Playing as an elite thief named only as Mr. Shifty, he must break into a secure facility to pull off an otherwise impossible heist if it weren’t for his ability to teleport. It is not explained how he acquired this power, but who cares? The game barely puts any emphasis on its story (there are a bad guy and a wise-cracking sidekick). Instead the level design and gameplay take the stage for an exhilarating and fast-paced experience.
Mr. Shifty Is Like Hotline Miami but with Warping
Mr. Shifty can be compared to the likes of Hotline Miami, being a top-down beat ’em up where you can be killed in one hit and respawn instantly. However, the warping ability allows you to warp a short distance at a maximum of 5 times in a row until the meter recharges. You can warp to dodge attacks and bullets or better yet, go through walls for a surprising sneak attack. Warping works so incredibly fast to the point where I didn’t even think about how to warp, I just did it. It becomes second nature. This is reflected in the rest of the game’s controls. Not once did I feel out of control of a situation. And every time I died (which was a lot), I felt personally responsible.
Punch, Kick and Shoot
Your main course of attack is through punching and kicking, but you can also pick up melee weapons or office supplies to throw at them. They are guaranteed to be more powerful than your fists and are a godsend when found. Most of the enemy types wield firearms (with the exception of these burly dudes wearing suits). And if they hit you once, you’re dead. Although, if you rack up a sick combo, you’ll unlock a power that will slow down time the minute a bullet is shot at you. It’s a convenient mechanic that makes the game easier, just not that much easier.
Henchmen vary from security guards armed with pistols, pyros with flamethrowers, ninjas with police batons, grenadiers, and a few more each color-coded for your convenience. Enemy variety is definitely a plus in Mr. Shifty thanks to it shaking up the gameplay. One minute you’re getting shot at, next minute there’s an explosion killing more enemies. It’s madness!
Playing Mr. Shifty on Nintendo Switch
Mr. Shifty is currently available on the Nintendo Switch and PC, with the Switch’s redeeming factor being its portability. This game would be nice to play at 60 frames per second due to its frantic nature, but playing it on the go at 30 fps is all the better. Although, when I played the Switch version before the patch, the framerate was downright nauseating. It’s capped at 30 fps but with some HEAVY framerate drops during intense battle sequences with a lot of enemies on screen. Thankfully, it has been patched as of late and performs significantly better than before. Now I absolutely have to recommend it for Switch as it is the perfect type of game to play on the TV and handheld.
The main problem Mr. Shifty has is its replayability. It’s a short game, around 4 hours max, and once you complete it, that’s about it. You can always beat your times in previous levels, but there’s no incentive to do that. If the only complaint about a game is that it’s too short, it says a lot about how good the game is already. Still, it’s…really short.
Final Reaction
Mr. Shifty is a great game. A short game only worth playing once, but a great game nonetheless. I felt like a true badass kicking some major buttocks with my warping ability that always made me feel in control of a situation. That is until I kept dying over and over again, but I would get back up every time to show these poor henchmen who’s boss. If you’re looking for a quick experience on you Switch or PC (eventually coming to PS4 and Xbox One), it could be worth checking out for $15. My only hope for a sequel is that there be a longer campaign or some additional challenges to make the experience longer.
Rating: 4/5 Atoms
This review copy was provided using a download code from tinyBuild.
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