PC/Mac, PS4/Vita, Xbox, Switch •
You sneaky bugger.
At least, that’s what you should aim to be, and Nintendo Switch owners can work on their window-smashing, wall-sliding, robot-braining, loot-grabbing, computer-hacking antics with the fresh release of a modern classic. Dan Marshall’s The Swindle has arrived.
The Swindle has players roam a sort of Diamond Age prism of London, breaking into increasingly difficult facilities for cash and renown. Akin to Spelunky, it’s a roguelite platformer that rewards misadventure with permadeath, so while a veteran character might sport any number of upgrades after innumerable heists, there are no mulligans in The Swindle. Once the farm is bought, the player is rewarded with a fresh-faced replacement on the ground floor.
What separates The Swindle from its stablemate is that a lot of general unlocks remain thus in death, so the game isn’t quite as arduous after getting bludgeoned by robocoppers. Or falling into a Victorian spike trap. Or suffering any other number of dangerous Dickensian deathtraps.
It’s a great game, but an especially great one on a portable. While I can only — but very happily — attest to the Playstation Vita outing, it’s a safe bet the Switch version is top-notch. Treat yourself to someone else’s money.
This games pretty unforgiving. Suckers for punishment only. I’m actually enjoying it, when I’m not blowing myself up trying to hack land mines. The graphics are kinda small on the switch but I’ve got around that by just holding it super close to my face