Like it or not, violence is a big part of most games. But to be fair, it’s a big part of all entertainment mediums . Whether you’re shooting dudes, slashing monsters, or straight up poisoning victims, video games get messy and high body counts are common. But what about after all that violence? iFun4All’s Serial Cleaner explores this idea and I got to play it on the show floor of PAX East last weekend.
Serial Cleaner, the upcoming 70s themed, heavily stylized animated title from iFun4All puts you in the roll of a professional “cleaner” for the the criminal underworld. You’re job is a little different than Harvey Keitel’s The Wolf, in Pulp Fiction, as you need to disappear evidence from an active crime scene, crawling with cops. From it’s overhead, 2D-ish perspective, similarities to games like Hot Line Miami are immediately apparent. However, this game contains no real combat and takes place long after all the violent acts have been performed by someone else. The similarities with Hot Line Miami however are a little more than just cosmetic as careful planning is a necessity for success and abrupt failure is always just one minor misstep away. During my time with it, I found it to be a step in difficulty compared to many stealth titles in that it required more planning than most as cops would often change their movement patterns, namely when they notice a piece of evidence has vanished.
Serial Cleaner is available now in Steam Early Access for approximately $10 and upon completion, it’s slated to arrive on both PS4 and Xbox One for a few bucks more. If you’d like to know more about the stealth mechanics, crime scene inspiration and the joys of tampering with evidence, check out our video interview with one of the game’s creators, recorded LIVE on the PAX East show floor.
