[Review] Picklock - Nintendo Switch

Developed By: Deqaf Studio
Published By: No Gravity Games
Categories: Thief Simulator
Release Date: 11.26.20

Picklock has an amazing idea you don’t see often enough, being a petty thief, breaking into houses, businesses, and then making your life all the better for it. It just has one huge issue, it’s controls.

You cannot discuss this game without mentioning how delayed and awful it feels to play the game. Press a direction, the titular character will walk shortly after instead of immediately. If you’re in a narrow hallway though, be careful, because you won’t be able to turn. You just won’t move. Infact, I even had moments where I just won’t move in a straight direction if I was near something. Grabbing loot is delayed and you need to be directly staring at it to interact with it or anything. This sounds easier than it actually is. In the first level, with nothing in your way to stop you, it’s manageable. In levels after the fact, it’s dreadful and makes a game that would be fun otherwise a slog. Hope you were looking at the door the right way before someone walked by, otherwise, you’ll waste time adjusting yourself and then get caught and lose. Gets even better when getting seen at all makes it so you cannot win the stage. Sometimes it’s an instant loss, other times, you just get trapped and the cops wait outside. I love the level design, but the controls just don’t work for it. After you play for a bit, you get tools to help you out in future stages, like a crowbar to break open locked doors, a drill for safes, and a solder for electrics.

The more you use them in levels, the better they work, and faster, but you’re gonna be sitting and waiting at first. The more money you get, you can get new cars, homes, just waste time at the bar or strip club. I like this aspect, it makes the world seem more lively, even if it’s just to goof off.

I also really quite enjoy the game’s voxel artstyle. Maybe it might seem cheap to some, but I think it has it’s own charm. So if you ever wanted to watch a voxel erotic dancer, go nuts. The music isn’t bad, but it is a bit repetitive , and I don’t like how it doesn’t stop or get quieter when you pause. That’s such a pet peeve for me.

The godawful controls completely ruin what would otherwise be a game I’d quite like. I cannot recommend the game until they’re adjusted. The worst part is, it’s not even a game without merit, it’s just shot down by one huge flaw.