As we watched the 30% complete version of Heist, Maxx Kaufman, of developers InExile, wanted us to "imagine it looking awesome all the time."
You can see why. At the moment, this safe-cracking, '60s-set, free-roamer looks a bit basic. The banks are blank, the robbers struggle with scenery and the chatter is stilted. But if the team can polish the graphics as well as they generate ideas, this will be one to watch.
While the world of car-jacking and crime is as cramped as a prison bunk bed, Heist is different. While you can roam the streets, you can also go inside to raid bars, steal armored cars and bribe hippies. You'll also need to train your team, honing the skills they need to break safes, cut alarms and deal with guards who decide to play the hero. But how you handle the job is up to you. Be quick and clean and the police will hold back the SWAT teams. But take hostages or start cracking heads and the fuzz will unleash the FBI sharpshooters. And shooting your way out isn't going to be an option you can try too often.
Not only is your team smart enough to follow orders, they're also dumb enough to overreact. So you need to know how to keep the cashiers, civilians, your crew and yourself calm. Otherwise, when the police arrive it won't just be their flashing lights that turn the room red.
