The Marvellous Miss Take

 
Developer: Wonderstruck
Released: Nov 2014
Hours Played: 4.6
Similar To: Cat Burglar / Monaco / Rats - Time Is Running Out / Robbery Bob / Volume
Rating: 4/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY

TMMT is a true isometric stealth game that reveals the inside of buildings in plan-view. However the pun hidden inside the title is not the only clever little thing hidden inside this stylish game. You mainly play as Sophia Take - a hip young woman who certainly knows how to use her hips as she flounces about the place in her fashionable garb. Her aim is to steal paintings and other art works from posh galleries in the swankier parts of London right under the noses of security guards and cameras. You enter a building with an objective to steal a set number of pieces. We're not talking about a mean-spirited criminal here though for these works were bequeathed to her by her Great Aunt and therefore rightfully belong to her. As you complete levels, two more characters join the party effectively turning your 25-mission game into one with 75 overall. 
  

BALANCE & PACE

Guards patrol the area on a random path with a line of sight emanating from them like a search light. Security cameras also sway back and forth emitting a conical line of sight but their danger zone is more predictable. Later, guard dogs attempting to smell you out get added to the mix. To be fair both personnel and canines are pretty useless at their jobs as they'll often ignore you as you stand right next to them but realism has often been sacrificed here for the sake of decent gameplay... and a decent game it truly is. Your job is to sneak around undetected using walls and furniture to hide and then to make your escape once you've swiped all the loot. Making a noise like a whistle, a cough or a knock, plus accessories to distract guards can be used to assist in the task. Being discovered means a chase and, if caught, starting the level again.     
     

PRESENTATION & DESIGN 

With bright and colourful presentation created with tasteful colour-schemes of soft pastel hues, everything comes together really well. All three protagonists walk around in an exaggerated manner but in a way that represents their personality. Sophia struts confidently like a sassy model down the catwalk; Harry hobbles along hindered by his gammy leg, while Daisy shuffles along purposefully. Additionally, the guards grunt and groan annoyingly enough to let you know of their presence as does the sniff of the largely inept but irritating dogs. Other members of the public like the buxom busy-body get in the way to hinder progress. A tiny crash of the cymbal accompanies a steal, while the shout from a guard on being caught plus the intimidating presence of the exclamation marks signals the necessary alarm of being discovered. 
  

PROGRESS SYSTEM

Wonderstruck have employed many additional ways to play the game that encourages replayability. Every game begins with Sophia and other characters enjoying a pleasant gallery in a stress-free manner. This is split into unlockable sections or chapters. To unlock other areas you simple need to complete a set number of levels with your three characters. To unlock Chapter 3, for example, you have to finish 10, 4 and 2 levels by Sophia, Harry and Daisy respectively. Completion gets pictures added to the gallery. Further frames get added if you: (1) complete levels within a par-time; (2) steal the additional masterpieces, and (3) "ghost" a level by completing it entirely unseen. It's not initially clear how such pictures and frames are arranged for each character but it can eventually be figured out.   

CONCLUSION

The ideas behind TMMT may not be new; similar concepts run through earlier simpler titles, with a touch less production values, such as Dynamite Jack, Monaco - What's Mine is Yours and Spy Chameleon. However, TMMT pulls the whole thing off with more flair and panache. Randomizing patrol routes of the guards certainly gives the game that unpredictability but doesn't always work for the better, as you can do nothing about guards loitering by that last picture and, hence, scuppering that chance to beat a time under par. A temperamental Xbox controller at the menu screens is the only other negative. However both issues are minor nitpicks, for the game is a well-balanced and fun experience overall with innovations (such as the pick-up-and-throw mechanic) that must have inspired the acclaimed Volume that came after it.