Mr. Jack Pocket Review
Price: $5.99
Version Reviewed: 1.2
App Reviewed on: iPad 2
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A killer stalks the city, ensconced within the dark cloak of its midnight shadows. Fog rises to cloud the vision, and the somber toll of the distant clock tower echoes the quiet, gnawing fear in the populace – the streets of Whitechapel once again belong to Jack. But they are not alone – this night, there are those who would hunt the hunter and end his reign of terror. Holmes, Watson, and their faithful dog Toby must be quick about their task, though, because should Jack escape them tonight, there will be no finding him.
The presentation is very strong, with intuitive controls and good ambient music. From a graphics perspective, it is definitely a ‘board game’ – tiles and tokens look like their real-world counterparts, without any embellishment. However, the animation and controls are smooth and intuitive, leaving players free to focus on the central element of Mr. Jack – the deduction. In each game, as detectives and killer took their turns moving pieces and rotating tiles, I found myself mentally crossing my fingers, hoping I hadn’t missed something and that I had predicted my opponent’s actions correctly.
As a solo game it provides a great puzzle to be solved, either in tense contemplation or as quickly as humanly possible - the Blitz mode even adds a timer and scorekeeping to increase the challenge considerably. But where Mr. Jack really shines is as a two-player experience, delivering that same tension one gets from a good game of chess in a fraction of the time.
Overall, Mr. Jack Pocket does an excellent job of bringing a solid little board game to iOS. With excellent presentation, a smart AI, and perfect pass-and-play potential, it delivers on its promise – that of a challenging cat-and-mouse game that will keep players coming back for "just one more round." And maybe one more after that.