Steam/Xbox Series X|S Review Keys Provided By Mighty Yell Studios
One of my favorite things that developers are focusing on these days is the stylish ways that they can make their game look. That’s what really stood out to me the most when I had first heard about Might Yell’s, The Big Con. Its use of poppy 90s design took my eye the moment I saw it.
Reminiscent of a Saturday morning cartoon of the time it emulates, The Big Con manages to not only look intriguing, but its story, music, and gameplay all offer a really great experience that focuses on being nostalgic. Though there are some technical issues, this is one of my favorite titles of the year.
Story
Set in the 90s, we play as a teenager named Ali; she’s angsty, quick-witted, and a bit of a rebel. She’s just what you’d expect out of any great 90s kid. Her whole world starts to crumble though when she finds out that her mother’s video store is going under and that a greasy money shark is ready to sell her building out from under them.
While Ali may be just a kid, she takes it upon herself to make the money her mom needs to save the shop. Her mentor in learning to con, swindle, and grift, is a professional in this field named Ted, but of course, even he has a story.
I found Ali’s journey incredibly true and heartwarming. While she comes across hard on the outside, she’s a kid that loves her mom and would do anything to make things right for them. There’s also a side to Ali that the game explores, as before her trip she confessed to her best friend that she’s in love with her. Processing everything at once was wearing on her so through these mischievous deeds, she starts to find herself and become even more empowered.
Gameplay
I was pleasantly surprised at how this title’s gameplay worked. It’s nothing too flashy, yet it’s pretty inventive in its own right. Most of the time, you’re wandering around specified locations, interacting with other characters and the environment around you. The name of the game is to earn (steal) money, so that’s what you do.
There are tons of different ways to earn money but the most important would be picking a target and finding what they need. What you’ll do is talk to a potential mark and see what they’re looking for. Once you find (steal) what they want, then you sell it to them for some cold hard cash. There’s more to it than that, and most cases will lead Ali on a crazy scavenger hunt to get the con done.
Another way of earning money quickly is by pick-pocketing everyone you come across. This plays out in a little mini-game where you have to time it correctly so that the arrow is within the purple bar. It gets harder and harder depending on how much money the person has but it’s never overly difficult. If you fail though, the mark will catch on so you’ll have to don a disguise.
Disguises are yet another set of items that you can pick up from around the environment and serve their purpose but also add a bit of comedy to it all. If you get caught too many times though, you’ll have to rewind movie tapes in order to make all of your money back. This pick-pocket mini-game can be toggled off though in the settings which is actually a pretty nice addition.
Other gameplay elements will involve answering questions, solving light combination puzzles, or even getting pen pal lovers to find each other in real life. Even though the gameplay isn’t complex, that’s part of what made the game so enjoyable for me. I just felt like relaxing and letting its world suck me into it every time I picked up my controller.
Audio and Visuals
This game could not be any more 90s. It looks like a new version of the Doug series that I wish existed on television right now. All of the characters have their own colorful look to them and the locations pop with the vibrance and style of that decade. It makes me wish more games took place in the 90s.
Music also evokes that era’s sound. There’s pretty much music going on throughout the entire game, with each section of it having its own specific music track. What makes these tracks even cooler though is that if you enter a store or restaurant, the style changes. It’s little details like this that made me smile to myself, time and time again.
Replayability
The Big Con does offer some decision-making in sections and there can be dialogue that you miss altogether depending on how much you comb the levels. This game is easily worth a replay, especially because it isn’t a super long game. I think my entire playthrough came in at just under six hours total.
What It Could Have Done Better
Unfortunately, I faced a litany of bugs throughout my playthrough. I initially played the game on Xbox Series X|S but ran into a game-breaking glitch where I couldn’t hit the B button or Back button without it crashing. Luckily, Mighty Yell was nice enough to supply me with a Steam code so that I could finish the game.
While I’d like to say that I didn’t have any issues going forward, that too had some pretty noticeable bugs. I had a crash on that version too in fact. On both versions, I also noticed missing characters that would pop on-screen, and an issue where I wasn’t always able to hit the Start button. They’re just weird bugs that should be able to be iron out pretty easily.
Verdict
What Mighty Yell was able to bring to the table with this love letter to the 90s was just the thing I needed to cap off my Summer. It’s beautiful, funny, and heartwarming, all at the same time. The gameplay is straightforward and yet rewarding with just how much it has to offer in its crafted world. The stakes get higher and the fun goes along with it. If you can look past its rough patches, this is absolutely a blast.
