Simogo’s previous game, Bumpy Road, was a game I couldn’t help but fall for as it delivered unique gameplay, great visuals, and some great music. Their new game, Beat Sneak Bandit, continues these three very important qualities in making a stand-out game giving more emphasis on the music by giving it a major role in how the Bandit makes his way through the game and tying it all together with a great art style.
Beat Sneak Bandit takes place in Pulsebury where the Bandit, along with his trusty side-kick Herbie, are watching TV when a news report comes on informing them all of the world’s clocks are gone. The culprit seems to be Duke Clockface who lives in Clockwork Mansion and it’s up to Bandit to sneak into his mansion to recover all of the world’s clocks.
As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, Beat Sneak Bandit relies heavily on its music to carry along the gameplay. As the music plays, you’ll need to tap the screen in order to initiate a move command to the Bandit. The Bandit will always move in the direction he is facing, and in order to have him turn around, he needs to bump into an obstacle. They can be the edge of the screen, a piece of wall, or the back of a security guard just to name a few obstacles. As you progress through the game, Duke Clockface will throw more obstacles your way in hopes to catch the Bandit.
The goal of every stage in Beat Sneak Bandit is to collect the stolen clock with a flag connected to it, but a number of clocks litter each stage to challenge your Beat Sneak Bandit techniques. As you collect additional clocks, bonus shadow stages will be made available in each of the game’s chapters. Shadow stages are even more challenging as the music is a lot smoother and less prominent than normal stages. The difficulty is also increased by replacing all of the art in the game with shadows.
One thing I learned quickly from my time with Beat Sneak Bandit is everything in each stage has a rhythm to it. Security cameras, trap floors, and even the security guards will create their own rhythm to the game’s melody, which certainly helps in planning out your movements in order to not get caught. The game absolutely rewards those who sit back and take in all of the sounds in order to plan out your movements rather than just aimlessly tapping the screen without putting much thought behind your movements.
FINAL THOUGHT: If you’re a fan of rhythm or puzzle games, then you’re going to love Beat Sneak Bandit. The game’s soundtrack is extremely catchy and the gameplay mechanics are easy enough to understand but challenging enough to keep veteran gamers on their toes. I just wish everything in life was as easy to manipulate as it is in Beat Sneak Bandit.
Beat Sneak Bandit ($2.99) – [iTunes Link]