REVIEW: ‘Turnip Boy Robs A Bank’ Is Bite-Sized Charm (XSX)

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, a 2D shoot ’em up developed by Snoozy Kazoo and published by Graffiti Games, follows Turnip Boy on his latest adventure. After slaying God and triggering a civil war, Turnip Boy is given the chance to take advantage of society’s disarray and rob a bank. But as it turns out, this bank is far more than just a score.

A simple gameplay loop is at the heart of Turnip Boy Robs a Bank. Hit the bank, steal as much as possible, grab any unique weapons you find, and get out before the cops show up. After each adventure, Turnip Boy returns to his group’s hideout to purchase upgrades, acquire items via the dark web, and research newer, better weapons. While this structure will sound familiar to fans of the rogue-lite genre, this game never quite wades into that arena, making several key choices that set itself apart from that saturated game space.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank Seems Like a Rogue-Lite, But It Isn’t.

The biggest thing that keeps Turnip Boy Robs a Bank from being a rogue-lite is its map. Certain spots change what they offer each run, but the bulk of the map is fixed. This allows players to get used to the layout of the game. This also makes discovery and progression much more fluid, as secrets learned in previous runs are easily followed up in subsequent attempts.

The other element that separates this game is time. The game hooks players hard but releases them after less than ten hours. This pacing is great. As discoveries are made, they soon snowball into bigger ones. Areas once locked off open, fully delivering that “one more run” energy. And what awaits players within will always surprise them.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank‘s world becomes clear in a matter of minutes. What is normal, what’s shocking, and how things are the way they are are all laid out smoothly. More impressively, it never devotes a single moment of exposition to the subject. Astute players can easily glean from conversations and moments throughout the game what caused all these vegetables to become sentient, as well as the major beats from the previous title.

The bank’s secrets are brought to life through classic, top-down action gameplay. Players move Turnip Boy with the left thumbstick and target their attacks with the right thumbstick. The right trigger activates Turnip Boy’s chosen weapon, of which many can be found and researched. A dodge rounds out the protagonist’s kit. While immensely simple, the variety of weapons, environments, and enemy types all keep the basic controls interesting.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank Boasts Simple, Captivating Gameplay

Virtually every enemy can be bested with any weapon, though some feel far better suited to certain tasks, making experimentation enjoyable but not required. If you find weapons you love, you’ll likely be able to fight your way through most of the game with a single kit.

The visual presentation brings the bank heist run amok story to charming life. The game never takes itself seriously as the player fights off guards and shakes passersby down for money—literally picking them up over Turnip Boy’s head and shaking the money out of them. Every character design, from Turnip Boy himself to the most threatening boss, is done with a central focus on humor. All the light-hearted visuals help keep the violent events of the game from weighing down the absurd narrative.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank‘s story feels like it’s half fever dream and half hallucination. How a simple bank robbery spirals out of control into the battle it is by the time the credits roll is impossible to explain. The descent into adorable madness the narrative goes on holds together thanks to the cast’s awareness. Every shockingly bizarre turn is acknowledged by the characters, who feel representative of the player as the most ludicrous moments play out.

While most elements of Turnip Boy Robs a Bank come together flawlessly, there are a couple of hiccups along the way, both of which involve exploration. The map screen is largely useless. Even though the bank as a whole isn’t massive, there are a fair number of twists and turns. Navigating these paths would be easier with a bit more direction. Further hindering exploration is how busy some areas are visually. What’s an obstacle and what is just background can sometimes be complicated to discern, especially when exploring a new area.

Despite a couple of minor annoyances, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank delivers a fun, charming action adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you are looking for a light-hearted experience to occupy a day, this is one that is easily recommended.

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Game Pass, and will be coming to mobile devices at a later date.