Beat Sneak Bandit (rhythm stealth game from Simogo)

arta · #1 11-09-2011, 06:29 PM

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http://wireless.ign.com/articles/121/1212044p1.html

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After playing several levels of Simogo's Beat Sneak Bandit, I can truly say I've never played anything quite like it. The two-man indie team has managed to wrap up equal parts puzzle-solving, rhythm tapping, and stealth into a stylish little iOS package that is easy to learn, but difficult to master.

The storyline has it that Baron Von Clockface has stolen all of the world's clocks, and it's up to players, as the Beat Sneak Bandit, to infiltrate his oddball mansion to steal them back.

All of Beat Sneak Bandit's 2D levels are accompanied by a funky background music track. But this music is there for much more than just flavor. Every time players tap the screen in time with the beat, the Bandit hops a little further through the stage. Time your tapping wrong, and he remains rooted in place. The goal is to tap your way through each stage while avoiding obstacles like roving security guards and spotlights.

Every element of BSB's level design smartly supports this simple one button premise. When players are facing a wall and tap, the bandit simply turns around and heads back the other direction. When facing a staircase, a tap sends you up the stairs.

Each level contains four optional challenge clocks, requiring players to execute tricky bits of rhythmic tapping & pattern recognition to nab them all. A clock might be behind a security guard that paces back and forth every third beat. But a nearby trapdoor opens every fifth beat. By observing these patterns long enough, I was usually able to figure out how to time my moves perfectly in order to grab the clock and make my exit. Every stage's rhythmic patterns loop endlessly, so there is no time pressure to rush through without thinking things through.

The short demo I played left me wanting more, which is always a good sign. Simogo has stated the final game will contain over 40 stages, gradually increasing in difficulty as more and more rhythm-activated gadgets are introduced.

Beat Sneak Bandit is due out early 2012. IGN will have much more on this innovative iOS game soon.