Serial Cleaner

Story:

You've been in the shoes of a professional killer like Hitman or a psychopath like the protagonist of Party Hard. This time we will see a different side.

In this game, you step into the role of a professional "janitor" in the 1970s, whose job is to conceal the traces of mafia crimes. Unlike many other games that focus on committing murders, this one emphasizes the act of hiding them. Of course, this work isn’t free; it’s how the protagonist makes a living. He lives with his elderly mother and needs to earn money to provide a comfortable life for both of them. After all, someone has to do it.

The plot of the game may not be very deep, but it does a decent job, serving as a solid backdrop for gameplay, so that oldschool crime thriller atmosphere is there. Each mission tells a separate story related to the next assignment, while a common thread runs throughout the entire game, linking various missions together. Additionally, between missions, players can gain insight into the world around them by reading newspapers or listening to the radio.

P.S There are also rumors about some killer, what's up with that, I wonder.

Graphics:

Despite coming out in 2017, game still looks fresh, thanks to the unique artstyle.

The graphics are done in a stylized 2D manner that pays homage to the aesthetics of the 70s. Bright colors, minimalistic textures, and clear contours create a unique visual style, reminiscent of comic books or posters of that time. Levels are great in detail: each of them represents a different location (a warehouse, a camping ground, etc.) with many objects that can be used to hide bodies. Animations of characters and interactions with the environment look smooth and add dynamics to the game. Thanks to the artstyle, even the most horrible and bloody crime scenes do not leave strong negative emotions.

Audio:

The game's soundtrack is one of its strong points. The music is inspired by 70's disco and funk, which creates the perfect atmosphere to immerse yourself in that period. At times, the music was funky I kinda caught myself stomping to the beat. Sound effects such as the noise of police sirens, the footsteps of guards, or the sound of blood being cleaned up add to the pleasantly thrilling soundscape. Not to mention that the sound of the vacuum cleaner and your steps are an element of gameplay, and upon hearing one of these the cops will go to check it out.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is a mix of stealth and puzzle with a little sprinkle of action on top. Your main weapons are your wit, your quick reflexes, and a trusty vacuum. The player needs to clean up dead bodies, hide weapons, wash away pools of blood, collect evidence, and avoid the attention of the police and other enemies. Each level presents a unique challenge where it's important to think through your actions and utilize your surroundings. For example, you can hide a body in the trunk of a car or distract a guard by turning on the TV. In some levels, you can block certain parts of the level to change the patrol route of enemies. The game offers several ways to solve tasks, which adds to the replayability. At the same time, do not forget that the sounds of our footsteps and our vacuum cleaner can attract the attention of enemies, which sometimes forces the player to make a split-second decision because if we get caught, we will have to start the level again. But replaying the level is not as scary or frustrating as it seems (although I have to admit that I threw a couple of angry fits while playing some hard levels), because at each restart, the location of clues, corpses, and blood changes. So, you can always change the strategy, if something does not work out.

It's worth considering that sometimes the controls can seem a bit awkward, especially in tense situations. 

Because of the top-down perspective, it can be difficult to understand where the character can pass and where not, and therefore there are times when in tense situations, the main character simply gets stuck in the furniture corners.

If you are noticed at this moment, you need to hurry, as the enemies move much faster than the player, so you will have to either hide quickly or not get in their face. It is worth mentioning that there are secrets in the game. For collecting movies scattered around the levels, you can open bonus levels. And for passing levels with good results and fulfillment of additional conditions, we get additional costumes. Both are inspired by realistic movies, such as "Kill Bill" or "Friday the 13th".

Overall, it's a solid game that can give you a couple of entertaining evenings. Plus, you can usually get it cheap so it's a win-win.