o Go Jump!! is by far the most infuriating game of 2024 – ruining relationships, controllers, and mindfulness as you explode – guts and all when, yet again, you’ve mistimed a jump you’ve perfected 40 times previously. I love it.
You typically know what you’re getting into with an Eastasiasoft game: an indie title, sometimes niche, sometimes full of anime boobs, but almost always a fast supply of achievements. That doesn’t apply to Manning Media’s action title: you earn them properly through blood, sweat and tears (an equal amount of all three).
In Go Go Jump!! you play as Dylan the Dog in a quest to earn every Jump Master badge, continuing the legacy of their late father – a former wannabe Jump Master. Jumping Master? Pfft… they’re no Jump King. Eh? Eh?
Go Go Jump!! PS5 Review
A handful of modes are on offer in this pseudo platformer/rhythm game: Story, Boss Rush, Challenges, and Survival. In Story, you battle eight different jump masters in any particular order you wish, though with varying difficulty. I began with the very first stage, then after achieving the badge, swiftly went to the last stage (and mildly regretted it, though eventually came out on top).
This method puts things in perspective as doing the hardest stage in Go Go Jump!! would make everything easier, right? Bless. You’re so naive, younger version of me. Ok, this is what’ll happen in each stage: there’s an optional back story (worth it), followed by an amusing cutscene, and then the action begins with a Jump!!!
Sound plays a massive part in this game as there are often hints when to jump out of the way of a projectile purely by listening, while others are 100% visual. There are three phases in each stage, and there are no lives per se, but if you get hit, you restart at the phase (determined by an animation). The sheer rage this causes is wild, as I genuinely wanted to let loose. Fortunately, this is all countered by the comedy and euphoria of passing the finish line.
One of the reasons why Go Go Jump!! gets the green light for replayability and not dismissed as ‘unnecessarily difficult for the sake of it’ is due to its fairness. Yes, it’s ludicrously hard but each has a pattern to learn and will not change. On the first attempt, it seems insane, though patience and perseverance are needed, and then all you need is a good-ish memory and the timing right. 90% of errors are on you. That doesn’t mean it isn’t infuriating.
How’s My Jumping? Call 1-800…
The artwork throughout is brilliant and is a mixture of 2D and 3D. Let’s use Paper Mario as our go-to reference. As good as it looks, it’s the skits that reduce the anger levels. Fully voice-acted with some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments and portrayed in a Pokemon naivety, fused with some sarcastic deadpan, it’s a nice balance. Mostly.
I got the game close to the release date, which was a couple of days ago, though I couldn’t get far enough to give a fair enough assessment. That’s not entirely because of the difficulty, but I had to play Go Go Jump!! in small doses in fear of kicking something and regretting it. My eldest daughter got involved and ‘hated it’, yet couldn’t stop playing and unlocking some trophies for me with a discreet smirk.
Once you finish the story, there are boss-focused stages, Survival and Challenges, but again, they must be done in small doses due to how hectic they can feel. When played in moderation, Go Go Jump!! is an absolute blast to play, and in my opinion, one of the best titles Eastasiasoft has published – Manning Media did a great job. Now hop/jump to it, and go sniff this out for PS5 (or Xbox, Switch, or even Steam).
The verdict?
