Undoubtedly refreshing it is that there's a videogame release in the year of our lord 2018, which devotes its entire story mode around the dynamic of the often-forgotten novelty of two-player co-op. For the first time in a long time local co-op play is a defining feature in a mainstream videogame, way past the time developers decided to leave the feature high-and dry, demoting such experiences exclusively to party and yearly sports videogame titles. A Way Out by virtue is a game worth celebrating, because it's about time we shared the pleasures and the pain of a narrative with an extra pair of hands holding a gamepad. But the real question is does A Way Out meaningfully provide value above and beyond its two-player focus, or is this a one-off irredeemable fad begrudgingly offered by the videogame industry?
Playing as a couple of prison escapee criminals on the run named Leo and Vincent, you set off on an unexpected journey towards redemption and personal justice by splashing around in river water and pulling off wheelies in wheelchairs- alright, you're both out to seek revenge on an affluent Cuban kingpin, including a smattering of mischievous exploits to break you out of otherwise tough situations. The pair aren't particularly likeable, but their unique traits make the most of the co-operative sustenance at play here. As Leo you are direct, tough and solve problems in a meek and manly manner, and as Vincent you're careful, precise and patient- concoctions that work wonders for the both of them, even if their individual strengths aren't always well realised.
Early on you contend with the conventional aspects of prison life such as lock up, interacting and getting your hands dirty with inmates in the courtyard, and grabbing lunch with your not-so-friendly penitentiary pals. Suffices to say prison life is no cakewalk here, as Leo and Vincent find themselves in a boiling kettle's worth of hot water when fights break out, but their resourcefulness sees them on the verge of a way out (tah-dah). Once Leo and Vincent fulfil the game's title, they scramble across rural and tranquil terrain, finding themselves in a construction site, a hospital and a trailer park before a humdinger of a twist brilliantly sends the two off into the sunset (not literally).
Fisticuffs in A Way Out boil down to the infamous and clichéd quick-time events, where smashing X or Y at the right time will see you cracking knuckles and knees against faces, but you can't help but feel the implementation of QTEs is cheap and ineffective when you realise you are following visual prompts with no payoff as feedback is crisp-packet thin. The result tends to make A Way Out look brutal and merciless but instead feels unsatisfying and weightless-thankfully other tenets of the gameplay are rewarding and do a serviceable job of picking up the slack.
Undoubtedly refreshing it is that there's a videogame release in the year of our lord 2018, which devotes its entire story mode around the dynamic of the often-forgotten novelty of two-player co-op. For the first time in a long time local co-op play is a defining feature in a mainstream videogame, way past the time developers decided to leave the feature high-and dry, demoting such experiences exclusively to party and yearly sports videogame titles. A Way Out by virtue is a game worth celebrating, because it's about time we shared the pleasures and the pain of a narrative with an extra pair of hands holding a gamepad. But the real question is does A Way Out meaningfully provide value above and beyond its two-player focus, or is this a one-off irredeemable fad begrudgingly offered by the videogame industry?
Playing as a couple of prison escapee criminals on the run named Leo and Vincent, you set off on an unexpected journey towards redemption and personal justice by splashing around in river water and pulling off wheelies in wheelchairs- alright, you're both out to seek revenge on an affluent Cuban kingpin, including a smattering of mischievous exploits to break you out of otherwise tough situations. The pair aren't particularly likeable, but their unique traits make the most of the co-operative sustenance at play here. As Leo you are direct, tough and solve problems in a meek and manly manner, and as Vincent you're careful, precise and patient- concoctions that work wonders for the both of them, even if their individual strengths aren't always well realised.
Early on you contend with the conventional aspects of prison life such as lock up, interacting and getting your hands dirty with inmates in the courtyard, and grabbing lunch with your not-so-friendly penitentiary pals. Suffices to say prison life is no cakewalk here, as Leo and Vincent find themselves in a boiling kettle's worth of hot water when fights break out, but their resourcefulness sees them on the verge of a way out (tah-dah). Once Leo and Vincent fulfil the game's title, they scramble across rural and tranquil terrain, finding themselves in a construction site, a hospital and a trailer park before a humdinger of a twist brilliantly sends the two off into the sunset (not literally).
Fisticuffs in A Way Out boil down to the infamous and clichéd quick-time events, where smashing X or Y at the right time will see you cracking knuckles and knees against faces, but you can't help but feel the implementation of QTEs is cheap and ineffective when you realise you are following visual prompts with no payoff as feedback is crisp-packet thin. The result tends to make A Way Out look brutal and merciless but instead feels unsatisfying and weightless-thankfully other tenets of the gameplay are rewarding and do a serviceable job of picking up the slack.
There's no two ways about (well actually there are in other parts of the game but forgive the pun) you will need to work together for the betterment of you and your partner's hides. Sometimes the game requires you to physically work together to solve problems, and these segments make for some of the most inventive and humorous moments in the entire game, making the co-operative gimmick shine in the process. Some sections require frantic teamwork like attempting to swivel and jostle a rowing boat so it doesn't clash with jagged rocks, others are quieter and methodical, requiring one player to distract whilst the other does the dirty work-these too can be tremendously rewarding because they're audacious and contextually amusing.
Surprises are welcome trinkets in A Way Out, rare but delightful when you happen upon them. Moments of silliness where you faff about with your human-controlled partner, playing a spot of baseball and twiddling about on an arcade machine reminds you of the nonchalant joys of playing co-op, and the corresponding competitive nature stroking your egos as you attempt to outperform one another. The mixture of entertaining ideas is a blessing and freshens up this otherwise average adventure, and manages to sustain its fairly brief runtime. The finale also surprises and shocks, delivering a sucker punch of brilliance when the game was running out of momentum.
Pacing in A Way Out does get bogged down by one too many cutscenes. The amount of times control is taken away from you is a continuous burden, confounded by the misplaced shooty bits towards the end symbolising an ideas draught-references to a certain cinematic Cuban crime lord exposes this decline. There exists a few pleasing moments of downtime and reflection, but don't occur as organically as they should for two characters we should care about regardless of their criminal pasts. Both Vincent and Leo are family men and they struggle to proceed in life by making ill-fated attempts to balance their desperate bid to flee the law and being decent family father figures.
A Way Out does take some cues from Bluepoint's other adventure Brothers:A Tale of Two Sons-even going so far as to provide an Easter Egg to pay homage to it, but visually and performance wise-this is nothing to get excited about. The framerate chugs at several points throughout and the artistic quality is jeopardised once too often by jankiness in the textures, but the autumnal colours add vibrancy like its forebear did, and some moments will take your breath away for a few seconds so you can drink in the idyllic surroundings.
There's no two ways about (well actually there are in other parts of the game but forgive the pun) you will need to work together for the betterment of you and your partner's hides. Sometimes the game requires you to physically work together to solve problems, and these segments make for some of the most inventive and humorous moments in the entire game, making the co-operative gimmick shine in the process. Some sections require frantic teamwork like attempting to swivel and jostle a rowing boat so it doesn't clash with jagged rocks, others are quieter and methodical, requiring one player to distract whilst the other does the dirty work-these too can be tremendously rewarding because they're audacious and contextually amusing.
Surprises are welcome trinkets in A Way Out, rare but delightful when you happen upon them. Moments of silliness where you faff about with your human-controlled partner, playing a spot of baseball and twiddling about on an arcade machine reminds you of the nonchalant joys of playing co-op, and the corresponding competitive nature stroking your egos as you attempt to outperform one another. The mixture of entertaining ideas is a blessing and freshens up this otherwise average adventure, and manages to sustain its fairly brief runtime. The finale also surprises and shocks, delivering a sucker punch of brilliance when the game was running out of momentum.
Pacing in A Way Out does get bogged down by one too many cutscenes. The amount of times control is taken away from you is a continuous burden, confounded by the misplaced shooty bits towards the end symbolising an ideas draught-references to a certain cinematic Cuban crime lord exposes this decline. There exists a few pleasing moments of downtime and reflection, but don't occur as organically as they should for two characters we should care about regardless of their criminal pasts. Both Vincent and Leo are family men and they struggle to proceed in life by making ill-fated attempts to balance their desperate bid to flee the law and being decent family father figures.
A Way Out does take some cues from Bluepoint's other adventure Brothers:A Tale of Two Sons-even going so far as to provide an Easter Egg to pay homage to it, but visually and performance wise-this is nothing to get excited about. The framerate chugs at several points throughout and the artistic quality is jeopardised once too often by jankiness in the textures, but the autumnal colours add vibrancy like its forebear did, and some moments will take your breath away for a few seconds so you can drink in the idyllic surroundings.
As experimental as it is quirky, A Way Out is a curiously enjoyable drama adventure title that promotes co-operative gameplay implementation in refreshing and exciting ways. What on the surface looks like standard fare is elevated to new heights by interesting scenarios and a palpably entertaining jaunt through unpredictable pastures. A Way Out isn't immune from sour grapes however, as the story belts along with a reasonable albeit standard trajectory for the most part, and the visual quality coupled with cutscene propensity issues keep A Way Out from achieving top tier status. Ultimately A Way Out does keep its head high and avoids barrelling off into the depths of mediocrity, but were it not for its co-op leanings this wouldn't be quite so commendable. As it stands A Way Out will be remembered fondly as that one co-op game where you and a buddy could play along and get up to mischief indulging in a brief but memorable campaign-and though it loses its way at times, the culminating impression is A Way Out is somewhat ironically A Way In-to a good time with a chum at your side.
STORY: 7/10
GAMEPLAY: 8/10
PRESENTATION: 7/10
LIFESPAN: 7/10
SCORE: 7/10
A highly entertaining co-op drama affair that incorporates unique scenarios that make the most of the teamwork element despite questionable pacing and an iffy framerate. Here comes the terrible two.