Mr. Shifty

 PC
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. GameGrin
    Jun 9, 2017
    80
    Mr Shifty is a hectic brawler that is enjoyable in short bursts. You can happily power through a few stages and feel like a badass while you’re doing it. It is, however, a short experience, but there are enough challenges, variety and enjoyment to be had. In contrast to Hotline Miami’s brutal difficulty, you’d think Mr Shifty would be Hotline-lite, but you’d be far from wrong as it can stand tall as being one of best top-down brawlers.
  2. Hardcore Gamer
    Apr 20, 2017
    80
    Mr. Shifty knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat yet tentatively conserved all the same. Whether it’s using that last crucial shift or dealing with enemies in a frantic manner, the basic premise masks a surprising strategic depth. While its lack of challenge in the early parts, not to mention the somewhat disappointing length of its total run-time, may feel underwhelming, don’t let the bare, stripped-back design of its environments fool you. There’s plenty of tactical thinking one not just discovers, but ultimately, is required to harness if your intention is to succeed and the way Mr. Shifty manages to balance player involvement with the consequences littering nearly every room traversed through is a prime example of how good gameplay can triumph over anything the on-screen visuals might show. Gameplay might be one of the few, solitary highs it rides, but for the most part, that’s all Mr. Shifty really needs to stand as entertaining, and more importantly, downright fun to tackle.
  3. GameSpot
    Apr 17, 2017
    80
    Mr. Shifty isn't a huge game in terms of length, but the three- to four-hour campaign is ample. It's like a shot of adrenalin, offering an exciting, intense experience, and it's easy to forgive the game's performance flaws when it so consistently makes you feel like a badass.
  5. GameOver.gr
    May 4, 2017
    75
    Strip the explicit violence of Hotline Miami, reverse its snuff tone, add the power to teleport in short distances and you get Mr. Shifty, a high-octane action game that lets you be a combination between Neo and Nightcrawler.
  6. InsideGamer.nl
    May 1, 2017
    75
    Mr. Shifty is a fun concept that will last for approximately four hours. We would have liked to see more inspiring puzzles because it is a bit too short.
  7. New Game Network
    Apr 27, 2017
    75
    There's not enough substance to Mr. Shifty to leave a lasting impression, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is certainly enough to get your blood pumping for a bit. In this case, that was certainly enough for me.
  8. COGconnected
    Apr 21, 2017
    75
    Mr. Shifty was a lot of fun to play for the first few hours. The combat was slick and the levels were innovative, but towards the end of the game it stopped introducing new challenges and started to stagnate, repeating some rehashed areas I had already gone through. I have no doubt that I’ll play it some more if they introduce some new content, but until then it’ll be joining the hundreds of other forgotten games in my Steam library.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 21
  3. Negative: 4 out of 21
  1. MrWitzelsucht
    May 14, 2019
    9
    I love games like this one; one-shot kills, try-and-die until you get it right. I'm (I think) around half-way through at the moment andI love games like this one; one-shot kills, try-and-die until you get it right. I'm (I think) around half-way through at the moment and having a great time. Whenever I get stuck /frustrated I go back and retry earlier levels to see if I can do them quicker/die less. Whilst it's soundtrack isn't bad, it's not on Hotline Miami/Katana Zero levels, but serves it's purpose.
    For fans of: Hotline Miami, Ronin, Katana Zero, Ape Out    … Full Review »
  2. lastfox
    Oct 25, 2020
    8
    Although it's a bit short, it really is a fun game that surprised me quite a bit. On top this games feels quite nostalgic like old SNESAlthough it's a bit short, it really is a fun game that surprised me quite a bit. On top this games feels quite nostalgic like old SNES games.
    It's probably the fact that you only need three buttons to play it and the overall simplicity of the game. In the end it's what they do with that simple premise is what counts. And they mix it up quite a bit. From small puzzles to big survival matches to jump'n'run. You can play either pretty aggressive and barge into rooms or you can try to be sneaky and take out enemies. I think this option to shift from one playing style into the other is what made this experience so fun. Like I said, it's a bit short but it's worth the buy. Here are the titles that this game reminded me of ( if you like these games you might give Mr Shifty a shot):

    True Lies (SNES), Hotline Miami, DieHard1 (PS1), Hyperlight Drifter    … Full Review »
  3. NightGeisha
    Jan 2, 2019
    7
    Mr. Shifty is a fast paced game that puts us in the shoes of a hero with the power to teleport himself and with the fighting skills of aMr. Shifty is a fast paced game that puts us in the shoes of a hero with the power to teleport himself and with the fighting skills of a ninja.

    Its a non-conventional fighting game in a top-down view perspective, with a very "cartoonish" style. With an interesting soundtrack and with a game mechanic that obviously was designed for controller, Mr. Shifty Is breathtaking, fast, challenging and extremely fun.

    Hope you all enjoy it.    … Full Review »
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