Mouldy Toof Studios has done it again! They created again a game that is so unique that no one other studios can copy. The Escapists 2 is one of those games that I will put in my favorite indie game list. It is better than the original and they improved it to make the experience more enjoyable and memorable.
Platform Reviewed: PS4
Platforms Available: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Team 17, Mouldy Toof Studios
Publisher: Team 17
Release Date: August 22, 2017
Price: $19.99
This review is based on a review copy provided by Team17.
You start the game with a tutorial to get the basics of the game. In the tutorial, the narrator a.k.a Ex-Prisoner will narrate how he escapes the prison by simply crafting and opening a few different hidden areas. The tutorial was kinda slow but fun, it was hard at first but I then got the hang of it, especially when I crafted my first weapon. The real fun starts when you finish the tutorial and can choose which prison you want to escape.
You can choose around 3 prisons at the beginning and each one of them have different designs, and by different design means different way of escaping. The challenge of knowing the arena well is very important to make your gameplay easy. There are two types of prison that you will be playing.
Regular prisons are similar from the first game, you will need to follow each prison routine to avoid suspicion. Each of this routine can also boost your prisoner’s stats. An example of that is eating at the cafeteria increases your energy which will help you do some activities. Some of this can be skipped, but with a risk. This will give you the opportunity to mingle around while other inmates are busy eating. It’s all up to you on how you plan your time and how you manage your stats.
Also, some prisoners will give you favors, complete them and you will gain some profit, this might be a waste of time but this is very important to progress with your escape. There is a simple way to escape a prison, one of the basic was at the tutorial where you dig, climb vents and cut fences, but as you play the game more you will discover a lot of ways to escape a prison.
The other prison is the transport prison, in this prison you are given a time limit on how and when you escape. Guard patrols will be harder and places can be a lot more complex. Still you need to find a way to escape without being detected, crafting tools will help you in your escape, but you need to find items to create a special tool for a certain situation. Crafting is a must.
Fitness, strength and intellect are back and you need to maintain these stats so that you will have the advantage with your escape. Too much work can drain your energy while intellect will grow if you read books. Intellect is very important because this will be the reason why you can create different kind of tools. Fitness and strength increase when you join the gym, the better stats you have, the easier you can escape.
Multiplayer is one of the best addition of the game, it can be online or offline. There are two types of multiplayer for this game, the co-op will make both players help each other escape. While in 1 vs 1, the player who gets to escape first wins. This is one of those games that will make you shout and scream out of frustration at your teammate or excitement.
Visuals were upgraded. Even though it uses a simple retro design, the colors of the game were vibrant, it really complements the prison escape genre. Also the music was on point, leaving the games mood to be intense and fun at the same time.
Overall, The Escapists 2 was a blast, I had super fun. It was cute and challenging. Also, being able to strategize every escape was so satisfying, every time I play the game I had these different kind of moods. Sometimes I get frustrated on how difficult the game is and sometimes I feel so confident because of the plans to escape that I know will work. I hope this will have more follow ups and more prison to escape someday. For players who love strategy games, I recommend this to you, and I know you will love this game.
