May 23, 2021

Warning: Deadly Squirrels Spotted Ahead - Mayhem in Single Valley (Steam) Review

This post may contain affiliate links from places like Amazon and Green Man Gaming — and we may earn a small commission when you click these links. All earnings will go to keeping this website as minimally ad-free as possible. Learn more here.

Warning: Deadly Squirrels Spotted Ahead - Mayhem in Single Valley (Steam) Review

By Joel | May 23, 2021
jack will kick your butt with an acorn on a stick

Jack is an average kid. He has a pet dog, plays video games, lives with his odd parents, and will always come through to save his town in the time of need. Ok, maybe Jack isn’t your average kid, but he is the person chosen to save what’s left of his hometown.

The story for Mayhem in Single Valley starts as Jack is preparing to leave home to attend Art School. As he is finishing saying his goodbyes to his family a mysterious figure is seen pouring toxic waste into the town's water supply. Jack, being the rather odd kid in the neighborhood is quickly blamed for all the tragic events that befall the town.

Armed only with his wits and trusty slingshot, Jack sets out to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure and to restore normalcy back to the town and clear his name. Of course, he has to complete his morning routine first like putting on his shoes, taking his meds, and picking up after his dog, Murphy.

jack will kick your butt with an acorn on a stick

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick

Some of the humor in Mayhem is several miles left of center, but the gameplay hits the mark dead-on for the most part. Many games have used resource management and action as an underlying structure of their design, but Mayhem does it above the rest with its variety of play.

The game is constantly changing and new surprises are doled out at regular intervals pulling you along like a line of sugary sweets. Rather than having multiple quests open, you can only perform small feats of the larger puzzle one at a time to keep the story flowing.

Graphically, the game takes on an old-school retro look with large polygons and pixels littering the screen. The game has a Zelda-ish feel to it with a 3/4 overhead perspective and many of the puzzles and character dialogue seem to borrow from past NES games which is a good thing since it will attract players of all age groups.

Moving Jack around is pretty straightforward, albeit a little slow, and while the controller is an option, I found it best to use the mouse/keyboard combo since you will need to do lots of aiming and the mouse is the best option for that.

jack will kick your butt with an acorn on a stick

Jack Will Kick Your Butt with an Acorn Stick

While the puzzles are fairly logical and none are terribly difficult to figure out, the direction you have to take is rather confusing and you'll oftentimes find yourself backtracking because you missed finding an item or two.

There are also a few too many areas where a single misstep or hesitation can spell instant death. Thankfully, those instances are few and on the whole, the balance between timing and reaction time is pretty solid.

Taken as a whole, Mayhem in Single Valley is a remarkably well-rounded and very polished game. The gameplay, music, controls, and storylines are all individually outstanding and each complements the other nicely. The story may not be original but the execution certainly is. For anyone looking for a little something different or for those that think games nowadays are easy to beat, Mayhem in Single Valley is one game worth checking out.


March 25, 2023
Walking Simulators: Are They Truly Games or Something Else?

Walking simulators are a relatively new kind of game. But when done right, they offer experiences that can be incredibly immersive and emotionally stimulating

Read More
March 24, 2023
Arcade Game, Pizza Possum, Available to Wishlist On Steam

Pizza Possum, a new sneaky arcade game where you stuff your face with delicious food, is unveiled by Cosy Computer and Raw Fury.

Read More
March 23, 2023
Point and Click Adventure Game, Universe For Sale, Coming to Steam

Carefully Craft Worlds in this Sci-fi Narrative Focusing on the Human Existence and What it Means to Know Oneself

Read More

POPULAR POSTS

October 1, 2021
All The Right Ingredients - Potion Craft (Steam) Review

Potion Craft doesn't have a plot in the traditional sense, and honestly, it doesn't really need one to attract an audience of gamers young and old

April 23, 2020
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord - Your Ultimate Cheats Cheat List

TL;DR: Download the Developer Console mod. Enable cheats in your engine_config.txt file (located in \Documents\Mount and Blade II Bannerlord\Configs). Spam CTRL + F4.

March 6, 2023
No Toilet Paper? Don't Worry, Nintendo Has You Covered

Get ready for an adventure like no other! Nintendo's latest game, "No Paper!" brings hilarious and exciting challenges to your gaming console.

October 7, 2021
Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality Teases Gameplay Trailer

Giving fans a first look at gameplay in Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality, the trailer showcases a first-person sci-fi adventure focused on story, puzzles, and exploration.

May 12, 2021
Where in the World is Mr. X? Labyrinth City Demo Available on Steam

Where in the World is Mr. X? Labyrinth City Demo Available on Steam

envelope
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram