The Big Con Review

It's the 90s. Your dad is selling dodgy DVDs and Saved By The Bell is on the TV. Although my view of the 90s may not be the same as everyone else's, there is a common thread between mine and The Big Con's. There were many positive and inspiring things about the 1990s. But there was also some seediness. The Big Con captures both sides beautifully, and creates a wonderful road trip story.

The Big Con should not be as upbeat and cheerful as it is. You play as Ali, a teenager who discovers that your mom's video shop (which was still in the 90s and VHS hadn’t died yet), is going under. Ricky, the slimy criminal that looks like Fat Tony, owes $97,000 and you have 10 days to pay it back. The solution? Crime spree.

Ali, a small-time con artist Ted and her partner, sneak out of town to take a cross-country road trip. She pick-pockets and swindles the money she needs to save her mother’s video shop from a huge slimeball. This is a ridiculous concept you would see in a 90s movie. But The Big Con knows how to make a joke of tropes without getting too silly. Although it's lighthearted, The Big Con isn't afraid to play it serious. The Big Con gives the characters who are emotionally driven a chance for their moments to shine.

The Big Con's main draw is the people you meet along the route. There are many big personalities and brightly dressed people. There are many characters to meet, including the fashionista with the obsession of periwinkles, the comedian who needs your help writing jokes or the Pawn Shop owner/Joker-looking Collector who requires you to find hidden items for cash.

Ali is the true star of the show. Ali is a relatable character with enough sass to make anyone love her, but she also has a lot of laugh-out-loud jokes. Ali has a great heart. Her desire to save her mom's video shop keeps her grounded. Ali could easily become too dislikeable due to her actions, but Mighty Yell does an excellent job of keeping her moral compass in check.

The Big Con is a point-and-click adventure game. Gameplay wise, it feels more like a point-and click game. There are a number of levels to explore, with different characters and larger schemes to complete. You will need to figure out how to get around them. The game is usually quite simple. The player must find items in the environment that can be used to distract, barter, or trade with specific characters.

In certain cases, you can also eavesdrop on conversations. This is a great way to get information you wouldn't otherwise have. It might seem difficult to find the code for an elderly woman's suitcase, but then you hear her say that she uses the same code when shopping for food with her credit card. You will learn more about everything.

As the moving parts come together, each level can be compared to a multilayered puzzle. Although an argument with a train conductor may not seem important, you will be given an apology package that can be used later to resolve another person's problem. There's even one particular questline about shoes that allows you to play two parties against each other in a way that'll leave you feeling like the world's greatest grifter.

The overall formula is flawed, especially when it lands in Las Venganza. The game was slow to play on Xbox One X, which is odd considering that The Big Con is not very graphically demanding. However, the Xbox Series X version of the game is perfectly fine. The area is larger than the other levels, making it difficult to navigate at first. One moment is where you need to follow someone to gain information and eavesdrop, but their path is frequently obscured by buildings that block the isometric view. You can feel like they aren't there for five minutes, so it's hard to see them again.

There are a few technical problems with The Big Con that will hopefully be fixed in future patches. There were instances when certain characters appeared invisible. One example was the argument between a video shop clerk and a player in the second area.

It's not clear if there was a glitch or if something was missed, but some levels were difficult to navigate. The first level has a suitcase, but I don't know how to access the code. It was a guess that I made. Worst, the game crashed every time I loaded up The Big Con.

These issues and glitches can be annoying but they don't stop The Big Con being a fun, crime-fuelled, easy-to-recommend adventure from beginning to end. The Big Con will make you laugh and cry.