You play as Bob, a criminal who is sprung from jail by a mysterious gangster. To repay him for your freedom, he requests that you steal various items for him. You do this by sneaking around people and security guards, avoiding cameras, finding keys for locked doors, hiding in potted plants and toilets, and much more. Just when the game starts to feel repetitive, some new mechanic is introduced, such as disguises or special timed distractions. In order to perfect a level, you have to make it through completely undetected within a certain time limit while collecting 100% of the extra valuables.
Everything controls simply with a virtual joystick for movement and a virtual button for sprinting and other contextual interactions. You can sprint-sneak for short bursts, although doing so makes you much louder, whereas you are completely silent while sneaking normally. Essentially, the game feels like a more traditionally controlled version of Spy mouse. Some people are complaining about the controls, but I had zero issues with them myself and found them well done. This game gets extra points from me for one simple reason. There are mid-level checkpoints, and there’s a glorious fast-forward button for when you have to wait for people to complete their patrols. I review so very many apps that really need this kind of feature, and was pleased to see it here.
The cartoon aesthetics definitely set the tone for a humorous game, and there are some very funny moments and mechanics. The motivations of your various crime bosses are often amusing, and there are even a couple of genuinely cool moments regarding the story. There aren’t very many levels, and it definitely takes a while for the app to really get going and become fun, but I thought it was worth it. Being a Chillingo game, the Crystal leaderboard and achievement network is supported as well. Robbery Bob is iOS Universal and available for one dollar at the time of this review. If you’re interested in a charming cartoon stealth game, this is the perfect title for you.
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