Pampanga-based video games development studio Keybol Games has officially released their latest creation Jack Axe, a 2D pixel art open-world platformer on Steam, Utomik, and Nintendo Switch.
Developed by an all-Filipino team composed of Thea Morrison, Mike Reñevo, Melai Silvestre, and Bari Silvestre, Jack Axe’s gameplay revolves around the main character — Jack, who has an axe — as she takes on a variety of platforming challenges while utilizing her axe-tossing ability to explore a unique world. The game breaks the taboo with a young female character as the main player by arming her and by taking a “man’s job” despite the protestations of an irate god in this Norse/Filipino fusion.
Jack Axe lets you explore a colorful and vibrant world with challenging platforming levels by taking girl power to the next level (and the level after that) with axe-tossing awesomeness. You may use Jack’s Axe to perform incredible platforming feats, with the game allowing up to four (04) players in a campaign from multiple game modes.
“The game started as a craving to play Mario Odyssey. Just like with Mario’s hat-throwing mechanic, we decided to create a similar, axe-throwing mechanic but in a two-dimensional space,” according to Thea Morrison, co-founder of Keybol Games.
Keybol Games started out making browser games and now develops and publishes desktop, mobile, and console games such as Tower Fortress, Grand Guilds, Towertale, High Noon Revolver, Gnome More War, Kill the Plumber, and Pretentious Game.
The development of Jack Axe took three (03) years to finish, with the final product currently available for PC and Nintendo Switch. Future plans for the game include a release to other gaming consoles like the Xbox and PS4. The main soundtrack for the game was made by Zach Striefel, and the rest was commissioned from Tizianu Bellu, Callum Rivers, and The Mad Duck.
Jack Axe is published by global publisher Neon Doctrine and is currently priced at US$14.99 on both Steam and the Nintendo eShop.