Rats - Time Is Running Out (PC)

Rats tend to be depicted as thieving animal. But what if said rodent steal from the rich and give the loots to the poor, Robin Hood style. That's what happen in i try to broaden my knowledge by playing Citeremis Inc's Rats - Time Is Running Out (2015).

"I have the power! Tremble before me!" Not really. I don't know why everybody runs from Red Eyes the rat when in-game they do the otherwise. But taking the giant diamond is main premise of the game.     

 

Here's the title menu. I like the classic style wallpaper there and also the shadows that predict what the police and the thief will do. There's cheese in the game but it serves as power up rather than main objective like illustrated here. The "play the game" menu is "Heist!" which is reasonable. So let's go heist!   

 

The story is presented by vintage television box akin to loading screen in Bioshock 2. The rats which are the middle-to-low citizen class suffers poverty while this pig who apparently the owner of banks in this city, enjoys riches while guarded by polices. It seems it's true that [Insert joke about "Capitalism Bank" here].

 

Therefore, Red Eyes' friend has a plan to steal riches throughout the capitalist pig's buildings and later they will give the loot to the poor mice. It's up to Red Eyes to carry out the plan of thievery.

 

This loading screen sums up the main objective of the game: get the diamond on the level and immediately run for exit. The only control you need is direction by using either arrow keys or d-pad on controller. But i will use "W","A","S", and "D" keys because i'm rebel just that.

 

There's no tutorial level but this 1st stage is nice introduction to the game. There's no obstacles around but there's still timer that you need to obey. The coins are optional objective but you earn additional star if you get all the coins in the map. Star is the grade unit that unlock next section of the world map. Finishing the level faster than the time par also earns you a star.   

 

Next level introduces you to vault key that you need to gain access to the vault itself. They're getting sensible that they keep the diamond on the vault but they forget to guard the key. Morons!    

 

Next level introduces you with alarm clock that will up the timer by 15 seconds. Because the timer tends to be strict, this clock certainly essential item that you need to get. Also collecting all alarm clock on a level also earns you another star.

 

On next level, there's a police cat guards this premise. There's alarm clock on the other side of the corridor pass the cat's surveillance. You have 2 option to get pass him safely: 1) Travel through the room on bottom but each time you use the door, the timer goes down by 5 seconds 2) Sneak around the cat while avoiding his line of sight which is represented by that red transparent cone in front of him. I'm expert at Tenchu so i take the latter option.  

 

Here's the map of Swine Island. I cleared Dear Brooke Falls with 12 out of 13 stars so i'm pretty good at this game. Why i have feeling of "Gotham City" from city part on most top? Maybe because of that metropolis tower building.

 

I could gone better. I get bit hasty when picking up small key in result i'm spotted by the patrol. Getting caught by patrol doesn't mean your game is over. Red Eyes can put up a fierce fight. He will always win when patrol engage him but the fight costs 10 seconds. Although beating enemies seems satisfied with cartoon brawl fog, you should always go with pacifist way because time is essence in this game besides the enemies will wake up after lie unconscious for short time. Anyway, the small key is used to unlock door that's chained and locked. Going through door can make the pursuers lose your trail so make use of it.

 

In this level there's this special pressure plate that when stepped coins will appear around it. Engineer_mvm_collect_credits03.wav

 

This level also introduces you with police chicken that for some reason only see sideways although i believe in real life chicken see normally like we do. Anyway, you should stay away from the rooster's side. You can stand in front of him and he won't notice you but still bumping into him (and other guard) will instantly makes you spotted.   

 

The cat on left won't let go his eyes on that key. Luckily there's blue cheese that makes me invisible when eaten. Spy_taunts05.wav     

 

Then i get caught in a fight...intentionally. You see i ate white cheese that reverse the countdown time meaning, the timer will goes up periodically instead go down and any time penalty will be converted to time bonus instead.

 

This what happens if you runs out of time. Inspector Bear will come after you very fast and once you get caught by him, you fail the mission. But luckily i have the diamond and i just in time to get to exit. Even though i have done fairly well so far, i fail this level several times and i just realize why. Remember that white cheese that can reverse the time effect? It also affects alarm clock! Instead of giving me time bonus, it takes away the time! I should be more careful about that next time.  

 

This is new. I can get a blueprint on this level. Let's go for it!  

 

There's no guard around. This is more like bonus level where you solely get chase by timer alone. This is like bonus level maze on Gauntlet Legends. In your quest to race against the time, you can get alarm clock and cheese that gives you temporary speed boost.

 

I got the vault key but i need the small key to get the blueprint. Scout_jeers04.wav

 

I searched for the small key but too late i get caught by the bear. Despite the text, Red Eyes keep running back and forth by the bear without getting caught at all.

 

Finally i get the blueprint. It contains Magnet that automatically pull nearby coins which is handy for getting additional star. But before i can equip it, i have to pay 200 coins to make it. I still have more coins in my pocket for the poor, alright? I just need some for this wonderful upgrade.

 

In this level there's switch that you need to flick to remove the bars! On some level, you need to flick more than 1 switch as indicated by the number of lamp besides the bar that you want to remove. There's also pressure plate that will remove the glass wall of appropriate shape on nearby plate. If the plate is green, the wall is open. If it's red, the wall is close.

I got another blueprint. This time, it's upgrade that allows me to disguise as typewriter if i stand still. I reckon keep moving is better than standing still so i hold my coins for it. I notice some of the level's name are worth mentioning like Mi-ami (which is pun for Miami). Mi may refers to cat's voice. 

 

There's another type of police in this level: fox who can moves faster but once reaches certain distance he lost his breath and returns to his post. But unlike other police, fox will still aware of your presence even you're no longer within his sight.

 

Does this loading screen assume me that i have the "Typewriter" upgrade? Nice try, pal! I'm still not buying the urgency for that upgrade.  

 

I can finish some level with ease and fast. But some level that's bigger than 2 screens like this requires more trial & error and memorization. Do you notice that there's cheese on single room but no access to it? Some wall will secretly open when poked. Reminds me the day of young me playing Classic Doom.   

 

Then i caught brawl with police after another, wasting my precious time very dearly. I'm clearly doing wrong here. There's blue cheese at north section of this map which i didn't inspect before. I should grab that, becomes invisible, then i can safely pass this jam-packed-with-guard section.

 

This feels unfair, the pig stands there staring at the only door that i need to get pass. What should i do? Oh, welp! Times out.

 

Turns out, i just need to keep running. The bank owner can see from every side except backside but he's slow so i can outrun him very easier than with the cops. Although he's persistent at chasing me even when i'm already out of his line of sight, which makes sense. If you're the owner of the stolen treasure, you will chase the stealer to the end of the word if you have to. Although you don't have much running capability.

 

This bonus stage called "The 4 Ghosts" although there's 4 bears instead. Here, you have to think and run fast. Flick the 4 switches on each corner and the blueprint shall be yours! But don't forget the diamond!

 

Eeey! I get achievement! No. No. Focus on running! They're pretty close to my tail. D:

 

The blueprint i got from that level is: Fire Boots blueprint! It's said to make me fast and invincible. Sniper_mvm_loot_rare01.wav

 

There's no guard in this level but i have to navigate this glass maze. I know i said that the wall with green light panel is open and the wall with red light panel is close. But i keep confused with them in horizontal view. I can see the different in vertical walls with no problem but not with the horizontal ones. There's also special floors on right side that you need to walk in correct order to open the glass wall on top-right. 

 

Combine my aforementioned confusion with tight time limit, this level is probably the hardest to me. Of course, all of the wall are open to let inspector bear capture me with no problem. Oh, duh! I forget the diamond. Game over. I like Red Eyes' comic bubble that always being helpful indicator when i'm stuck. Like if he stands near the closed glass wall, he says the related pressure plate to that. Even so, i still suck badly in this level.

 

I get another achievement for demonstrating how the fire boots work. If i collect dozens of coins in tight duration, the boots kick in! Once you get them, there's special gauge on bottom that filled every time you get coin. Once it's fully filled, the fire boots will automatically active. Naturally, they activate easier if you also have the coin magnet.    

There's frozen cheese that will freeze all of the enemies within some duration. Thanks, Cirno! I mean, magic frozen cheese. I forget to tell you that collecting all cheese also earns you another star.

And then i get blueprint of Baseball that allow me to win the first fight without time cost. I think i'm done here.

Usually i don't like pacifist stealth but Citeremis Inc's Rats - Time Is Running Out (2015) wins me over. It's definitely better than Alex Rider - Stormbreaker.  The gameplay's premise is solid and fun. The control is simple yet functional: only run directions. Trial & error and memorization are the key to success. The game pace is brisk even with level that bigger than 2 screens. All of the power up items are useful. The white cheese is the most unusual ones. Remember that picking alarm clock while under effect of white cheese, will backfire you! The upgrades also useful. I think less required coins to activate fire boots by 1-2 will make the upgrade more suitable to use. The music is very good and appropriate with the nuance. The sound effect is comical and nice. The presentation is pretty well designed.

Rats - Time Is Running Out (2015) is quite great game for pretty cheap prize ( $4.99 on Steam) . It's like Super Mario Bros, the gameplay is easy to understand but need hard work to master it. It's fun game but don't let it makes you think that being rat is cool. Being Robin Hood style thief still cool nonetheless.