetition sets in faster than I would’ve liked. Once the initial novelty wears off, the gameplay loop starts to feel familiar, and it becomes harder to tell whether success comes from skill or sheer luck. Hitbox issues and chaotic enemy behavior sometimes make deaths feel unfair, which can be frustrating in a game built around instant restarts.

Narratively, the story is mostly window dressing. While the presentation is strong, players looking for a meaningful or coherent narrative won’t find much here. Minor bugs, especially those that lead directly to death, also take some shine off an otherwise polished experience.

Overall / Should You Play It?

Jackal is frustratingly fun — and I mean that as a compliment.

There were moments where I genuinely felt like a skilled, unstoppable force, clearing rooms with confidence and precision. Other times, I wasn’t sure if I played well or just got lucky. That ambiguity is both part of the game’s charm and one of its biggest drawbacks. If you’re looking for a deep story or long-term progression, this isn’t the game for you. But if you want a short, stylish burst of crunchy, chaotic action with killer vibes and strong replay value, Jackal is absolutely worth your time.

Overall the game is short, flawed, stylish, and brutally fun. It burns bright, hits hard, and knows exactly when to leave the stage.