Review: JustAxe (PC) – That VideoGame Blog

JustAxe brings back memories of those classic Adobe Flash games from the days when sites like Newgrounds and Kongregate reigned supreme. It’s a straightforward and brief platformer with that familiar Flash game vibe, complete with similar controls. If you haven’t played these types of games before, you might find yourself a little put off by the sluggish mechanics and quirky game physics. It’s not exactly what we’d expect from a console game hitting the shelves in 2024.

Enemies in JustAxe are relentless in their pursuit of little Martha, the character you control. These determined foes are so laser-focused on her that they’ll stack on top of each other, falling into traps and crevices just to try and reach her. When they attack, Martha is sometimes knocked back irrationally far, giving you a feel of those nostalgic Flash-game physics that seem to defy realism.

Moving around in JustAxe showcases these Flash-game physics too. Martha runs, jumps, and swings her trusty axe as you’d expect, but there’s something off about the way it handles—it lacks the smoothness you’d want. For instance, in one chase level, instead of plunging straight to a metaphorical end when hitting a spiky pit, she just bounces off, taking damage each time she hits. It’s little quirks like these that give the game an unpolished feel.

Fortunately, JustAxe is a short stint—a three-hour journey you can breeze through in an afternoon. The storyline is pretty minimal, but that’s par for the course with this type of game. It’s really geared towards those looking to kill some time, whether it’s during a monotonous train ride or at an unwelcome family gathering. At the very least, it can provide a distraction as you tackle its somewhat vexing levels and tenacious foes.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game that was provided by the publisher.