Mr. Shifty

Mr. Shifty is a fantastic debut title from Team Shifty and a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch. I look forward to seeing what the developers come up with next.

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In "Mr. Shifty," players teleport through walls and bullets, utilizing stealth and trickery to outsmart enemies in frenetic, one-shot-kill combat. With a range of tactics at your disposal, outwit foes who collaborate and adapt to your moves, unleashing chaos in this high-stakes, action-packed experience from Team Shifty.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 885 reviews

gameplay168 positive mentions

optimization19 negative mentions

The teleportation mechanic is unique and adds a fun twist to the gameplay, making players feel like a badass.
Fast-paced combat keeps the action engaging and encourages quick thinking and improvisation.
The game features a humorous tone and enjoyable art style, enhancing the overall experience.

The game is relatively short, taking around 3-5 hours to complete, which may not justify the full price for some players.
There are significant performance issues, including crashes and stuttering, especially in later levels.
The level design can become repetitive, with some sections feeling tedious and overly long, particularly towards the end.

gameplay
334 mentions
50 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Mr. Shifty" is characterized by its fast-paced, strategic combat centered around a unique teleportation mechanic that encourages players to engage dynamically with enemies and the environment. While the mechanics are generally praised for their smoothness and fun factor, some players feel that the game becomes repetitive and loses its appeal in later levels, particularly due to issues like inconsistent pacing and the automatic activation of the bullet-time feature. Overall, the game offers an enjoyable experience reminiscent of "Hotline Miami," but with its own distinct twist, making it appealing for fans of action-packed gameplay.
- “The shifting mechanic promotes strategic gameplay instead of brute force.”
- “The gameplay is snappy and Mr. Shifty feels great to play.”
- “The core mechanic of teleporting around is very fun, smooth, and makes you feel like a badass.”
- “The problem with this game is that the story of the game ends up feeling generic and also too long to the point where the back half ends up feeling like it is dragging because the game mechanics become stale.”
- “There is largely no new mechanics or additions to keep the game feeling fresh in the back half and as a result, the game just ends up becoming a boring mess to some extent.”
- “To be clear, I don't think the game is too hard; I think it's too repetitive. If there is one part to a room you haven't figured out yet, you have to go through 30 seconds of gameplay you've already mastered just to get another shot at the actually difficult part, only to die instantly and have to start over. Many rooms are too long.”
story
123 mentions
28 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story of "Mr. Shifty" is generally considered weak and generic, serving primarily as a backdrop for the game's action rather than a focal point. While some players appreciate its campy, humorous elements and unexpected twists, many feel it lacks depth and motivation, leading to a repetitive experience in later stages. Overall, the narrative is seen as a lighthearted addition that complements the gameplay, but it doesn't elevate the game to a story-driven experience.
- “The story had some nice twists as well, and is well written - definitely better than what you would expect from a game of its kind!”
- “What an awesome idea for a game, unique power, perspective and a campy story/dialogue to go with it.”
- “The storyline isn't the most original, but the writers are clearly aware of that as the story makes fun of itself constantly.”
- “The remaining 8 stages are drudgery and there is no story in the game anyway.”
- “As there is no proper story, there is no motivation to play after 10 stages.”
- “However, the story is very, very weak with an uninteresting ending.”
music
115 mentions
33 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive nature and lack of variety, often comparing it unfavorably to the more dynamic soundtracks of games like Hotline Miami. While some appreciate the music's fit with the game's action and its production quality, others found it uninspired and bland, leading them to turn it off in favor of other soundtracks. Overall, the soundtrack supports the gameplay but fails to leave a lasting impression due to its limited selection of tracks.
- “Tight mechanics, stylish delivery, good sense of humor, relatively short, great soundtrack.”
- “The writing is pretty hilarious and the music is top notch and fitting for the action.”
- “The fast-paced music keeps you pumped up for each section of the game, and makes you feel ready to face Mr. Stone's men head on.”
- “The game's soundtrack is pretty small, with 6 tracks overall.”
- “The music in this game almost made me quit outright.”
- “It was so uninspired and bland that I ended up turning the music off and started listening to Hotline Miami/Doom 2016 in the background.”
graphics
84 mentions
50 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the vibrant 3D cel-shaded and comic book-esque art styles, while others find them bland or uninspired compared to similar titles like Hotline Miami. Many commend the visuals for being functional and fitting the gameplay, though some express a desire for a more engaging aesthetic. Overall, the graphics are described as clean and stylish, contributing positively to the gameplay experience despite some technical issues.
- “The art style and the soundtrack as well were done to a large degree well.”
- “Stunning visuals, fluid controls, and nice level design with 18 levels made this a fun playthrough on an afternoon.”
- “Very good game, I loved the graphics and the combat, but there maybe should have been a health bar, I would recommend this to a friend.”
- “The 2.5D art style feels dull and uninspired, and though the teleporting mechanic sounds really cool, it loses its luster quickly.”
- “In terms of looks, graphically it's okay, but the style - music, level settings, story, etc. - is very bland to boring.”
- “The technical issues are appalling given the game's simple graphics.”
humor
42 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its lightheartedness and clever writing, with players enjoying the comedic interactions between characters and the absurdity of the gameplay mechanics, such as using environmental objects as weapons. The chaotic nature of combat, including friendly fire among enemies, adds to the hilarity, making for a fun and engaging experience that balances action with comedic moments. Overall, the game is noted for its stylish delivery and a sense of humor that keeps players entertained throughout.
- “The game is full of lighthearted humor, both through dialogue between characters and novel game mechanics (the ability to kill someone by punching a door off its hinges or impaling them on a trident will never not be funny).”
- “The plot is hilariously nonsensical and just serves to offer funny dialogues, but it also really isn't what the game is about.”
- “The enemies have friendly fire, so porting in and getting kills mainly by the chaos they create themselves is a valid and hilarious tactic.”
optimization
41 mentions
7 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
46 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant stuttering and performance issues, particularly during intense moments with multiple enemies on screen. While some users experienced steady performance on older hardware, others noted that the stuttering severely impacted gameplay, especially for speedrunning. Overall, players recommend waiting for potential performance improvements before diving in, as the current state can hinder the gaming experience.
- “I haven't encountered any major glitches.”
- “Apart from that, the game runs smoothly and nothing bothers you except your own mistakes.”
- “Mostly steady performance.”
- “The game suffers from a lot of stuttering throughout.”
- “The stuttering is especially bad if you're trying to speedrun the game.”
- “My only two problems with the game were general instability - I constantly suffered stuttering, even though I more than exceed the minimum requirements, and it even crashed on me at one point.”
replayability
38 mentions
21 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily offering opportunities for speed runs and achieving no-death completions. Players noted the absence of collectibles, level progression, or character upgrades, which diminishes incentives to replay beyond the initial experience. While the game can be enjoyable in short bursts, its short runtime and lack of varied content may not justify its price for many players.
- “Really like the concept and art style, it's pretty fun to play in short bursts, plenty of replay value for those who love speed-runs but your mileage may vary on its simplicity and runtime.”
- “Game is short, but has great replay value.”
- “Game is not too long (my first playthrough was +/- 7 hours), but has some decent replay value.”
- “The only downside for this game could be replayability, as there are not many incentives to replay it again, other than the achievements, a better time to finish, and a zero deaths playthrough.”
- “The levels get quite lengthy after a while and they don't vary a lot, so there's not much replayability to it.”
- “In terms of replay value, there isn't much - unless you're into speed runs, but that's not for me.”
stability
16 mentions
13 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a fluid experience with minimal to no major glitches, others have encountered minor glitches, performance drops, and image issues. Despite these inconsistencies, many users find the game enjoyable and well-optimized, particularly on Linux.
- “This game is just absolute fun from beginning to end and runs great on Linux!”
- “There are also image glitches.”
- “Those design complaints out of the way, I also encountered some minor glitches and performance drops that should not happen on my system.”
- “And a few barely noticeable audio glitches.”
grinding
13 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and overly lengthy, particularly in the later levels and certain encounters. While the gameplay loop is solid and enjoyable, the presence of bugs and a cheap feel detracts from the experience, making it less appealing for some.
- “It gets tedious and feels too long.”
- “The ending is a bit grindy and some of the rooms are stupidly long, but it's the cheap feel and bugs that make this a game to pass on.”
- “A blissfully fluid action game with a compelling twist, let down occasionally by tedious encounters.”
atmosphere
12 mentions
67 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Mr. Shifty" is generally considered bland and lacking the engaging qualities found in similar games like "Hotline Miami," with repetitive music and a less compelling story. While the art style is appreciated, the overall experience is hindered by a lack of flow and immersive elements, despite the fun and action-packed gameplay. Players note that the environment does not create a gorgeous or captivating atmosphere, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “However, Mr. Shifty offers a fun, action-packed gameplay with super tight controls and a seemingly fun atmosphere and story.”
- “Despite its environment's atmosphere that one can't call gorgeous, you will have a lovely time beating everything in or out of sight.”
- “The story and atmosphere are pretty bland.”
- “Music is just alright - more different tracks would have improved the atmosphere.”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling empowered and reminiscent of iconic characters like Nightcrawler from X-Men 2. The experience evokes a sense of badassery and excitement, highlighting the game's ability to make players feel heroic and engaged.
- “One hour in, and although it's been said numerous times, I've always wanted a game that made me feel like Nightcrawler at the beginning of X-Men 2, and this is that game.”
- “It's been a long time since I played a game that made me feel like such an awesome badass.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing frustration over bugs, poor performance, and a lack of updates, suggesting that the investment may not be worth it.
- “If you enjoy achievements being bugged, constant FPS drops for no reason, and no updates for months, then go ahead and buy this garbage cash grab.”
- “The monetization in this game feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy without spending extra money.”
- “It's frustrating to see a game that could be great turned into a cash grab with aggressive monetization tactics.”