Reviewed on: PC

Mr. Shifty is trying to infiltrate the world’s best-guarded structure. With his teleportation power, he can trick and surprise opponents, sneak past security and overcome any physical barriers or obstacles. If you are an X-Men fan, this game will give you the powers of Nightcrawler.

The studio tinyBuild Games used everything it learned from its action games to create an experience different from that of a simple hack’n’slash or a spy game. Blending elements of these very different genres, the result is a unique game full of personality.

Narrative: 8

The goal of Mr. Shifty is to infiltrate a maximum-security building to sabotage the development of a weapon of mass destruction. It is a basic plot but serves the game’s purposes well.

Most of the time we are immersed in action, but there are short moments of exposition and interjection by the two characters who interact with the protagonist: the hacker Nyx and the villain, Mr. Stone. The dialogue is short, so as not to disrupt the game’s pace, but conveys any information or setting well… And at times there is a subtle and well-judged touch of humor.

Mechanics: 10

Although it is possible to equip a few objects and also interact with other items in the scenery, the protagonist has two main actions: attacking and teleporting.

The attack is contextual: with empty hands, Mr. Shifty delivers a combo of attacks. Depending on the item he takes from the scenery, he can throw or hit with the object. While enemies need 2 or 3 punches to go down, items knock opponents out in a single blow (and sometimes this single blow can defeat multiple opponents!), but they break or get lost easily.

The main mechanic is the teleportation power. There is always a marker on screen showing where Shifty will appear if you press the teleport button. There is a limit of 5 consecutive teleports, which gradually recharge. With this power, you can move quickly, pass through walls, dodge bullets and shake off enemies. The game embraces this mechanic, so that its whole design focuses on this power’s countless uses.

Any enemy defeats the protagonist with a single punch or shot, and the game has no remorse in throwing hordes of enemies at once. As a true hybrid of strategy and action, the mechanics combine to turn fights into a complex dance of escapes, attacks, dodges and counterattacks. Enemies need to use doors to move around, and are guided by sound when they can’t see – and with that you can group them to attack, or lure them in to recover. Stray bullets often take down enemies for you, so line up the shots well to jump out at the last instant!

It is curious how there are two quite different play styles. On one hand, you can step back from the action, analyze the environment and calculate the best route of action. But on the other hand, you can improvise, take down every enemy unlucky enough to cross your path, dodge when necessary just to flank your enemies and catch them from behind… And at the same time creates a third style, where you combine a bit of planning and a bit of improvisation, which is what I adopted as I advanced through the game.

Yes, Mr. Shifty gives you pretty cool powers and, if you know how to use them, you will feel like a true X-Man.

Audiovisual: 9

Mr. Shifty is a game with great information density: at every moment there are countless enemies, objects in the scenery and traps to take into account. As such, the development team made the right decision to keep a minimalist design wherever possible.

There aren’t many details in the game’s visuals and the only information on screen is the number of teleports available and the hero’s adrenaline bar to enable his time-freezing power. Even so, the art style communicates the game’s style well. There are countless small effects that give life to the game’s intense action without distracting unnecessarily.

The music is reminiscent of action and spy movies, giving the game a certain 007 mood. The soundtrack, although it has no memorable theme, manages to complement the game’s theme well and enrich the player’s experience.

All design decisions were made to highlight Mr. Shifty’s power and, when controlled correctly, give the player a sense of great power and skill.

Final thoughts

Mr. Shifty is a rare case of a successful crossing of two distinct genres. On one side there is immense strategic depth, and on the other there is fast, precise and enjoyable gameplay. The game should please fans of either side, and is robust enough to please both more casual players and those seeking a challenge.

By focusing only on the core mechanic and building interesting scenarios and challenges, the studio tinyBuild Games managed to produce a unique work that doesn’t fit well into any predefined genre – but certainly fits the taste of many players!

SCORE

Narrative = 8
Mechanics = 10
Audiovisual = 9

OVERALL : 9

PC version