The Escapist 2
The Escapists 2 (NS) – a breakout hit Gaming’s best prison break simulator comes to Switch, and proves that escaping incarceration is always more fun with friends. Being stuck in jail is one of those experiences that while absolutely awful in real-life regularly ends up being used as a fun scenario in video games. Whether it’s designing your own penitentiary in Prison Architect or making a daring escape at the start of Oblivion, video game jails tend to be surprisingly entertaining places (and that’s without even counting dungeons). Despite what it may look like The Escapists 2 is a more realistic depiction of doing porridge than most, but that only makes it more entertaining than usual.
The Escapists 2 Minecraft Map
The first Escapists game was released in 2015 and is one of the purest indie games we’ve ever played; in that it was made by a literal bedroom programmer, who’d been making games purely as a hobby while working a day job as a roofer. But it was also interesting because he was British, and that meant that his influences weren’t old NES games but ZX Spectrum classics like The Great Escape and Skool Daze. Sandbox style gameplay is a much older concept than many gamers realise, and The Escapists harkens back to the days of minimal hand-holding and small but highly interactive environments that allow you to manufacture solutions the original designer may never even have guessed. In terms of modern games the mix of stealth and freeform puzzle-solving is perhaps closest in comparison to Hitman, except with less murder.
The Escapists 2 has exactly the same premise as the original, and so even with the promise of 10 different prisons to escape from you might worry that the concept is being stretched too far to justify a full sequel. But right from the off it’s obvious that this is a considerably more ambitious production. The game starts off with a clever flashback, where your ex-jailbird explains how he escaped while relaxing on a tropical-looking beach.
Turning his descriptions into a tutorial is a neat presentational trick, but also a great way to get across the basics of what is actually quite a complex game. Although each prison has different layouts and procedures the first thing you need to do when starting out at any of them is learn their routines. They all have regularly scheduled meal times, assemblies, and exercise periods, and if you miss any of them you’ll be noticed.
Each prison also has its own unique set of personalities to get the measure of, in terms of fellow inmates and guards of varying demeanours. Immediately wandering off and looking for a hole in the fence will get you nowhere, and instead you learn to bide your time and observe everything. Once you’re settled in the next step is to assemble the tools you need for your escape, which invariably involves MacGuyver-esque alternatives to shovels, uniforms, and other tools that you have to craft out of individual parts. These are most often obtained by either stealing anything that isn’t nailed down or performing side quests for other people. But you also have other concerns, such as making genuine use of exercise time in order to improve your strength – or studying to increase your intelligence stat. The Escapists 2 (NS) – Con Air eat your heart out But while the basics of the game are the same as before the details are all different, and in almost every case improved. The game is still an open sandbox for you to experiment in, but there’s now always a more linear path, a sort of jailbreaking racing line, that you can take if you get stuck.
There’s still an element of trial and error to the game, and there’ll be a little too much standing around waiting for some people’s taste, but in terms of general pacing it’s a lot better than the first game. The graphics are still 16-bit esque but they’re considerably more detailed than before, and the game is much more varied in its locations – including some particularly good timed scenarios where you have to escape while being transported on a train or other vehicle. The interface and menus are also notably improved, and even the sound design is better.
But the best new feature of The Escapists 2 is the multiplayer modes, both a two-player co-operative option and four-player competitive. The Switch version doesn’t do anything different to any of the others, but the co-op works particularly well with a Joy-Con each and turns the mode into a viable portable experience. It is hard to imagine how a third game might work, short of trying to make the whole thing 3D, but The Escapists 2 is that rare kind of sequel that manages to tighten up every element of the original and still manage to fit in plenty of new ideas.
There are other ways to do a prison escape game, but as an ode to 8-bit sandbox games it’s hard to imagine one working as well as this. In Short: A great sequel that refines and improves the original prison break format with more variety, better graphics, and some fun multiplayer. Pros: Enjoyable sandbox design that allows you to do your own thing but never leaves you completely adrift. Transport missions are great and so are the co-op missions. Nice new graphics. Cons: The game still relies a little too much on trial and error, and there’s a lot of downtime where you’re just waiting for things to happen.
Score: 8/10 Formats: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC Price: £19.99 Publisher: Team17 Developer: Mouldy Toof Studios Release Date: 18th December 2017 Age Rating: 7 Email, leave a comment below, and.
Bust out anywhere, with anyone on the Nintendo Switch™. Team up with another inmate for local two player split screen mode, taking a Joy-Con™ each to either team up to break out, or work against one another to determine who’s the quickest convict to make an escape. Risk it all to breakout from the toughest prisons in the world. Explore the biggest prisons yet, with multiple floors, roofs, vents and underground tunnels.
You’ll have to live by the prison rules, attending roll call, doing prison jobs and following strict routines; all the while secretly engineering your bid for freedom! Your prison escape antics will take you from the frosty Fort Tundra, to a train hurtling through the desert, and even to the final frontier! Escape Team Assemble! Unite with up to 3 friends to create the ultimate online escape crew and engineer the wildest escapes yet! By working together you’ll be able to create even more elaborate and daring plans. Feeling competitive? Dive into the versus mode and show that you’ve got the skills to break out of any prison faster than your friends can.
If all else fails, settle your rivalry in the court yard with a prison punch up! Create YOUR Con! It’s time to make your prisoner truly yours.
Choose from a massive array of customisations to make your character unique to you. It’s important to look stylish whilst you mastermind your escape. Craft your Escape! Being in prison forces you to be creative and work with the limited tools at your disposal. You’ll have to combine everyday objects like soap and socks to craft new weapons and tools to help you achieve your goal. Steal forks from the cafeteria to chip a tunnel in your room, and craft a poster from magazines and duct tape to hide the evidence.
The Escapist 2002 Movie
You’ll soon learn that duct tape solves (almost) everything! Prepare for a fight! The Escapists 2 introduces a brand new combat system to make every prison brawl more exciting and interactive. You’ll have to block and tie together chains of attacks whilst strafing around your locked on targets to gain the upper hand in combat. Make sure your visit the gym first to build up those muscles!
New ways to escape! As the prisons get tougher you're going to have to get more creative with your escape plans. There’s a ton of options to tackle almost any prison escape. Features.
10 Prisons. 2 player split-screen play, and up to 4 player co-operative and versus online multiplayer. Drop-in/Drop-out Online/Split screen multiplayer. Over 300 customisations. Multi-storey Prisons. If eligible for a Just for You offer, the final price reflects the combined Sale and Just for You offers.
The Just for You offer is discounted from the sale price. Nintendo Account required. Online features will be free until the Nintendo Switch Online Service launches in 2018. For the latest list of countries and full details, please visit.
The Escapists Free To Play No Download
The Escapists 2 developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and Team17 Digital Ltd © 2017. Published by Team17 Digital Ltd. All trademarks, copyrights and logos are property of their respective owners. As long as you have signed up for My Nintendo before you purchase the game, your game will qualify for My Nintendo Points. My Nintendo Points are automatically awarded to the Nintendo Account that was used to purchase the game.
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