The Swindle was originally released in 2015. Three years later, Nintendo Switch owners get to enjoy the gaming experience offered by indie game developer Size Five Games. Nothing much has changed so owners of the original release shouldn’t feel left out. If you don’t own The Swindle yet and own a Nintendo Switch, now is as good a time as any.
A steampunk cybercrime caper
The Swindle lets you be a criminal in a steampunk Victorian era London with a looming problem. The problem being the end of your criminal activities with the announcement of the Devil’s Basilisk, a super tool soon to be used by Scotland Yard to end all crime for eternity. Hundred days are left before the Devil’s Basilisk gets used. It’s your job to prevent that by breaking into Scotland Yard and stealing the artifact.
Breaking into Scotland Yard right from the start is impossible because you need to clear some security measures before you big heist. You start The Swindle in the slums where you try to collect as much money as possible to pay your way to the next area, eventually leading to Scotland Yard. In essence, you get hundred days to evolve your master burglar and collect enough money to finally tackle the ultimate heist at Scotland Yard.
Randomized Rogue-like Stealth
Each day lets you perform a heist where you try to collect cash laying around and hack computers to siphon money to your own bank account. The levels are randomly generated. Some days are like a walk in the park while others demand you to be creative to have a successful heist. Going into a level and “ghosting” it, earns you bonus money and a multiplier for future heists. These become essential in collecting enough money to upgrade your burglar and clearing next levels’ security.
Managing how you spend your cash becomes essential to success in The Swindle. Some upgrades are handier than others. Some cater to your personal playstyle while others are actually essential to get through certain areas. The Swindle does a great job of explaining nothing and leaving everything up to you to decide. Some choices turn out to be good, others not so much. Learn from your mistakes before you start a new campaign.
Unforgiven but yet addictive gameplay
Each level is filled with guards and security systems. Each guard is out to take you down immediately for a one-hit permadeath. Tripping the security system results in you only have a limited amount of time to escape to your Zeppelin headquarter. Once the police arrive at your location, you are basically toast. After each death, you start as a new burglar and lose all your much-needed multipliers. This forces you to think about every step you’re about to make. You can take risks to make more money but be wary of the potentially fatal consequences.
Great atmosphere
The Swindle has a great art style. It all looks beautiful in all its gloomy glory. The graphics are dark yet still vibrant. Each area feels somewhat familiar but still has it’s own feel to it. The music fits with the steampunk style. The sound effects like the constant rain, the sound of the roof tiles while walking on them, add to the whole atmosphere.
Some bugs remain
I’ve played the original release of The Swindle before and remembered the controls not being so responsive. This hasn’t been resolved with this release. It feels like there is some delay when you press the jump button. Eventually, you adapt to it so not addressing that problem gets a pass with me. What I found unforgiven are the guards who can sometimes see through doors and walls. These bugs were present in the original release and still remain after 3 years. Nothing worse than losing your not so hard earned cash and your multiplier because of a bug.
Conclusion
Despite the bugs and not so responsive controls, The Swindle is a frustrating but great experience. It is unforgiven with permadeaths. Multiple playthroughs are needed to really master the game. The game can be picked up for just a few quick minutes which is ideal for someone with a busy life. It has much replay value due to the randomness of the levels. Give The Swindle a try on the Nintendo Switch.
