Note: Review copy was generously provided by the developer
Platform: Nintendo Switch
The Escapists 2 is a sequel to the highly successful 2014 prison escape simulator, The Escapists. While the game has already released on all the current gen consoles it only recently escaped on to the Nintendo Switch and here is our review of what is for me, a great reason why the Nintendo Switch is perfect for these types of games.
The Escapists 2 Story
Unfortunately, there is no story here. You play as an unnamed inmate which also gives you the freedom to name and customize your prisoner. You can alter their appearance, name them and also have the freedom to alter your prisoner to suit your persona, play style, and much more. There is a ton of flexibility in variety here when it comes to who you want to play as.
The game mainly drops you into a variety of prisons with no backstory for your character, so just assume that you got caught cheating in the 5th grade like your parents warned you and its now time to pay the piper.
Gameplay
If you aren’t familiar with the previous entry, the game is a top-down RPG with plenty to do. As someone who dabbled in the first game and quickly lost interest in the PC version, the Nintendo Switch version was a great way for me to kill lunch break during my office hours.
Much like real life, the game has added ways to boost your stats. You now have the option of improving your prisoner’s mental faculties by hitting the books in the library or just building up pure brawn by hitting the weights. Where you spend your time can determine the type of escape.
The game offers you a dedicated tutorial instead of having you learn the game on your own, this might be a deal breaker for many, but for gamers like myself who just play for fun, it is a blessing.
The game might appear linear but is actually very open to options. At first glance, you might think that there is only one way to escape a prison, but you would be wrong. Much like the Hitman series, there is more than one way to break out of prison. Some are as simple as just doing the Shawshank Redemption but other instances might have you walk out of the prison doors if you play your cards right. You also need to follow a schedule much like of a prison, everything you do within this game has to be done in situations that are in the routine of prison life, failure to take part in prison related activities and following said routine could end up in guards noticing and becoming more cautious about you.
Much like the original game, you have to make your escape possible through several routes. Whether you go lone-wolf, doing favors for the prisoners, stealing or stabbing your way to gathering the materials you need, you could spend time in the library and increase your intellect allowing you to craft those items on your own, you could hit the gym to get physically stronger making it easier for you to steal and stab. The prison is your sandbox.
Multiplayer
The inclusion of local and online multiplayer opens up your options, the game lets you play 4 players online in versus mode or online co-op and is limited to 2 players when on local. My only qualm with the multiplayer aspect is the lack of voice chat, which for a game like this is quintessential. After pouring dozens of hours into Rainbow Six Siege, I am terrified to think how I would win a game without voice communication with my squad.
Unfortunately, the voice chat is something that Nintendo has to implement and not the developer.
Pacing
The game is fairly forgiving. You have to go through a total of 10 prisons, each with a new twist to it. You can re-play each prison to your heart’s content and discover other ways to escape.
The difficulty does build up until you go from a basic prison to one where the steaks are raised and you have to be more elaborate with your escape plans.
You might think that 10 prisons aren’t much value, but keep in mind that there are dozens, if not more ways to escape each prison. Much like Hitman, if you play the game as a speedrunner, you won’t be getting the value for your money.
If you play it like a favorite song on repeat and give it the love it deserves, you will find a tremendous value for your money right here.
Controls
The game can be played in a variety of ways, and they play smooth as silk. Whether you want to play the game in handheld, docked, or pro-controller, the decision is solely up to you. The game handles great and while the learning curve is a bit steep, but once you pull off a couple of escapes you will have muscle memory instantly.
Visuals
The game does a spectacular job of graphics. The entire appeal of the game is in the unique art style of the characters. The simplicity does a superb job to complement the complex world that the game takes place in, but despite appearances, the game does a great enough job to help you distinguish characters, each with a unique appearance as mentioned earlier thanks to the massive customization options available right off the bat.
The game operates silky smooth, and I never faced any FPS drops even when intense sequences were going on, albeit I was always the first prisoner to escape such encounters.
Conclusion
I lead a fairly busy life with many responsibilities and the Nintendo Switch is a superb console for me to play when I am away from my PS4. The Escapists 2 is one of those games I play right before bed as a brain teaser, during my lunch break at the office or traveling.
The game does a superb job of showing me how quickly time flies, I won’t even realize a half an hour has passed if I hadn’t reached my destination. It’s games like Stardew Valley and this that offer me some great leisure when it comes to options for time sinks, the games offer dozens of hours, if not more of content.
As someone who is constantly on the move, has been begging for a good prison escape game similar to “The Great Escape” on the PlayStation 2, I can say that after over a decade, that itch has finally been scratched!
If you are looking for a great game to play on long road trips that has the potential for multiple playthroughs, are a fan of the Hitman style of play, or just enjoy games where you have to bring a brilliant plan together, The Escapists 2 is something that I can completely recommend. It is one of the best third-party Indie games I have on my Nintendo Switch and I look forward to discovering my ways out of the 10 prisons.
| Score | |
| Presentation | 9 |
| Gameplay | 9 |
| Graphics | 9 |
| Sound | 8.5 |
| Lasting Appeal | 9 |
| Final Score | 9.0 |