[h1]Introduction[/h1]
Being in the mood for a casual title can always be a bit of a gamble. You obviously lower your expectations while still hoping for something new to enjoy, since the formula still has plenty to showcase even for an endless runner. Sadly, “Run Thief” didn’t bring anything worthy to the table. It’s the Steam debut for H.G.G. and they correctly labeled the title as being a work in progress, courtesy of Early Access. Even so, the game fell short on most of its features. Let’s start the run, shall we?
[h1]Story[/h1]
First of all, where’s the story? Even an excuse for a narrative should have included a static screen with some gibberish on it. None to be found here. In fact, I had to scrape all my story-related information from the game’s Store page on Steam. What are we dealing with here? A nameless, female protagonist on the run from imperial guards after she stole some mysterious scroll from an obviously evil emperor. Of course. Or was it the conspiracy proof which she needs to deliver somewhere undisclosed? Hard to say and it's not like any of this is actually simulated in-game. You wanted more? Well you better imagine a story then, since that’s all you’ll get for now. From that barebones description on its official page, I found the name of the two locations you shall sprint through: Immaculate Towers and Coniferous Forest. That’s it, they’ll only feature some lighting changes across various levels, which offer the illusion of scenery diversity. A cheap trick which won’t last for long, if at all.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1844399502
[h1]Graphics[/h1]
The Unreal Engine 4 logo appears right after you start the game. At least that part guarantees some quality to the otherwise flimsy package. True to its roots and my past experience with this graphics engine, I had no unforeseen performance issues and it scaled well to my native resolution while the details onscreen never proved much of an obstacle for a stable frame rate. Those visual assets occupy far more space than the game can put to good use, yet that’s not truly a flaw. UE4 provides adequate effects and this represents almost a saving grace to Run Thief.
[h1]Audio[/h1]
But then you realize that the game still lacks severely in all other regards. For example, the sounds are so few and far in between, that even the elevator music from a highly repetitive platformer can give it a good run for its money. Voice acting? It’s probably hiding someplace along with the absent story from this title. Just listen to your own playlist of choice and once again let your imagination run wild while this female thief struggles to keep up the pace.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1844399343
[h1]Gameplay[/h1]
You might be tempted to assume that a casual, endless runner focusing on fantasy elements, can at least compensate through its gameplay if the story doesn’t quite fit in. But no, the aforementioned couple of themes shall repeat themselves over and over again. Towers and forests. Sometimes they’re moonlit while on other occasions they’re traversed during daytime. The rugs can offer a different color and so will the trees, but it doesn’t take a trained eye to notice that it’s still the same environment with slight chromatic changes. To add insult to injury, our silent protagonist never meets her pursuers which are supposedly chasing her all along her endless trip to bring that scroll somewhere. You fail the game if you stop for too long or perish from the several traps laid across the track. Yet the enemies are persistently elusive to the point of involuntary comedy.
Case in point, one of the deadliest obstacle on your path to freedom is represented by some magic missiles which come raining down from the sky in a similar fashion to mortar shells. If your foes can wield such powerful means of eliminating threats, what’s the point of pursuit in the first place? We’ll just mark that as a logical gap and move on. Endless running still features three speed presets along with an option for jumping which allows access to certain collectible items. Coins, because why not? Just keep an eye out for hearts and potions which actually help the heroine heal herself along with a few other boosts. The chase itself drags on for too long and the lack of gameplay and visual diversity finally represent proverbial nails to Run Thief’s coffin.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1844399815
[h1]Verdict[/h1]
It could certainly improve itself and I applaud the decision to label it as Early Access. However, its current state does not warrant the price tag and thus I recommend you steer clear of Run Thief until it shall update itself to a far more presentable version. More levels should be added, traps, enemies and last but not least, proper sound effects along with a narrative which really doesn’t require an absurd amount of effort. You’re off on the wrong foot, H.G.G. but you can still make amends. Delivering a scroll deserves more context.
[h1]Strong Points[/h1]
+ Still in Early Access.
+ Decently looking thanks to its graphics engine.
[h1]Weak Points[/h1]
- Lacking visual, sound and gameplay diversity.
- No Steam Achievements or Trading Cards.
[b]Rating 35/100[/b]
[quote]This review was submitted for [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35512837-I-DO-MY-BEST/]I DO MY BEST[/url], through the generous contribution of [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/jiumohoo]jiumohoo[/url] and the Steam Curator Connect program.[/quote]
