A Way Out

[DisturbedSwan]

Started this earlier with @Sly Reflex we probably got about half way to 2/3rds of the way in at the 3 hour mark.

 

I like it, I was actually a bit bored at the beginning but thankfully it picked up in the last half of our session. The first part just felt like if David Cage made a co-op game really, there are tons of QTE’s, some shonky writing and it just felt a bit like a pastiche of famous prison break films/tv shows over the years rather than its own unique story.

 

It’s an ambitiously original game though, but perhaps not as unique as I was expecting, a lot of the co-op stuff is the standard ‘boost me up here’, ‘turn valve to progress’ etc. That we’ve all seen before in numerous other games and the focused split-screen action windows we’ve seen before in the likes of 24.

 

Where the co-op split split screen stuff shines though is when it pushes outside the norm. Moments like one player being a lookout whilst the other digs a hole in his cell or having to coordinate paddling, take downs or door smashes so you time them just right and don’t alert the guards/police really shine. There’s another sequence where you have to keep swapping a tool between both characters to avoid detection by the guards and another involving a laundry basket that are both fantastic.

 

The setting has been done an awful lot of times and carries a certain amount of baggage with it. Despite attempting to put it to the back of my mind I kept being reminded of Shawshank, OITNB and Prison Break. The entire thing feels an awful lot like Prison Break series 1-2 and if you’ve seen those it may take some of the mystique away from the story beats.

 

Probably my favourite moments in the game are when you’re left to just mess about and compete with your co-op compadre. There’s this place where you’re left to your own devices for awhile and I was staggered that every little detail you wanted to look at or interact with was available to interact with. Go up to the sink and you’ll get a monologue, you can set a fire or turn the tv on and relax, go up to some musical instruments and you’ll be put into a music rhythm game and compete for a high score against your partner or even compete in a game of horseshoes.

 

Just that freedom to explore and the way every little detail had been thought about and given the individuality and creativity to shine was great to see, even the responses to the two characters changes depending on the piece of equipment you’re interacting with and one of the characters can even wipe out the actions of the other or have wildly different results.

 

The graphics and engine are astounding though. I believe I read this is Hazelight’s own engine which is even more impressive, and for a game built on a modest indie budget it really shows, particularly in the lighting and particle detail department. Foliage and texture quality has impressed too but NPC character models and animations are where you can see the money being saved.

 

Still about half of the game left to go but at the moment I’m enjoying it without being overawed.

 

[Sly Reflex]

[Hendo]

3 minutes ago, Sly Reflex said:

What he said.

[Sly Reflex]

Seriously though. Get a friend who hasn't played this, get yourself a copy and play it through completely blind. No trophy guides. No spoilers. Just do it.

 

Remember the Game Awards 2017 when Josef Fares exclaimed that "If the whole world told me your game is shit I'll tell them "No, it's not!". That's how much I believe in it, Alright,  I'm telling you if you play the game from the beginning to the end and you see what it is, it's impossible you don't like it. Impossible! Make sure to play with a friend that's not a run and gun split screen shooter. This is the thing, and this is my idea, doesn't have anything with the EA shit going on with the loot box and stuff. No! I'm going to say to you one thing. EA has been very good to me and to be honest with you because it's nice to hate EA blah blah, I don't care about that shit. What I'm saying is this, all publishers fuck up sometimes. That's how it is. They fuck up. In this case they have been treating me very well. I have 100% income to my team for the game I'm doing.."

 

Well Josef had the right to be flaunting his massive bollocks about, because everything he said that was on the money. While it's not the best game mechanically it sets out to do everything it does without any of the trappings of what modern gaming has become. You can see where the money is spent and aside from the EA flashing up at boot you wouldn't even know this was EA backed. If this game is profitable it's proof that we can have nice games with unique spins without all the fucking bullshit crammed into them that usually shows up.

 

Josef is currently 2 for 2 on his video games front. And honestly I can't wait to see what he goes on to do. He's a breath of fresh air where the stench of greed and half arsed games have become the norm.

[Hendo]

Here’s the bad bits - the writing is sometimes a bit off, the voice acting misses quite a bit, the accents go all over the place and some of the controls will let you down.

 

However that’s all small fry to the bigger picture which is honestly a great experience.

I’m not gonna spoil where the story goes but it’s a great pay off. And the gameplay goes in some places you don’t expect, too.

There’s a particular section where me and Simon were just like, “that’s stylish as fuck!”.

 

Anyone that is intrigued, the free pass thing seems to be unlimited so if you’re interested, go to the store and download the trial and I’ll be happy to play it through with you. It’s something like 5 or 6 hours in total.

 

Mild spoilers for @Sly Reflex‘s benefit:

 

 

There are two distinct endings, although it felt like we had the “right” one.

[regemond]

Can you play this local multiplayer, or are there sections where you both need a screen to yourself?

 

I've got a mate I could play it with, but I think we'd both enjoy it more in the same room.

[Hendo]

It’s exactly the same in local play. You get the split screen in off or online and I saw his button prompts and he saw mine.

 

It’s probably marginally better in local, but as long as you’re playing with someone you know you should be fine.

There are moments where you will need to communicate about what you’re doing and when.

[Sly Reflex]

It's so good. It kept me up just thinking about it. It's been ages since something has made me so happy and content. You can forgive all the little stuff and tiny missteps. It doesn't tar the experience at all.

[Hendo]

Started this earlier in local play.

Got to the paddle section.

 

On the choices sections, I told my mate to pick whichever he thought best and it’s turned out to be the opposite of the choices I’ve already seen, so that’s worked out.

 

It’s funny seeing the odd line or bit here and there, knowing how the story pans out.

[AndyKurosaki]

Finished this with a mate, man this was a lot of fun. The story was enjoyable, the gameplay was good. And we had loads of hysterical laughing moments as we pissed about and talked absolute bollocks throughout. 
Definitely a fun experience.