The Break-In Preview

I’m a big fan of physics-based wackiness, probably stemming from my love of slapstick comedy. I’m also a fan of games that let you play the villain, as long-time readers may remember.

So, when I saw that The Break-In saw you heading into people’s homes to nick their stuff, I wanted to check it out! After all, it’s not like I am going to do it in reality, handcuffs chafe. What’s more, you do it either solo or as a team of up to four, and can take almost anything that isn’t nailed down. Seriously, I dragged a massive stuffed bear to the truck and everything! But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Your job is to steal. Sometimes there is a certain item that you’re after, or you may be trying to reach a certain dollar goal. There may be more, but the demo I played only had a few levels.

You (and your optional team made up of friends, randoms, or a mix) start off in your getaway truck. Your equipment is right there for the taking - but be sure to take it or risk your teammates running off with all of the torches! It’s a real issue… You can’t see the good stuff to steal in a pitch-black bathroom, and wind up just grabbing a side table, then struggling to get it out the window!

Speaking of struggling - you have to actually climb. Ladders, drain pipes, through windows… You have to grab things and pull yourself along. It’s a great mechanic, and really immersive. I finished a map and took off my Oculus Quest 2, and found myself on the other side of the living room! I hadn’t realised that I’d been moving around quite so much.

The Break-In can be played in VR or not, which I really like. It’s impossible for most people to get a bunch of friends together to play VR games, and having to rely on randoms can be tiresome. Making it VR-optional is a great choice - though it takes a while to get used to having to press the right stick down to crouch, instead of just… crouching.

That’s my one gripe - and it’s really a minor one. Even when playing in VR you have to use the controllers as if you’re not playing in VR. There’s probably some technical reason why it was made that way, but I couldn’t explain it. My main issue really, however, was only that I couldn’t work out how to pick up something that I dropped on the floor. Once I worked out how to adjust my stance, it was smooth sailing.

As you’re stealing things, you have to avoid the owner of the house. If they spot you or your team, they’ll run out of the house, and the police will turn up soon after. To make your job more difficult, they’ll move around now and then; just because the rube is watching TV doesn’t mean they will keep doing that!

Once the police arrive, it’s advisable to get to the truck and hit the button. The truck won’t leave until you do, but I’m not sure what happens if you all get captured by the police.

Honestly, from what I’ve played of The Break-In, I’m really looking forward to it coming out. Urgently dragging a barbecue over a fence while the wail of a police siren gets closer is such a thrill. It certainly won’t have to jimmy a window to get into my Steam Library!