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REEL STEAL (PD)
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Developer: Sweet Baby Inc.
Released: March 2023. Genre: 2D Platformer. Posted 6th December 2024. By Tom Clare © 2024 |
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As maxims go, “the best things in life are free” rarely aligns neatly with the gaming sphere, unless you’re willing to factor in quirks such as console pack-ins, or gifts by way of apology from publishers who’ve had their user data hacked. That being said, recent years have yielded a few notable freebies: Sony’s short-but-sweet platformer Astro’s Playroom was a delight, whilst in aftermarket circles, a raft of incredibly impressive titles continues to emerge for the 8-bit computers. Here’s the thing with Reel Steel: not only was it released on the Playdate store, free of charge, in early 2023, but with its wonderfully novel controls, super-stylish presentation and inviting gameplay, it can make a genuine claim to be among the system’s most impressive games.
Reel Steal sees the Angler, a mysterious bait shop owner, orchestrating a sequence of heists that seek to redress the balance in a world where five billionaires control 99% of the world’s wealth. This involves taking back works of art, technological significance and historical value from those who hoard it. Using the Playdate’s crank, the player must, using a giant fishing rod, navigate to the bottom of the levels where the treasure is stashed, dodging all manner of security systems along the way. Reach the bottom, claim the loot, leave a calling card (of the player’s design), and escape via reeling back to the entrance. Think the laser sequence in Mission: Impossible, except in monochrome 2D, and with a fishing rod instead of ropes.
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Five pairs of hackers, each with four levels, offer slightly different takes on the battle with the billionaires
Reel Steal is a novel idea that’s elevated by excellent controls. The fishing line has a wonderful feel to it. It’s reassuringly precise, and the simple act of winching your protagonist is remarkably satisfying. The player must cut a path through security cameras and laser beams, trying to avoid tripping the alarms. To make things more involved, you can reverse the direction of the reel’s pendulum swing at any time with a tap of the A button, whilst pressing B will detach your character from the line, allowing them to pass through gaps the line cannot. Levels become steadily more complicated, with timed laser beams, strips that mess with the pendulum direction and, in some instances, the need to collect keys to open the way forward. The gameplay feels streamlined and focused, and there’s plenty to busy yourself with.
Unlike a majority of Playdate games that are the passion project of two or three people, Sweet Baby Inc. enlisted around a dozen to work on different facets of Reel Steal, and it shows. The narrative sequences feature lovely, distinctive cartoon character designs, and I haven’t encountered any glitches or bugs, gameplay-wise or visually. The presentation is tremendous, from the little newspaper-style vignettes at the end of each level, to the gorgeous, barbecue-themed character select screen that adds two more protagonists for each story you finish: there’s an effortless style to Reel Steal. Even its music boogies away with easy sophistication, adding a quiet but atmospheric refinement to the proceedings.
Unlike a majority of Playdate games that are the passion project of two or three people, Sweet Baby Inc. enlisted around a dozen to work on different facets of Reel Steal, and it shows. The narrative sequences feature lovely, distinctive cartoon character designs, and I haven’t encountered any glitches or bugs, gameplay-wise or visually. The presentation is tremendous, from the little newspaper-style vignettes at the end of each level, to the gorgeous, barbecue-themed character select screen that adds two more protagonists for each story you finish: there’s an effortless style to Reel Steal. Even its music boogies away with easy sophistication, adding a quiet but atmospheric refinement to the proceedings.
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The story makes playful comment on modern cultural nasties. The Hall of Shame comprises five billionaires representing different strata of power, including tech companies that steal the work of programmers (the Magnate), politicians who consider themselves above the law (the Politician) and arrogant media philistines (the Mogul). These are increasingly recognisable internet-age villains, but despite its perceptive nature, the game never takes itself overly seriously. Each of the five chapters features a pair of thieves, including the theatrical duo Dolly and Crane, art connoisseurs Galleria and Brushstroke, and hackers Control-Zed and Escape. Dialogues are easy to follow and relatable enough, in the sense that they stick to the matter at hand and resist the temptation to descend into empty hyperbole or long-winded rhetoric. There’s enough to lend cadence to the theme, but not so much that it overshadows the gameplay.
Each of the five stories is split into segments of four levels. Whilst an initial playthrough is good for a little over two hours, Reel Steal generates some replay value via the awarding of three medals per level, each highlighting different feats that are unlikely to be polished off in a single run. There’s a medal to suit speedrunners, for every level you can finish in under three minutes. There’s one for collectors, with rewards for collecting every money bag. Finally, for those who want to master the art of the heist, there’s a medal for passing through a level unseen: never filling a security bar.
Each of the five stories is split into segments of four levels. Whilst an initial playthrough is good for a little over two hours, Reel Steal generates some replay value via the awarding of three medals per level, each highlighting different feats that are unlikely to be polished off in a single run. There’s a medal to suit speedrunners, for every level you can finish in under three minutes. There’s one for collectors, with rewards for collecting every money bag. Finally, for those who want to master the art of the heist, there’s a medal for passing through a level unseen: never filling a security bar.
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This links to one area of the design that could have been improved, and it relates to replayability. Whilst you can return to previous levels post-completion to add to your medal haul, there isn’t the freedom to choose individually between the 20. The player has to pick one of the five main stories and complete each block of four levels to get back to the menu. It would also have been helpful if there was a way to track which medals were still up for grabs via the menu, but you’re only notified after the completion of a stage and there’s no option to replay or restart a stage. This means that, unless you’ve been noting your progress, it won’t be clear what’s needed (if anything) from the level you’re about to play. This is unquestionably demotivating, and likely isn’t all that hard an issue to fix.
A lack of thematic variety is another criticism that could be levelled at Reel Steal. However, there is an evolution to its levels, and whilst you’ll zip through some levels, a degree of nuance is necessary to beat the later stories that throw a more elaborate combination of puzzles your way.
A lack of thematic variety is another criticism that could be levelled at Reel Steal. However, there is an evolution to its levels, and whilst you’ll zip through some levels, a degree of nuance is necessary to beat the later stories that throw a more elaborate combination of puzzles your way.
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Reel Steal mixes stylish presentation, accessible gameplay and a tongue-in-cheek story to good effect
The precise and smooth crank controls help Reel Steal stand out: the game is so satisfying to control and a shining example of how to create a gameplay experience that cannot be replicated on other hardware. Better structuring of collectables and a little more variety would have improved its long-term prospects. Nevertheless, amongst a system of great ideas that too often manifest as extended tech demos, it’s great that Sweet Baby Inc. took a promising idea, programmed it well, crafted a neat story and a host of fun levels around it. All in all, a neat way to show off your Playdate’s features at no cost at all.
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VERDICT
"An immaculately presented heist game with tremendous controls and well-designed levels. More variety and a better post-game setup would have helped, but as it's free on the Playdate store, Real Steal offers a great showcase of its system."
OVERALL: 7/10 |
OTHER BRILLIANT GAMES THAT ARE FREE REVIEWED
Astro's Playroom (2020, PlayStation 5)
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Wonderful Dizzy (2020, ZX Spectrum)
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