The Masterplan Review

The Masterplan Review Screenshot 1

The Masterplan is a top down view gangster based crime game that has similarities to Hotline Miami and the original GTA but with the heist elements of Payday. The game mechanics however are a lot more than just violence although that is certainly a part of it. You get to plan, control and execute some amazing heists to fill you pockets, swag bags and your hideouts vault.

The game starts with you locked up in a small guarded prison cell (after a drug deal goes bad) which you easily escape from in the traditional tools in the cake trick, this serves as the tutorial and is a great insight into how the game works. After that however you are on your own and like the criminal underworld it’s a harsh and unforgiving world. Bumbling through a small kiosk robbery is a walk in the park, get in, brandish the shooters, punch the owner to the ground, steal the key, empty the cash register and safe, then scarper.

The Masterplan Review Screenshot 2

You’ll be in and out in minutes with a few hundred dollars in your pocket, not exactly the big heist you where dreaming of. In game it literally buys you nothing (except bullets for a real gun you sadly don’t own yet). You have to get creative, stake out and case a few joints. Each mission has plans for new guns or information/tip-offs on new jobs so they are great to get even if you don’t steal anything. I repeated the first few heists until I had saved up enough for a better crew which you can hire from your hideout. All tooled up with guns, lock-picks and safe crackers, it was then time to hit the bigger missions which is where the real fun starts.

After a stake out to find out what they have to offer, their level of security, where the power supply is it’s time to hit it hard. Jewellery stores offer thousands of dollars worth of cash, jewellery and diamonds. Banks are full to the brim with hundreds of thousands of dollars and my fingers are itching to turn it over. Sadly some jobs can go wrong and in a big way, you could have everything covered when a passer by, worker or security guard phones the police. A counter at the bottom of the screen counts down as the sirens get louder and louder until they arrive, at this point bullets start firing. Hired goons that meet their electronic maker are lost forever so escaping after a gun battle can be a very costly mistake, if your entire crew is wiped out you luckily can restart the mission.

The Masterplan Review Screenshot 3

The Masterplan is extremely good and you could say it’s a steal at only £14.99. The game has potentially hours of game play but the danger is it can get repetitive after a while. The graphics and sound track work because it’s simple, the gameplay and mechanics are what really make this game.

Another thing is there is still updates coming out, which aim to improve certain missions, include more content and fix issues that arise. For me this game scores 9/10, it offers you a challenging enjoyable experience at a low price.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.

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