The discharge of Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion turned fairly a number of heads again in 2021. Whereas its lovely graphics and witty humor received over all however essentially the most cynical souls, its clunky controls and lackluster rogue-lite gameplay loop left many gamers (and much more critics) wanting extra.
Lower than two years later, the titular radish-adjacent ruffian is again to lift some bell pepper (oof, okay, the pun food plan begins now). Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution mixes its predecessor’s side-splitting humor with breakneck run-and-gun gameplay, and the ultimate result’s a scrumptious full-course meal that my abdomen couldn’t get sufficient of.
Story: Crime… Crime By no means Modifications…
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a top-shelf instance of a recreation that takes a easy idea and runs so distant with it that it finally ends up on one other continent. By the tip of the sport, our intrepid hero’s quest to dodge his taxes advanced into an epic wrestle to overthrow the town of Veggieville’s tyrannical mayor and avenge his household. Thankfully for followers of the unique, Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution’s story is simply as off-the-wall absurd as its predecessor’s.
With Veggieville lowered to ruins resulting from a civil warfare, Don Dillipino of the Dillipino Crime Household decides to make the most of the chaos and steal the “Mysterious Motherload” hidden throughout the Botanical Financial institution. Nonetheless, that is simpler stated than finished, because the financial institution’s ruthless proprietor, Ol’ Smelly, has pulled out all of the stops to construct a financial institution so massive, it could’t fail. Understanding he can’t outfox Ol’ Smelly alone, Dillipino recruits Turnip Boy into his gang, provides him a gun, and sends him off to the races.
Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution’s narrative doesn’t give Shakespeare a run for his cash, nevertheless it did make me care in regards to the recreation’s post-apocalyptic world and its inhabitants. Whereas the plot of Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion went nearly solely for laughs, its sequel is filled with stunning revelations and emotional character interactions that play out with out being instantly defused by a joke. As soon as my 10-hour journey by way of the Botanical Financial institution ended, I used to be genuinely unhappy that my time with Turnip Boy and his crew was over.
Gameplay: A Quick-Paced Frolic That Rewards Expert Play With Curiosity
Some of the important points gamers and critics had with Turnip Boy Commts Tax Evasion was that its Legend of Zelda-inspired gameplay was a bit on the sluggish aspect because of its protagonist’s sluggish stroll velocity and the sport’s clunky fight system. Thankfully, Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution’s gameplay method suffers from precisely none of these points.
Borrowing inspiration from rogue-like dungeon-crawlers like Hades and The Binding of Isaac, Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution challenges you to progress deeper and deeper into the Botanical Financial institution throughout a number of runs. As Turnip Boy, you’ll have to combat by way of a sequence of rooms and hallways stuffed with enemies, buying as a lot cash as doable by robbing money from unsuspecting patrons or looting varied treasures up for show in fancy, simply breakable instances.
The period of time you may spend galavanting by way of the financial institution is proscribed by a timer on show in the correct nook of the display screen. As I realized the onerous approach, a gentle stream of enemies will begin rappelling into the financial institution as soon as this hits zero, forcing you to retreat to your getaway automobile to flee earlier than you’re overwhelmed. Leaving the financial institution means that you can return to your gang’s hideout along with your spoils, however dying forces you to limp residence with half your on-hand money and not one of the treasures you picked up.
If you wish to make it to the innermost depths of the Botanical Financial institution and behold the Mysterious Motherload with your personal eyes, you’ll want to make use of your ill-gotten positive factors to purchase upgrades that can permit you to delve deeper into the complicated. From new weapons I might deliver with me into every new run to particular “Robo-Roid” upgrades that completely buffed my well being and harm, I used to be by no means quick on new choices to contemplate as I labored to craft a construct highly effective sufficient to get me to Ol’ Smelly’s workplace in a single piece.
Development and Exploration: A Meal That Companies However Doesn’t Fairly Fulfill
Like most dungeon-crawler rogue-likes, the street to your remaining vacation spot is linear in Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution. Each new space of the Botanical Financial institution has just one exit that’s marked clearly in your map. Nonetheless, the trail ahead is sort of at all times blocked by an impediment you received’t have the ability to clear in your first run, which provides a component of puzzle-solving that provides some welcome spice to your journey.
Sadly, the puzzles it is advisable to resolve to progress in Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution didn’t train my mind fairly as a lot as they appeared like they’d at first look. Whereas the options to those puzzles had been as inventive as they had been amusing, all of them adopted a strict method of returning to the hideout and shopping for no matter it is advisable to advance from the Darkish Internet. Whether or not it was a cardboard field or a tool that would disassemble a meals amalgam, the method of fixing each puzzle was by no means as difficult as I’d hoped it will be.
Thankfully, the linearity of the primary route is greater than made up for the numerous branching paths you’ll run into as you run and gun your approach by way of the financial institution. By getting into elevators, you’ll end up in off-shoot rooms stuffed with distinctive treasures to loot and characters to work together with. The range on show within the recreation’s fundamental areas is cranked as much as eleven in these aspect rooms: one minute, I used to be blasting by way of generic workplace house; the following, I used to be collaborating in a demonic match, becoming a member of an atom-bomb-worshipping cult and serving to a lonely I.T. man broaden his pet rock assortment.
These side-rooms are additionally the first approach you resolve Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution’s stunning number of many side-quests. With the skin world in shambles, the Botanical Financial institution has grow to be residence to many foodfolk refugees who need assistance with varied issues. Whereas most of those side-quests turned out to be fetch quests, fixing them at all times felt worthwhile as a result of I used to be rewarded with new music, cosmetics, or simply some enjoyable dialogue.
Fight: OH %#%#$, THAT TURNIP’S PACKING HEAT!
Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution’s reply to its predecessor’s fight downside is so simple as earth-shattering: it provides you a gun. Whereas I began the sport with a tiny pistol, my arsenal expanded as I picked up new sorts of firearms from the compost my fallen foes left behind. Fly-shooting frogs, magic wands, and an computerized assault rifle had been simply among the ranged weapons I encountered on my trek by way of the financial institution, and all of them had been enjoyable to make use of.
Melee weapons additionally return, however their unwieldiness has been resolved because of including a brand new journey system that means that you can shortly transfer away from enemies and dodge oncoming assaults. To my shock, falling flat on my face saved my life extra instances than I might rely, making studying the assault sample of each new enemy and boss I encountered a lot simpler.
Turnip Boy’s elevated mobility made nearly each fight occasion into an exhilarating recreation of duck-and-roll-and-shoot that by no means misplaced its allure. Each space of the financial institution launched new enemies that challenged my aiming and dodging expertise in thrilling methods, and every resulted in a boss combat in opposition to a robust foe with enjoyable designs and tough assault patterns. Whilst my variety of deaths skyrocketed, the extent of excited anticipation I felt as I stepped right into a boss room by no means diminished.
The Verdict
Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution is a tasty rogue-like that saved discovering new methods to deliver me again to the dinner desk. Addictive run-and-gun gameplay, a colourful artwork fashion, and hilarious writing come collectively to create a memorable first course for 2024. Whereas the sport’s puzzles could also be a bit underwhelming, the richness of its fight and exploration had been greater than sufficient to make up for it.
As a lifelong fan of the isometric indie action-adventure video games, Turnip Boy Robs a Financial institution was a superb option to break within the new 12 months. Anybody hungry for a refreshing rogue-lite romp will probably be happy with this pixilated culinary achievement.
This recreation was reviewed utilizing a replica of the sport supplied by the sport’s writer,public relations firm, developer or different for the specific function of a assessment.