The Swindle Reviews
[D]on't let [the score] deter you if you enjoy other games like Spelunky or even Mark of the Ninja. If that's the case then The Swindle could quite possibly be just the game for you.
'The Swindle' can be very satisfying, if you don't mind its cruel difficulty and regularly mystifying level design. It is not a AAA stealth game with all of its fancy checkpoints and low difficulty levels and no death penalty. It's not that those things are bad necessarily, it's just that roguelikes are intended to be a very different experience, one in which success is distant, pain is frequent, and every reward is a joyous occasion.
It's hard to fully recommend a game with inconsistent controls, but The Swindle is awfully close to being excellent. There are a huge number of enemies with different behaviors and the randomized level generator is more than happy to put multiple kinds together in ways that require different strategies to handle.
The Swindle is a fun romp through Victorian London, and the feeling of getting away with the heists is one that never gets old, but the game is brought down by some questionable design choices and some technical issues. If it's a decent roguelike you seek, you won't regret taking a look, but if you're craving for the next Spelunky, take your thievery skills elsewhere.
The Swindle is frustrating at first glance, but smooths out to spread its steampunk wings thanks to some good depth, variety and quick gameplay style.
In a world filled with overly difficult titles, The Swindle knows how to blend its mechanics together perfectly to deliver one hell of a rewarding experience.
Give it a few patches and hopefully we'll have a must-have game on our hands, but even right now you shouldn't regret a purchase. Jolly good burglary, old chap.
In the end The Swindle is an ambitious game that unfortunately just falls in at average
In the end, The Swindle is one of the most rewarding and unique rogue-likes that I've ever played.
The Swindle is not immediately satisfying, but this seems to be a deliberate choice. The randomness of the level generation means that there's every chance the first heist lacks the £100 needed to buy hacking—or the passages are blocked off and inaccessible—which can be a little deflating. But the constant, continual escalation is what keeps The Swindle gripping and satisfying—even when it feels unfair. Which is often, because I am terrible.
The Swindle is a game that many will end up playing for months to come. The gameplay is the perfect combination of stealth and action, and its difficulty, while brutal, is satisfying. Size Five Games, and publisher Curve Digital, have created an addictive game that needs to be played by anyone who loves a good challenge. Throw in cross-buy and cross-save compatibility, and you'll never leave your house without The Swindle in pocket.
The Swindle isn't a revolution in terms of stealth games, but it does offer a compelling challenge for those seeking it.
Well, I'm still ambivalent, even after working through things in what has maybe become a longer review than planned. For the moments where the procedural stuff just works perfectly, creating a bastard-hard but ultimately memorable level, and for the world itself, which is lovely, The Swindle is worth dedicating a couple evenings to. It won't steal your heart though.
The Swindle is nowhere near an entirely negative experience. It's a festival of moments, of anecdotes filled with failures and smiles. I found myself holding my breath as I hacked a computer with just enough time to dodge three heavy guards coming my way, jumped over two electricity traps, clung to a wall to let a patrol pass, and bombed myself a new escape route. These pockets of perfection kept me hooked, and made me boot up The Swindle again and again in order to preserve this world of rogues. That, and my dedication to you guys. Now, the Devil's Basilisk is for all of us to share. You're goddamned welcome.
The story laid within the game doesn't drive the game, but that's okay because there's plenty of rogue-like goodness waiting to be found inside of Size Five Games procedurally generated steampunk heist simulator.
Everything adds up to a game with good ideas that is sorely lacking in refinement – the punitive flaws of The Swindle's meta-structure and procedural generation could have been ameliorated with minor tweaks. This feels 80% of the way to a great game, but that missing 20% soon comes to dominate the rest.
A clever spin on the Spelunky style of randomly-generated platformer, and although it asks a lot of its players its rewards are worth the effort.
The Swindle is a minor diversion at best, without the comic timing or cunning to turn anyone to a life of crime. A weekend of crime, perhaps, at most.
The Swindle has some really cool ideas, and the sound and visuals make for one of the prettiest games out there. But, for players looking for something new or intrigued by the steampunk aesthetic, the randomized barrier to entry may be a bit too much.
An immensely satisfying mix of platforming, stealth, action, and resource management, with character.