Once Upon a Jester – PS5 Review

Of all the things I expected to review this year, an interactive musical was not on my bingo card. Coming from small Dutch studio, Bonte Avond this charming tale arrives on console almost two years after the PC release.  Once Upon a Jester might not resonate with everyone, but I enjoyed its wholesome approach.

Once Upon a Jester focuses on Jester and his best friend Sok. The kingdom is enraptured by a theatre competition and our duo want to use this opportunity to pull of an ambitious diamond heist. The contest provides a convenient avenue to enter the royal palace where the diamond is held. All they have to do is perform well enough to make it to the final round.

What transpires is a solid, wholesome narrative that centres around friendship, reinvention and has a lot of fun along the way. Jester and Sok are a good double-act and the remainder of the cast has plenty of charm. Whilst it doesn’t take itself too seriously, there’s a genuine heart that beats underneath. It’s a likeable combination that did hook me in.

Gameplay is very slight. Jester can wander the small towns in search of dialogue. Overhearing citizens clues you in on their likes and dislikes, allowing the plays you produce to be tailored to an audience. It’s presented simply with speech bubbles containing broad hints on what will get bums on seats. That influences what play to conduct but also how to advertise it. You can slap together a poster before each performance. The tools to do so are incredibly simple and I didn’t put that much thought into it. That’s only half the battle as each play requires you to participate in quick time events. These aren’t too taxing, although there’s one that has some surprisingly tight timing.

Picking dialogue during a performance shows how improvised the plays feel and there’s a wonderful sense of two actors trying to think on their feet. Given that Jester has bluffed his way into it, I find it fits nicely. There’s usually at least two choices to pick from, with an associated theme to hopefully align with the crowd’s interests. Positioning matters in a couple of tasks and you can roam the stage freely if you really, really want the guys in the cheap seats to get a view.

At the end of the every play, you’re rating in a maximum of five bouquets. Fifteen are enough to advance to the next town and, as I’ve discovered, you don’t have to nail each performance. There’s only a handful of shows in total to put on. They slowly unlock over the course of the game and, as a result, it can feel a little repetitive. Venturing to a new location and expecting three or four plays locks you into a mild grind.

That said, there’s no peril to it. I could’ve messed up the acting and still found my way to the end credits. There’s some incentive to do so as Sok and Jester improvise their way around mistakes. Whilst I did grow tired of the first two towns, I did enjoy seeing how things could fall apart or change on stage. There is a nemesis to give the impression of pressure but you can ultimately find a route to the palace at your own pace.  One thing that did bother me is how the checkpoints are laid out.  There’s the typical symbol on screen for when the game is being saved but I’ve definitely resumed a game further back.  It’s not a big concern but be wary that you may have to repeat a scene.

Once Upon a Jester does freshen things up. The humour mostly does it’s job. It’s twee and cheeky with some good, on-stage gags. Whilst the plays offer the same structure, a different audience expectation ultimately leads them in different directions. In that respect, I was seeing new twists on familiar material right to the end. These also offer stickers to bolster your marketing materials.

As a musical, the songs are short and mostly sweet. There’s a earnest honesty to them that I find endearing. This could’ve delved into a theatre group trying way too hard but I think the tone is balanced well. Lyrically, it’s covering safe ground with friendship being a constant theme. Jester might be a thief but he clearly starts to enjoy life on stage. Whilst I’m not big on musicals, there’s a couple of catchy tunes that wormed their way into my ears.

As singers, they’re trying just enough to make it feel heart-warming. I much prefer that over vocal aerobatics and it makes the cast sound genuine. They’re playful with it and sounds like they’re having fun. It’s a small enough cast but they tend to follow throughout the journey. Even the bit-part players can have a story arc.

The humour mostly landed, for me. I think it’s tactfully done. You’re not bombarded with jokes from all angles and, much like the songs, it’s coming from a warm place. Jokes don’t tend to outstay their welcome and I do appreciate the skill it takes to make something funny. As a game, it’s incredibly thin so the music and the humour has to do the heavy lifting. I think it succeeds.

Honestly, the execution of the writing really holds it together. In the early exchanges, the back-and-forth of theatre production did start to grate on me. As the story develops and the major players grown in confidence, the script kept me going. I wouldn’t call it a complex narrative but there were enough intrigue to have me onboard. It’s got a colourful and charming look to it. The characters manage to display emotion despite being simplified. It’s occasionally quirky but doesn’t often wander into randomness.

Once Upon a Jester really surprised me. I’m not the biggest fan of musicals but the execution on display is commendable. The songs are mostly short but some display catchy hooks I can’t turn away from. The writing is the true star, though. It’s playful, wholesome and keeps a light tone. Whilst the narrative isn’t complex, it does slip in the occasional twist that can be great to see.