Johnny Rocket [Xbox]

Developed by HEDE alongside KG Game Studio, Johnny Rocket is a 2D side-scrolling adventure where you’ll take on the titular role of Johnny as he fights against the ‘Evil Forces’ of the Nazis. The controls are simple, with you being able to double jump as well as headbutt - and you’ve got a gun - so you’ll run, jump and shoot your way through this cartoony, monochromatic world. With only a few short levels, you can easily blast through the entire game in under an hour, and with no additional skills or upgrades to earn, it feels somewhat lacking in content.

The visuals of Johnny Rocket are very unique, with a hand-drawn comic style that is totally black and white. The simple designs make things look fantastically quirky, and the humour of the game is very fitting. We can always appreciate art styles that deviate from the norm, and Johnny Rocket definitely hits the mark. Character designs are great, and work beautifully with the overall theme - adding plenty of randomness in the selection available, with some surprising foes alongside the Nazis - and the level bosses are well crafted too. Sadly, they look better than the combat they provide, with most enemies dying without putting up much of a fight (though you are similarly as squishy, so bear that in mind!), so you don’t get much satisfaction out of defeating an enemy and making it through to the end.

Overall, Johnny Rocket is lacking in a lot of areas. At just £4.19 on the Xbox Store you might be tempted by the super lower price, but it’s an unbelievably short adventure that sadly doesn’t quite live up to what it could have been. It is available as part of a three-pack, with two other titles from the same publisher for £12.49, but even at that, the value-for-money aspect just isn’t quite there.

In the end, we decided to give Johnny Rocket the Collecting Asylum rating of 3.5/10.

Have you played Johnny Rocket yet? What did you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!

- V x

Thank you to Restless Corp for the Johnny Rocket Xbox One review code!