The Escapists 2 | Xbox One | Review

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Mouldy Toof Studios have attempted to make The Escapists 2 bigger, better and more escape-y than the original. Whilst 2015's crossover with The Walking Dead was, essentially, more of the same, the developers have tweaked just about every aspect of this instalment, making it truly befitting the moniker of sequel.

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 by Chris
 Brand

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@SuperCrisco

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Developer: Mouldy
​Toof Studios
Publisher: Team17
Players: 1-4
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC

For those new to the series, it marries elements of time management and strategy while tasking you with escaping various prisons. You'll need to buy, steal and craft a multitude of contraband items such as disguises, tools and weapons to do so; you can take a job or complete favours for inmates that reward you with cash and items to help in that pursuit, but some errands could land you in trouble if you're caught. Whichever path you might take, you’re also required to keep to a schedule to avoid raising suspicion. Each prison has different timings and security measures, and learning them is crucial; if you alert the guards you risk getting knocked unconscious or having sniffer dogs find your secret stash, both of which result in your illegal items being seized and scupper your escape plans.
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The first change you’ll notice is The Escapists 2’s improved graphics. It's still played with a top-down isometric view, but the sprites are more detailed and the animations are a lot smoother this time around. There's a greater range of customisation options for your inmates, and even the in-game menus are notably improved, with a lick of paint now making it possible to view every craftable item and the ingredients you'll need to create it. One minor irritation on this front is that it's not always quite so obvious what’s required when multiple steps are required to construct the desired piece of kit.

​As veteran escapees, we were confident that no prison could hold us and we’d be feeling the hot sun on our pale skin in no time. The slightly altered controls delayed our first escape, but, fortunately, I did have a personal secret weapon. I enlisted my son to help, who would offer a rundown of how things were going to proceed and helpfully remind me which direction was which. He recommends the game, by the way, "Because it's good”.

A brief tutorial walks you through the basics, and while it isn’t exactly comprehensive, it feels like a deliberate decision meant to encourage creativity. Just like the previous titles, players must rely on trial and error.
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Finding your way around once you’ve bested the tutorial is made much less of a hassle thanks to the mini-map, which will guide you towards your goal in typical fashion. Your cell’s also marked in case you need to rush back and hide any contraband, while guards are clearly displayed so that you can avoid them on the way. This helping hand is extra welcome as there’s been an increase in prison population, with the areas themselves growing to accommodate this.

Level variety coupled with a steady progression in difficulty helps to keep The Escapists 2 engaging throughout.

Starting out in Center Perks 2.0’s low-security compound - should you select the first item in the list, there are three levels available from the start - players will get to grips with the core mechanics while exploring and browsing the expanded library of craftables. Cougar Creek Railroad - also available from the get go - is the first of a new type of challenge, however. Set aboard a moving transport train, you have a limited time to make your getaway before the train reaches its destination. Without other prisoners around to sell you valuable gear, all you get is what you can find and create. This level variety coupled with a steady progression in difficulty helps to keep The Escapists 2 engaging throughout.

A new means of progression also keeps you ticking, as escaping incarceration in unique ways now awards a key, and, subsequently, unlocks more prisons from which to escape. This means that if you run into difficulty there's always the option to replay an easier level and grab one of the four keys you didn't acquire previously, rewarding multiple playthroughs of each institution and making the game more accessible to newbies.

​There's enough variation in the key objectives to keep things feeling fresh on repeat runs, each one forcing you to pursue one avenue of approach at a time, rather than preparing for a handful of possible extractions, necessitating a more thoughtful and cautious approach. That said, I’m reminded by my co-op partner that I’m neither thoughtful nor cautious, and maybe that's why I've spent a vast amount of time in solitary confinement peeling potatoes...

… Playing in co-op opens up further escape options that are otherwise impossible in single player, whilst closing off others. Gathering and storing resources is easier with an extra pair of hands (or three), but the tradeoff is that any one member of your team could get caught and lose a valuable item or cause a secret hideaway to be discovered, putting everyone back at square one.

Versus mode plays like a stripped down version of the rest of the game, only with fewer restrictions, the goal simply being to be the first to break out. There is, as always, an element of luck when it comes to finding the right items, which can make a loss feel undeserved.

The Escapists 2 is definitely a step in the right direction for the series, making marked improvements on all fronts as a great sequel should. While it doesn’t offer a huge amount of longevity - despite the added replay value from the key system - the £19.99 price point means you won’t be left feeling short changed.

Pros

• Charming visual style
• Co-op and versus multiplayer add a new dimension
• Addictive “one more go” factor

Cons

• Needs a wider range of escape methods
• Crafting system could be clearer

8/10