It's a Wrap! Review (PC)

How many takes until a film crew, however committed to their work, decides to give up and simply move on? When it comes to action star Rush and his low-effort Indiana Jones action flick, it seems that the number is higher than 20. This is how many times I have failed to put together a coherent scene and then guide my star performer through it without something breaking in spectacular fashion and leading to his death.

Johnny needs to avoid hot red magma and electrocution as he takes part in a classic mine cart chase. Some elements of the scene cannot be tweaked but, in the director role, I have full control over switches that move the carts from line to line. It’s pretty easy to use them to kill the henchmen who are following our hero but there’s a final obstacle that I don’t yet have a solution for.

I take another look at the script to get a few more clues on how the entire sequence needs to play out. I then switch to the action, for take 21, just to make sure that I have no problem with the first half of the scene. Johnny dies once again but I have an idea. It might take a few more fake deaths, but the crew will soon move on to another scene. It's a Wrap! is developed by Chanko Studios, with publishing from AMC Games. I played it on the PC using Steam and a version is also offered on the Nintendo Switch. The title brings together action platforming and a cinema-focused set of puzzle levels.

Johnny Rush is a parody of the manly, over-the-top adventure stars of the early ‘80s. He’s a little old, he can’t do his own stunts with the panache of the past. But he’s ready to deliver one-liners, complain about the problems with the script, and deliver some dubious guidance to his younger scene partner. He’s also the supposed protagonist of the video game, as he blunders his way through three low-budget movies inspired by well-known real-world franchises.

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The game pokes fun at the industry, especially via the scripts that power every scene. Now every attempt at humor lands but this is a surprisingly funny experience, especially when Rush feels the need to demonstrate that he still has it in the dumbest ways. The focus is not on the narrative but on the title’s unique combination of mechanics.

In It's a Wrap!, players will be able to both direct a scene and act in it, which means that they will solve puzzles as the director and then engage in some classic action platforming as Johnny Rush himself. To deal with a level, gamers will have to use information gained from the former to reshape elements of the former, finding the right configuration before performing some precision jumping.

Every time a new scene starts, players get a script. It’s often barebones and filled with tropes but reveals how everything is supposed to play out. Then it’s time to fiddle with the elements of the level. A video editing-inspired interface allows players to decide when certain things happen. When should a platform rise up? At what moment does the tank need to start its attack sequence? When should a switch flip? Is a trap a good way to deal with an enemy?

Certain scene elements cannot be tampered with, which adds to the challenge level. Gamers can always run through the entire sequence to see what happens and when. But the only way to see how Johnny Rush will deal with the obstacle course is to go to action mode and then fail a bunch of times. The platforming element of It’s a Wrap! has classic controls and isn’t very complex, although the timing of some of the moves can be very tight.

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Once a take ends in failure, players are free to return to editing mode and use what they have learned to tweak the timeline. Johnny Rush might not have stunt doubles, but he has a lot of lives. All of a scene's elements need to be precisely arranged before players can actually get to the end. It will take time and attention to spot all the possible interactions and then the way to get them working in favor of the player.

It’s a Wrap! is pretty complex and can become frustrating. It thankfully allows players to use a hint to get one element of the scene puzzle to lock into its correct position. It’s a good way of showing players the way while still challenging them.

It's a Wrap! does a good job of separating its two gameplay layers, always making it easy for players to evaluate their situation and try new things to complete levels. Make sure to keep the reference card for actions open to have a clear idea of the possibility space. But the game is not and does not aim to be a graphical powerhouse. The short cutscenes between scenes are limited when it comes to detail, in ways that are supposed to be humorous but often reveal limited resources. I appreciate the attention lavished on making sure Johnny’s death animations are interesting.

The game’s audio elements match the quality of its graphics. The characters speak a made-up language that doesn’t add much to the cutscenes, but the sound effects are decent. The soundtrack works well with the theme of B-tier action movie franchise of the ‘80s.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion