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Every gamer desires a quality game to play with a friend, a game that will keep you absorbed for a while as you go about accomplishing missions. A Way Out is such a game, and it is a co-op designed game. It is an action filled adventure that has unpredictable turns and twists and every decision made matters. This game will have you and your friend performing multiple mundane and dramatic tasks together, resulting in a memorable, refreshing cinematic adventure. You can play it online with a friend but the best way to fully enjoy it should be when they are seated next to you.

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Overview

A Way Out is a great mandatory co-op game developed by Josef Fares and the Hazelight Studios. The game is a prison break adventure set in the 1970’s period. It narrates the stories of two characters, Vincent and Leo, simultaneously. The characters are each controlled by one player. The stories are delivered in a split-screen, and you have to play it cooperatively. At each point, either player can see the other’s point of view and what is happening to them.

The game’s storyline from the name is about the two men working together to break out of the prison in which they are incarcerated, and also to avoid cops on the outside world.

CharactersVincent & Leo

Vincent has been handed a 14-year prison sentence for fraud and embezzlement while Leo has only done six months of his 8-year sentence for armed robbery.

The characters are quite different, Vincent is level-headed, smart, reasonable, and prefers talking his way out of any situation faced while Leo is a hot head, prone to violence but according to his words, he still gets things done.

They are in adjacent cells, and a couple of prison yard skirmishes and a shared objective of untimely freedom convinces them into joining forces and work together to make their escape. You have to choose your character wisely.

Gameplay

A Way Out is split up into five different story act namely
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  • Escape – Vincent and Leo hatch a plan to escape the prison, and they work together to figure a way out.
  • Fugitives – They have to overcome a dense forest, the police and some other obstacles to be free and stay alive
  • Preparation – They make plans to meet up with their families and trace the whereabouts of Harvey, the game’s antagonist.

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  • Vengeance – After obtaining the location of Harvey, they set about getting their revenge.
  • Conflict – This is the fitting ending to the game. {Spoiler Alert} Vincent and Leo engage in a shootout and only one f the character survives.

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Within each act, there are several chapters, and the game contains 37 chapters in total. It takes six to eight hours to complete the whole storyline.

Whenever you walk into a scene, there are options as to what you want to do. In each situation, there are a lot of potential variations. So a decision you make, or any little detail you miss, will result differently. If one of the characters die, you have to restart the chapter again.

You can get more playtime by redoing the chapters while taking different approaches to certain events within them. Although you may know the ending of a chapter, there is worthy replay value with the different scenarios that may occur.

The chapter storylines involve adventure click and point gameplay, top-down chases, third-person shooting, stealth and quick time events.

Though there aren’t many puzzles to solve, there are a lot other fun activities you can engage in throughout the game. They include darts, card games, baseball, weightlifting, shooting hoops, arm wrestle, go fishing or play musical instruments like piano and banjo.

Hazelight Studios tries really hard to make the gameplay feels natural, and they succeed.

Graphics

The game graphics, powered by Unreal Engine, are very clear and high quality. The game features prison, wild and other 70’s backgrounds, and terrains. To run this game, there are some minimum specifications needed to run it.The PC game has low and high graphics settings.

For low setting, (720p/30FPS), these are the minimum PC specification requirements for the game to run: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 64 bit, Intel Core i3-2100T @ 2.5GHz/AMD FX 6100, 8GB RAM, 25GB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650Ti 2GB, and DirectX 11 compatible video card.

For the high setting, the following PC specification is required: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 64 bit, Intel Core i5 3570K or AMD Ryzen 3 1300x or their equivalent, Nvidia GTX 960 or AMD R9 290 GPU, 16GB RAM, 25 GB HDD or higher, and DirectX 11 compatible video card.

For online playing, the internet requirement is 256kbps or faster. The resolution of the TV or monitor has to be 1080P or higher for an excellent gaming experience. With the high frame rate of 60fps, there is a seamless and smooth transition between scenes. The response time from the time you press your controller to the reaction of the character is instant too.

The sound engineering done in the game is top notch too. Character conversations and audio are heard clearly as can music and other sounds from the game. You can hear the crackling of dry leaves if you step on them while in the wild. it requires a system with and 1080p/60FPS (High).

Technical

The game was developed on a very low budget, and it surpasses expectations. The animations, soundtracks, and gameplay are superb. With a great and quality gaming system, you get to enjoy the game nicely. There is no drop, hanging or freezing of the game even when playing online.

The game is available for PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One. It is not yet available for Nintendo switch. Also if you are playing online, only one friend need to buy the game for you both to play.

What can be done to improve the game?

The ending took a sharp twist. Though it brings a surprise ending, many players wish there as an alternative ending that would let the characters continue with their blossoming friendship. The ending tends to change enjoyment of the game overall for some players. Also, the shooting accuracy should be improved. Especially the polices.

Verdict

A Way Out has creative storytelling, excellent character writing and it is fun and enjoyable to play. It requires a lot of coordination and cooperation between the players. The characters grow their friendship and sometimes compete between themselves creating some fun player-vs-player moments in the game. The in play games and activities are a great touch and offer something great for a game. There are some great scenes in the game, and the hospital escape sequence is one of the best quick time scenes in the game. The cinematography and gameplay are also superb. The game is also modest as there are no uncomfortable scenes of nudity, except in the first chapter in a prison wash.

A Way Out is worthy you’re playing time, and it offers a rewarding experience deserving praise. The sequences, gameplay and camera work feel natural and satisfying. A Way Out is one of the best Co-op games available in the market today, and if you want to experience a 70’s style prison break and storyline, this is the game I would recommend for you.

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