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Games : Worth a Look
Ranking:
Release Date: February 13th, 2015 Movie Release Year: 2015

The Escapists

Overview -

'The Escapists' comes to us from Mouldy Toof Studios ('Spud’s Quest') and the ancient indie company Team17 ('Worms', among many others). With 'The Escapists,' Team17 may be signaling that the company has some serious publishing aspirations. 'The Escapists' is the rare game about prison, with a retro vibe and elements of the ever-popular roguelike.

OVERALL:
Worth a Look
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Release Date:
February 13th, 2015

Video Review

Ranking:

'The Escapists' is reminiscent of the energetic little sprites of the Genesis/SNES days. The characters are always moving, even when standing in place. There is little to distinguish characters from one another, but I find this more charming than quaint. The menu can be an issue, as with a controller it’s quite clunky, especially when crafting. Also, the limited field of vision with the camera can be a liability during risky activities like digging holes in the yard.

Audio Review

Ranking:

The sound effects are similarly old-fashioned, with little dings and beeps punctuating most interactions. The music is great in a MIDI/synthesizer way, but is limited in breadth and can get stale quickly.

Final Thoughts

The prison theme is under-represented in games, and a welcome change from the more oversaturated motifs we’re often subject to (war, I’m looking at you). 'The Escapists' does have a lot of good ideas. It can’t quite deliver on many of them due to a slow interface, weird AI and other design choices. It’s a charming indie game that is welcome on the Xbox One but falls short overall.