Ever wanted to be a thief in a steampunk world? Well, if the answer is yes (or no, doesn’t matter anyway), The Swindle is a game to answer that question (or not). The Swindle is action-stealth game with roguelite elements, in which your objective is to hack and steal everything you can in each building, all while using cool gadgets and skills to leave no penny left. However, being a thief is not an easy job, since the victims of your thieving habits won’t go down without a fight. They have placed cameras, robot sentries, and all sorts of traps to hinder your job and prevent your escape.
Story wise, The Swindle is set in a steampunk version of London. Scotland Yard has grown tired of thieves like you running amok the city, so they have devised a special AI called “The Devil’s Basilisk” and in 100 days, The Basilisk will be fully operational, and your thieving activities will be stopped. So, it’s your job to get enough money and steal as much as you can in that 100 days period. One thing that stands out is how you have different areas to steal from the low suburbs, where there is money but just pocket change to the high class area where there is money by truckloads but high security. But since money talks, you will have to pay your way to get to better areas and rewards, and here is where The Swindle gets more tactical. Will you spend half of the time in low suburbs to get enough money to get the tools and upgrades needed? Or, will you concentrate on getting enough just to unlock the next location? Since time is of the essence, a good thief knows how to make the most of each heist (personally, I concentrate on getting bombs and other tools and upgrades, so the next area is a little easier), and for that there are some augmentations that can help, such as a double jump, or leaving a steam screen to lower enemies vision.
A good thief needs good hacking skills also, so that is why the hacker skill is a must because not only you can hack computers to empty those bank accounts, but you can hack security doors to open or even landmines as the level increases (that you purchase with your hard stolen money). The effectiveness and money you obtain increases as well. There is also a skill (expensive by the way) that can hack into Scotland Yard and hinder The Basilik’s development, giving you some breathing room in case you have but a few days left.
Now to be successful, you need human resources. You can be good, but never that good, so you have an army of thieves ready to continue where the other failed. And you will fail a lot, since the procedural nature of each building you come across puts you in really tough situations, especially if you don’t have the skills need to continue, and if you activate an alarm or get caught by the police, that thief is gone forever. This is where the roguelite nature of the game appears. The good thing though is that all skills unlocked apply to every thief that gets generated, so it’s not like you will lose progress but a day lost is money lost. Each thief has basic skills, like jumping, a Spiderman-like wall jump (so good, since it will help a lot), a basic but deadly attack with a small club. As you get more money like mentioned previously, you can get more skills like a double jump, a time bomb, and even a virus to confuse robots.
Graphically, the game looks really good. I like the aesthetic used in the characters and the different areas you can visit from the suburbs to the warehouses, and I love how British the character names are.
The music is good and stealthy. It gets faster once you activate an alarm, and the police is on their way. If you want a challenge, you will get one as the later levels get harder since there is more money to obtain.
Bottom Line: The Swindle is a really fun game. With tons of customization and cool graphics and mechanics, it is a challenge to get all money in each stage but with the right upgrades, you will be a smooth criminal. This is a heist that you want to get your hands into.
A Review Copy was provided for this Review.