Ask anybody, and they'll tell you that Jumanji is a dangerous game. That hasn't kept people from playing it, though, whether in the movies, an animated TV series, or video games. Jumanji: The Video Game must have done pretty well, because its sequel has just arrived courtesy of Cradle Games and Outright Games. Jumanji: Wild Adventures sees players returning as the four heroes from the recent Jumanji films in a 4-player local co-op adventure.
Wild Adventures begins with a combination of in-game and hand-drawn cinematics. On a fateful night, the protagonists from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle get sucked back into the cursed Jumanji video game. There, the chipper NPC Nigel explains that the Eye of Jumani has been stolen. Our heroes must investigate three different enemy factions and figure out who took the magical jewel!
To get around the world of Jumanji, the lead player will drive the team in a jeep. The interactive world map has treasures and enemies to discover, plus gates to the various levels. Players can earn up to three stars on each level, adding replayability.
The levels themselves take place in a 3D action platforming environment. Up to four players can drop in and out at any time, selecting from characters who were played by Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart in the films. The heroes will run, jump, climb, and punch their way through lots of exciting encounters, starting with a fight against a giant octopus. The heroes are voiced by pretty good soundalikes during cinematics and gameplay, so the whole thing feels like an authentic Jumanji experience.
The fact that Wild Adventures isn't tied to the release of a specific film probably means that the developers had more time to work on it, too. In my brief time playing it, the game seems well made and fun to play with the family.
Jumanji: Wild Adventures sells for on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and Steam.