- Site: Jack Keane
- Publisher: RuneSoft
- Developer: Deck13 Interactive
- Genre: Adventure
Game Media
By Brad Cook
Think of him as a colonial version of MacGyver. Need to shorten the distance across a precipice? No problem — just make sure Jack Keane has a piggy bank, some gunpowder, and a fuse. He’ll create an explosion that will knock a boulder down and give him an easier jump. And if he doesn’t happen to have a lighter with him, he can always take his trusty knife to a compass, remove the glass face, and use that to focus sunlight on the fuse.
That precipice happens to be on Tooth Island, where Jack finds himself after being hired to transport Montgomery, a British secret agent. A shadowy man named Dr. T. has been conducting strange experiments on the island, and the Queen wants to know more about the goings-on. When a monster drags Montgomery into the jungle, however, Jack must figure out the mystery on his own, without the help of crew members stolen from him by the lovely Amanda, who had her own motivation for hitching a ride on Jack’s ship, The Charming Princess.
In the spirit of the Ankh series, Jack Keane weaves an amusing adventure tale of a ne’er-do-well main character who manages to get himself out of tight situations with nothing more than his wits and the contents of his pockets. As you explore 15 locations throughout London, Capetown, and Tooth Island, use more than 250 found objects in combination with each other, with the environment, and with other characters to solve puzzles. In the process, Jack moves closer to understanding his past and how it ties in with the present.
A Tale Humorously Told
Dozens of off-beat characters breathe life into the story, relating important information as well as tales not-so-relevant but amusing, such as the former ship captain who fell prey to the 19th century version of an African phishing scam. Many of them will also give you objects, if you figure out the correct statements to make and questions to ask. Cinematic cut scenes stitch together the results of your actions and set them to an orchestral score, resulting in an epic story that offers more bang for your buck than the latest Hollywood blockbuster.
Most of the game’s 13 action-packed chapters put you in Jack’s shoes, but some place you in the role of Amanda, and one even travels back in time to have you play as baby Jack. Spectacular graphics, including dynamic lighting, realistic water, and particle effects, highlight your adventures. And don’t forget to look for the little twinkles of light that indicate places where you can climb up or down.
Getting back to the story, Jack and Montgomery have arrived at Tooth Island and jumped across the precipice. A fallen column — the unfortunate result of a temple that collapsed when Montgomery fired his grappling hook up the cliff — blocks their way, but a plank from Jack’s shipwrecked vessel could help them past the obstacle, although not in the way you might expect. Jack needs to fish the plank out of the water, but maybe something left aboard The Charming Princess can assist with that task. The ship is currently inaccessible, however.
Just another day’s work for Jack Keane, and another puzzle solved by you. Jolly good!
Game Hardware
Check out our systems for your best gaming experience.
If Adventure Has a Name, it Might as Well Be Keane. Escaping from the bad guys.
They Call Me Keane; Jack Keane. Our hero meets a not-so-secret agent.
Here Birdie, Birdie... You must figure out how to make the crow fly away so Jack can retrieve his knife.
Nice Double-Crossing You, Jack. Amanda leaves with Jack’s crew members.
If you liked this game, check out:
- A Tale in the Desert III
- Ankh II: Heart of Osiris
- Pirates of the Caribbean Online
- Riddle of the Sphinx II: The Omega Stone
- Tomb Raider Anniversary
System Requirements:
- Mac OS X version 10.3.9
- 1.4GHz PowerPC G4 or Intel processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 64MB video RAM (Intel GMA 950 chipset supported)
- 1GB hard disk space
Hidden Secrets
A pair of walkthroughs at GameFAQs and GameBoomers, along with a series of video walkthroughs at YouTube, will help you get Jack out of difficult situations, if you’re stumped. They’ll also assist with unlocking bonus content, which you can do by collecting certain objects (the starfish come in handy, for example) and completing various tasks (stacking empty tea tins may seem mundane, but it’s important). The bonuses include wax works of the characters and an historical version of the game that casts the visuals in a sepia tone.
The Characters
- Jack Keane: Left on the steps of an orphanage at the age of two, Jack has no idea that his past connects with Tooth Island’s present. As long as he can remember, he has carried a special knife with a mysterious key cut into its blade. Could that be a clue? And why is Dr. T. familiar with him, even though they’ve never met?
- Amanda: Originally from America, she became mixed up in a fiendish scheme that puts her at odds with Jack. The guilt she feels over her duplicitous behavior, however, could swing her back to his side.
- Doctor T.: An army of trained monkeys and man-eating plants: sounds like this bad guy has enough evil schemes to fill more than one game. Luckily, you only need to defeat him and his henchmen once.
- Eric and Lawrence: Your rum-loving crew members will sell their services to the highest bidder at any time, even if they’re currently employed.
- Agent Montgomery: His odd idea of how a secret agent should behave often gets him — and Jack — into hot water. Luckily, Jack usually knows how to cool down the situation.
- The Godfather: He runs the village on Tooth Island, but he’s not as good at it as his father, who had the job before him. Meanwhile, his daughter expects the god of love to send her someone to marry, and her father better not pay for just any old wedding: she wants it to be a blow-out affair.