Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch Preview at PAX East 2026

I feel like a broken record at this point, having said this a handful of times over the past twelve months, but it's true. The beat 'em up genre is enjoying a revival.

Whether it's been indie classics or major IPs like Marvel, there's been plenty of great beat 'em ups over the past 12 months.

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch is looking to continue that trend and capitalize on the recent revival of Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse. I say this as someone who wasn't too fond of the recent movies: Chronic Blunt Punch feels like a return to form for Jay and Silent Bob while staying true to what makes the genre timeless.

A Simple Yet Surprisingly Deep Beat 'Em Up

For me, the important part of any beat 'em up is how it plays.

On a surface level, the gameplay is simple: mash buttons, beat up enemies, and move forward. There are times, though, when certain beat 'em ups suffer from a lack of identity. Is it trying to be challenging and call back to the days of games designed to eat quarters? Is it too accessible and lacks a challenge?

When it comes to Chronic Blunt Punch, developer Interbang Entertainment has found a nice balance between these two philosophies. Whether I'm going it alone or with a co-op partner, Jay and Silent Bob can deal with what's thrown their way. At the same time, enemies don't fall over without a fight.

Thankfully, Jay and Silent Bob handle extremely well, and the PAX East demo features a surprising amount of depth. You can do some simple button mashing and pull off basic combos, which will get the job done for the most part. If you're looking to take your skills to the next level, as well as deal with the more challenging enemies, you'll have to dig deep. Combat is nowhere as complex as some of the more robust beat 'em ups out there, but there are enough tools available to handle everything you need to take down.

Chronic Blunt Punch is Filled With Modern and Classic Jay and Silent Bob Humor

Interabang has also done an excellent job of capturing the look and feel of the iconic characters. Jay is slender, fast, and has impressive range, while Silent Bob is slower and stockier but packs a bigger punch. My biggest concern as learning went into the demo was that the two characters would feel too similar to each other, resulting in a lack of any real variety in how they play. My concerns here were quickly squashed, and I enjoyed my time with both characters.

Equally as important, though, I enjoyed my time with the trademark Jay and Silent Bob humor. One of the biggest issues concerning the game is that it was first announced via a crowdfunding campaign in 2016. That's ten years ago, predating Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Clerks III, and the original Nintendo Switch.

I mentioned it at the start, but one thing that's become apparent over the years is that these characters haven't always aged well. Yes, they're very peak '90s/2000s humor, but I'd wager that the bigger issue is the writing in the more recent movies. Smith's earlier work is still in a league of its own, particularly Dogma, and it shows that with the right touch, these characters can still be funny.

It's clear from the very beginning that Chronic Blunt Punch treats the source material with the respect it deserves. I know that's a little wild to say about Jay and Silent Bob, but hey, I love these characters, and I'm not the only one.

A Love Letter to Kevin Smith and Beat 'Em Ups

In fact, let's take things up a notch. Interabang is not only treating the View Askewniverse with respect, but also the genre as a whole.

Yes, the humor is straight out of peak Kevin Smith movies, including some iconic enemies such as the hockey-playing grunts from Dogma, but there are a lot of cool ideas being utilized here. One part of the demo took place at a busy intersection where oncoming traffic could hit everyone on screen. Timed correctly, this could finish off your enemies. If not carefully avoided, it deals a lot of damage you may not be able to afford.

The same can be said about the art style, which is simply gorgeous. The hand-drawn, animated visuals make the Clerks Animated Series feel amateurish. Animations are buttery smooth, and the characters handle extremely well, complete with some over-the-top, exaggerated moves that give the game the sense of style it needs.

In fact, if you gave Chronic Blunt Punch an entirely new coat of paint with different theming, such as a brand new IP, you'd put it up there with some of the better modern beat 'em ups on the market today. It plays that well, and to see it handle the source material with reverence is the icing on the cake. Plus, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith are providing some voice acting themselves, and the press assets hint at some more familiar faces joining the action.

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch is shaping up to be an excellent addition to the beat 'em up genre. It has the look and feel of the perfect game to spend a weekend playing through, seeing everything it has to offer, and cracking a smile or two. It's the type of game that we honestly need more of: something that doesn't take itself seriously and aims to deliver a good time. Hey, if the recent View Askewniverse movies don't deliver here, something else has to, right?