Jank, while not a legitimate adjective (or word, for that matter), is a fantastic label to apply to certain aspects of electronic entertainment. Lack of technical prowess, as in, “the Playstation 3 version of Bayonetta is pretty janky,” is correct in principle, but not in terms of the precise area of jank I’m striving to identify. I see jank as more of a general clumsiness in the overall game design, but not enough to discourage you from playing the game. Jank implies a minor obstacle, not a bottomless pit.
Some games knock it out of the park and, in turn, earn high scores as a reward. Others, often from lower tier publishers or relatively low profile studios, don’t earn high marks for their moments of success and, instead, are often lambasted or critically slaughtered for their minor failings. Red Faction: Guerilla was never destined to be a five star game, but it contained an outstanding mechanic unlike anything else offered amongst its competition. You could blow shit up with a treasure chest of weapons and explosives in any number of ways, which, while not enough substance to support an entire game, engaged me to a point where I was willing to play through the otherwise mediocre campaign. The rest of the game wasn’t necessarily bad, per say, but it was considerably boring when cast in the shadow of the outstanding destruction physics. Red Faction: Guerrilla was not a great game, but it was a good one with exceptionally engaging mechanic.
The same general theory can be applied to Grin’s ill-fated Bionic Commando reboot; its interface was borderline garbage, but the swing mechanic was refined to near perfection and implemented in a variety of attractive ways. Once you cleared the considerable learning curve, it was an absolute blast – and using it to carve through Bionic Commando’s suburban wastelands and remote areas of scenic splendor granted a sense of euphoria present in few other titles.
Both Bionic Commando and Red Faction: Guerilla were undeniably janky, but their enduring hook transformed them from possibly boring tripe to a potentially enjoyable experience. Profound inspiration was injected into a mechanic that circulated throughout the entire game transformed the experience from the mundane to the extraordinary, which, from a qualitative standpoint, is a trait shared with a majority of award winning titles. Execution wasn’t as consistent all around, but I’d be hard pressed to say I didn’t enjoy Bionic Commando’s best moments any less than those of Uncharted 2 or InFamous.
And it’s because of those newfound criteria that I am fully intent on clearing out a select number of 2009 games that I would have normally passed over. World War II era open world gameThe Saboteur arrived from Pandemic, the recently closed studio and author of 2008’s best jank title, Mercenaries 2. Thanks to its appearance on Area 5’s Co-op, my notions of a GTA clone of the horrendous caliber of True Crime have disappeared in favor of a legitimate interest. The aesthetic looks incredibly cool, and, despite its failings, might have a lot to love. Platinum Game’s MadWorld earns a similar pass based solely on its pedigree. Clover (which, for all intents and purposes, evolved into Platinum) was responsible for some of the most inspired games (Okami, God Hand, Viewtiful Joe from the last generation) and, if Bayonetta is any indication, MadWorld should be an absolute must-play. Another would be The Force: Unleashed, which was championed by our own Stephen McGehee. Jankyness is apparently prevalent throughout most of the gameplay, but it’s probably good enough to allow you to enjoy the reason why you punched the ticket; a tantalizing story interconnecting the span of time between episodes III and IV. And, as a bonus, a special edition with Hoth and Tatooine levels was just released last fall at a lower price point. Radical Entertainment’s Prototype sacrificed a smooth interface in order to create a veritable playground for its mechanics. From a jank point of view it’s a lot like Bionic Commando, only it traded a swing mechanic for limitless bloodlust. Beating this shit out of dudes in Prototype may not carry the finesse or skill of Bayonetta, but sometimes brute force is enough to quell repetitious missions and an ugly aesthetic. And, hey, while it’s from all the way back in 2007, let us not forget the jank kingpin, the 360 exclusive Earth Defense Force 2017. They sure are hell don’t make ‘em like that anymore
Maybe it should go without saying, but jank games should never be acquired at a full retail price. Jankyness typically results in lackluster reviews, which, for new IP (as so many jank titles so often are) is retail poison. Unestablished franchises will drop like a rock, and you can usually reap the benefits a few months later. Prototype is down to $40 in most places, Bionic Commando was $20 less than a month after it came out, and I got MadWorld at Best Buy a few weeks ago for $9. Plus, if the appeal of discovering a janky treasure turned out to be a monotonous slog not worth your time then, hey, at least you didn’t pay full price.
I guess what I’m trying to say is sometimes a little jank can go a long way, and a game shouldn’t be swept under the rug because of a few jaded reviewers. In years past I would have overlooked a majority of these titles in favor of games that were allegedly born perfect, but, like that weird indie film you love unconditionally, jank can be unabashedly embraced without much regret.
