Jack Keane 2 - The Fire Within

Nice and fun adventure game.

Well, to be honest, the game is not the glitchy at all. The story is cool, old-school adventure game. You have multiple characters playable during different moments, you have multiple locations, different villains, and a combination of 1v1 turn-based timed fighting matches and a bit of platforming mixed in the point-and-click environment. The fights really pissed me off, because I never thought I should pay attention to the succession of movements while learning and if you miss this time, you're in for a lot of repetitions (like me). Another really annoying aspect for me was the camera POVs - sometimes I could see the item and the camera wouldn't switch areas, so I had to watch from such a distance I would try to get that pixel for 5-10 seconds. Priceless! The chat system is nice; I got zero glitches and problems coming from there. All in all, I got 2 crashes and both were just before an auto save game moment, so I guess it may be connected to that function. The characters are typical Broken Sword-esque males and females with the physique of Guybrush for the males :D There are a lot of cliches used, but hey - it's not such a bad game as the reviews here make it out to be. Not to mention most negative reviews come from crashes and glitches and not from the story, characters, plot and so on.

Après un 1er épisode sorti en 2007 que j'avais trouvé long, ennuyeux & assez poussif surtout comparé à la géniale trilogie des Ankh (dont on attend encore les versions FR sur Steam...) & aussi au fait que je l'avais fait en plusieurs sessions décalées d'un mois ce qui est rare & jamais bon signe... Bref après un excellent RPG-light 'Venetica' & autres en passant, Deck 13 nous pond la suite. Avec toutes les critiques négatives sur ce jeu, je ne savais pas quoi en penser au départ surtout vu la différence avec le 1er qui étaient assez bonnes à l'époque. Graphiquement, il reprend la même touche cartoon des productions du studio, en plus détaillé bien entendu quand même... Au final, on retrouve un humour assez classique, absurde & prévisible bien que réservant quelques surprises, des énigmes elles aussi assez classiques & simples, ce qui n'est pas un mal... Ils ont rajouté des sauts possibles & des contrôles pensés plus pour un pad (un peu bancal dans pour un point n' click mais admettons), des espèces de mini-jeu de combat sans intérêts (qui au final ne sont qu'une version revisitée du papier/ciseau où il faudra uniquement utilisé la bonne contre-attaque apprise au préalable contre l'attaque de l'adversaire) L'histoire est linéaire & il n'y aura jamais plus d'une chose à faire à la fois mais il y aura quelques énigmes alternatives par endroits en fonction de la quo-équipière choisie. Il ne révolutionne pas le genre mais reste bien sympathique au final, assez varié au niveau des environnements & actions, tout aussi déjanté que le 1er sans être aussi bordélique. & si cela ne suffit pas il y a toute une liste de recette de bananes...

Somehow managed through this chore of a game. It is just awful. I have played hundreds of point and clicks and this may be the worst. Even if you somewhat liked the first one, just pretend like this game doesn't exist unless it gets overhauled. The story is very meh. The graphics are fine but the are so may graphical glitches that make moving your character or clicking on objects (2 of the only things you need to be able to do in a point and click) impossible.

Jack Keane 2: The Fire Within, developed by Deck 13 and published by astragon Entertainment, is a spirited return to the misadventures of the titular British explorer whose overconfidence and charm continually get him into trouble. Acting as a sequel to the cult hit Jack Keane, this installment tries to capture the same sense of tongue-in-cheek adventure while updating the mechanics for a new generation of players. Set at the turn of the 20th century, the story begins in Shanghai, where Jack, now down on his luck, finds himself imprisoned and swept into a search for the mythical Ukumba amulet, an artifact said to hold extraordinary power. This discovery launches him into another globe-trotting escapade filled with ancient secrets, treacherous villains, and romantic entanglements. The story mixes lighthearted humor with the charm of a pulp adventure, drawing clear inspiration from classic serials and films like Indiana Jones, though with a self-aware comedic tone that makes it uniquely its own. The narrative structure is solidly in the tradition of classic point-and-click adventures, though the presentation is far more cinematic than its predecessor. Jack is joined by familiar and new faces alike, including Amanda, his sharp-witted former partner, and Eve, a daring photographer with secrets of her own. The dynamic between them creates a humorous love triangle that provides much of the game’s character-driven tension. Along the way, Jack’s interactions with colorful side characters—ranging from bumbling inventors to eccentric locals—keep the tone lively. The dialogue is laced with clever wordplay and dry humor, and while the writing sometimes leans into cliché, it does so knowingly. Deck 13’s narrative approach makes the adventure feel like a tongue-in-cheek homage to the golden age of pulp fiction, never taking itself too seriously while still providing enough intrigue to drive the player forward. Gameplay-wise, Jack Keane 2 attempts to bridge the gap between traditional adventure design and more modern third-person controls. Players can move Jack using both the mouse and keyboard, giving the experience a more tactile and direct feel than the purely point-and-click system of the first game. Puzzles are central to progression and range from classic inventory combinations to logic-based challenges and environmental manipulation. Many of these puzzles are cleverly designed and intuitive, offering enough complexity to be rewarding without falling into the genre’s notorious pitfalls of illogical solutions. However, a few sections stray into frustration—particularly in dreamlike or abstract sequences where logic gives way to surreal imagery, forcing players to rely more on trial and error than deduction. The inclusion of a subtle hint system, highlighting interactable objects, helps alleviate some of the frustration while maintaining the satisfaction of solving puzzles independently. Technically, Jack Keane 2 is a clear step up from its predecessor. Built on Deck 13’s proprietary engine, the environments are richly detailed and vibrantly colored. Each location—from bustling Shanghai streets to African jungles and mystical temples—is designed with personality and depth. The use of lighting and texture gives the game a warm, storybook quality that complements its adventurous spirit. The character models are expressive and stylized, fitting the game’s humorous tone, though animations can be stiff at times, particularly during transitions or action scenes. Cutscenes, presented with a cinematic flair, move the story forward effectively and showcase the developers’ ambition to blend filmic storytelling with traditional adventure gameplay. The soundtrack deserves special mention, featuring orchestral themes and playful motifs that perfectly capture the mood of lighthearted exploration. The voice acting, while uneven, adds personality to each character, with Jack’s sarcastic delivery serving as a consistent highlight. Despite its charm, the game struggles with pacing and technical polish. The attempt to incorporate 3D movement and action-like mechanics occasionally undermines the precision that adventure games require. Camera angles can obstruct key objects, and navigation through tight environments sometimes leads to misclicks or awkward pathfinding. The jumping mechanic, while intended to make movement more dynamic, often feels unnecessary and clumsy. Technical bugs, including occasional freezes, audio desynchronization, and invisible object triggers, can further break immersion. While none of these issues are game-breaking, they accumulate over time and serve as reminders that the game’s ambition slightly outpaces its execution. These shortcomings are particularly noticeable in the midgame chapters, where the blend of exploration and dialogue-heavy sequences loses rhythm and the momentum of the story briefly stalls before ramping back up toward the finale. Narratively, Jack Keane 2 is both entertaining and familiar. It doesn’t stray far from the genre’s conventions—there’s a lost artifact, a morally ambiguous villain, exotic locales, and a reluctant hero driven by equal parts greed and curiosity. Yet, what makes it enjoyable is its self-awareness. The game pokes fun at the tropes it employs, allowing Jack’s arrogance and clumsy heroism to become part of the humor rather than a flaw. The dialogue is peppered with meta references, breaking the fourth wall and acknowledging the absurdity of the situations Jack finds himself in. The interpersonal relationships add a human touch to the farcical adventure, particularly the interactions between Jack, Amanda, and Eve. These moments of levity and emotion give the story balance, ensuring it never devolves into parody. As a whole, Jack Keane 2: The Fire Within succeeds as a nostalgic and entertaining adventure, even if it occasionally falters under the weight of its ambition. It aims to modernize the classic adventure formula with cinematic presentation and freer movement, and while not all these elements gel perfectly, the result remains endearing. For fans of the genre, it offers a satisfying mix of humor, exploration, and puzzle-solving wrapped in a charmingly old-fashioned adventure story. For newcomers, its quirks and dated mechanics may feel cumbersome, but its personality and visual appeal make it worth experiencing. Jack Keane 2 may not reinvent the adventure genre, but it rekindles the spirit of playful discovery that defines it—a flawed yet heartfelt continuation of Deck 13’s beloved swashbuckling series. Rating: 5/10

Yes, this game has its bugs. But the rest is mostly solid - a little more polish and this would be a nice game for its time. The recommendation ist for people who played the first part and want to know how the stoy continued.

这什么鬼游戏....

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La verdad me pareció una muy buena aventura gráfica, mucho mejor que el primero sin dudas. Así que no comprendo los comentarios de reseñas negativas sobre este juego en alusión al primero... Pro: -Mejor calidad gráfica -Sonido y música -Ambientación, en este juego no parece tan vacías las cosas como en el primero -Jugabilidad, en este juego podremos movernos con w,s,a,d, caminar/correr y saltar para alcanzar ciertos items o esquivar obstáculos - Podremos elegir entre mejorar nuestra relación con Amanda ( personaje del juego anterior) o Eve (personaje nuevo), dependiendo de la relación con estos personajes, se desbloquean distintos finales. Cons: - Al igual que el primero, ciertas veces puede que se nos bugee de tal forma que deberemos cargar una partida guardada con anterioridad para poder continuar - No posee versión en español en steam, pero se puede conseguir los subtitulo de internet. Sumamente recomendado ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The truth is that I thought it was a very good graphic adventure, much better than the first without a doubt. So I don't understand the negative review comments about this game referring to the first one... Pro: -Better graphic quality -Sound and music -Atmosphere, in this game things don't seem as empty as in the first -Gameplay, in this game we can move with w,s,a,d, walk/run and jump to reach certain items or avoid obstacles - We can choose between improving our relationship with Amanda (character from the previous game) or Eve (new character). Depending on the relationship with these characters, different endings are unlocked Cons: - Like the first one, sometimes we may be bugged in such a way that we will have to load a previously saved game to be able to continue - It does not have a Spanish version on Steam, but you can get the subtitles online Highly recommended

The game crashed as I selected a chat option during the last part of the game. The controls are just terrible, and sometimes the response times are just awful. Also why the hell is there a romance option in a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ point and click adventure? Edit: I also love how one of the characters looks nothing like the drawn version of them in the promotional artwork.