Robbery Bob: Man of Steal

Developer: Level Eight AB
Steam Release: Oct 2015
Hours Played: 2.6
Similar To: Monaco - What's Yours Is Mine / Rats - Time Is Running Out / Spy Chameleon
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY
For better or worse top-down stealth games aren't rife in the Steam store at present but what there is of them and from those I've played, they're mostly solid and entertaining. On the one hand you've got the super-slick and well-produced ones like The Marvellous Miss Take and Volume while on the other you get the cartoon inspired variety like Rats-Time Is Running Out, Spy Chameleon and this one. In Robbery Bob, the same principles apply as in the other two: you creep around rooms taking what you shouldn't while staying out of sight of patrolling guards and cameras. Studying the pattern of movement, anticipating where the safe spots are and making dashes hither and thither is part of the routine. Get spotted and a small chase ensues where you'll either get caught and restart or run and hide but take a hit when receiving awards. 

BALANCE & PACE
You can purchase permanent upgrades to one of four attributes like speed and stamina between levels with your stolen cash. Alternatively, you might like to buy a gadget or toy to distract those with prying eyes or who get in your way. Throw in the ability to hide (ninja-style) inside bushes and toilets etc plus setting off distracting alarms - and it all adds up to an extremely well done package. Rooms light up as you enter and question marks appear to show where guards are heading. You may also choose to play with a complete lack of time-pressure or any type of time-attack feature at all. This means that rather then feeling rushed and having to administer moves quickly in arcade-like fashion, you can sit back, review the situation, sip a glass of wine and strategise in a calm and relaxing manner.
 

PRESENTATION & DESIGN
Our man Bob is not evil, he's carrying out these break-ins under duress by unsavoury characters. Despite this, the world he inhabits and the rooms he sneaks around in are extremely colourful. You may zoom out at the touch of a button so a fuller picture and a cunning plan of action can be better carried-out but be warned - time does not stop and you cannot move while in zoomed-out mode. Inhabiting these buildings are also colourful characters who, as in most stealth games, happen to be incredibly stupid; they patrol areas in predictable patterns and stare into space motionlessly for eternity. Some sounds, as you'd also expect in a stealth game, have been enhanced for effect such as the creaky doors and the barking dogs. Additionally exclamations from some of the guards, as you're discovered, triggers a scarey "you've been caught" noise.

PROGRESS SYSTEM
Progress in RB is clear, transparent and uncryptic. There are three chapters in the main game entitled Suburbs, Downtown and Secret Labs. These appear as postcards on the start-screen with a percentage indicating how much of each have been completed. Each has a campaign map with a path of 15 circles to represent the 15 levels within. Three awards are given for each: a guard's head to show you were undetected; a sack of coins to show you stole all the treasures and a clock to show it was completed in the par-time. The latter award may contradict what I said earlier about the time-factor but I think most players will be happy to complete levels. In addition the game comes packaged with a further seven bonus chapters all with 15 levels in each. 

CONCLUSION

With the seven extra chapters giving the usual three awards for each level plus a score and an online rank, the game has bonus content that's well over twice as large as the main game itself which makes replay value enormous. However, the game stands up very well for generating the right stealthy atmosphere through its sound and visuals. My only reservation is that because the game requires such intense concentration, the sound triggered for getting caught may be too shrill which can genuinely make the player jump - and I'm still undecided if this is a good thing or not. Perhaps it could have been softer or more subtle. Additionally, for those speed-running for par-times, it may have been useful to include the option of having a countdown timer or clock to show how the player is doing.