Stealin’ is a pirates’ most coveted activity. Plunderin’ is just a rougher, more violent, term for thievery but we do understand the professionalism in a well-executed Bank Job. Aye, me and me crew have had our share of stowaways which stole from the big bank industry. They were nice, but at the end o’ it, we still made ’em walk the plank; too many hands to share the booty after all. It may seem a bit extreme to make a man walk tha plank, but we paid him back through a little buoy. So in honor of all the thieves we may have killed, I picked up this little game to remember just what they had to go through to get me booty.
The Gameplay: It’s an endless Runner
At this point, you should expect the same tropes you’d find from other side scrolling runners. There’s no stop button, but you can slide and jump over different obstacles. That’s already in the standard hat trick at this point, but Bank Job does make an effort to mix it up. For example, instead of temporary power ups, or passive skills, you get hats. Again, this feels like a girlie thing, but when you use certain hats you get certain skills so it butches up in time.
This should make you want to collect more of the things as each can only be bought from the loot you get after each run. The game also manages to impress through its use of levels. You see, you aren’t restricted to running through one section of platforms with the occasional jump. Instead, you are also treated to two level play with varying amounts of loot on each. Randomized obstacles and traps punctuate your journey as well, making it challenging to run through each play through. These little additions and twists make for a better game experience.
The Graphics
Okay, so the game is obviously aimed at all ages, but the thing here is that it can be a little too colorful. At times, the game is pretty, boasting a good selection and combination of pallets so that you’re always entertained. At others though, you may be forced to lower your brightness as the game can get a little too hard for the eyes. This isn’t to say the graphics are bad though, but for those that enjoy an earthier colored game, you might want to tone down the graphics.
Animation wise, the game is sharp and well made. Between the endless running of the thief and the trap animation, you’d be hard pressed to find a section that isn’t designed with great aplomb. At the same time, there was obviously a lot of thought put into each level. There are clever design ideas all over, and even when you go out of your way to find that extra loot platform, it won’t feel like you’re getting off track
The Verdict
This game is similar to many other endless runners, but the difference is that it doesn’t try to change too much. Those that love to play this genre will find just enough twists and turns to keep it fresh for many sessions to come. For those that are new, this game will probably rank a little higher in the list of endless runners they should play. Bank Job is free, by the way, and is totally available on both Android and iOS platforms.
