Many fans felt disappointed with the video-game adaptation of
Prison Break back in 2010 and it looks like it took eight years to finally deliver on a premise of escaping from the prison. Today, Hazelight Studios' finally gives you a chance to run away from the jail in directed by Jason Fares, the writer and helmer of Starbreeze's
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, EA Originals' third project,
A Way Out.
According to the critics, Fares and his team have managed to create a wonderful, thrilling story. Somehow, Hazelight didn't mess up the concept of simultaneous playing the game using the split-screen as both players have a lot to do during a short but exciting six-hour adventure.
Currently, A Way Out sits at 80/100 on Metacritic, indicating that it's the best game launched under the EA Originals brand yet, beating both, Unravel (78) and this year's Fe (70), but it didn't quite live up to the Brothers status which hit 90/100 in 2013. Don't let those number confuse you, A Way Out is a welcomed surprise and another proof after Hellblade that "AA", fairly big budget games ain't dead.
A Way Out is a true achievement in game design. Not only does it manage to take players on a true journey of emotion, it does so in a way that is only possible through the medium of video games. It manages to do something truly special by making two players to cooperate for an extended amount of time, and the discussions that happen on the couch or over voice chat can be just as revealing as the game itself. Josef Fares and Hazelight have undoubtedly raised the bar for co-op gaming.
A Way Out is an impressive achievement that definitively proves creativity matters more than bloated budgets and big-name franchises. A technically accomplished, endlessly inventive co-op masterpiece, A Way Out will surprise and excite you from beginning to end. This one deserves to be a breakout hit.
A Way Out is possibly the best cooperative video game ever created. Its movie-quality cinematography, intuitive and varied gameplay, and engaging story full of unique stand-out scenarios make it one incredibly memorable interactive experience.
The game and story have a couple of execution flaws, but A Way Out tells a good story, and much of the vibe about the themes of trust, brotherhood, revenge, and loss are conveyed through gameplay in a novel way. That’s reflects a good understanding about the cutting edge of interactive achievement.
A Way Out brings an amazing noire world for two players who need to cooperate to get out of jail. The new game from the makers of Brothers: A Tale of To Sons is a unique experience.
After Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, I came into A Way Out with expectations of a fraught and trying prison escape drama. That’s just the beginning though, and it soon transforms into a fun revenge flick. It doesn’t have the emotional impact of Brothers, and there’s some rough edges from the breadth of ideas that Hazelight include, but most importantly we just had a lot of fun.
A Way Out hearkens back to the days of couch co-op, placing players in the shoes of two criminals who must solve puzzles and support one another to escape. The game’s emotional drama runs alongside its silly undertone, making for a game that’s both moving and, at times, unintentionally hilarious.
The ability to spend time with them, and with my player partner, is A Way Out’s biggest strength, even if the details sometimes lack pizzazz...A Way Out has many faults, but a lack of heart isn’t one of them. Seeing that heart translated into a cooperative play experience makes the journey worthwhile.
A Way Out has some ambitious, fantastic ideas at its core, but it’s unfortunately surrounded by tiresome gameplay mechanics and a story that is just a bit too straightforward.
A Way Out's co-op vision is a bold choice that works because it uncompromisingly places players in a co-op context, joining them onscreen and off. But given the weakness of the gameplay at times, perhaps the game isn't bold enough.
Our characters might not have grown closer together, but A Way Out's forced co-op is worth it for the few standout moments it provides.
There are better narrative-driven games, and there are better co-op games, but I find myself hard pressed to think of one that does both as gracefully as A Way Out. While let down by its writing, it's worth your time if you're looking for an adventure that can only be shared with someone else.
From the creators of Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons comes A Way Out, an exclusively co-op adventure where you play the role of one of two prisoners making their daring escape from prison. What begins as a thrilling breakout quickly turns into an unpredictable, emotional adventure unlike anything seen or played before.
A Way Out releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC TODAY!