The Escapists 2

Last updated

The Escapists 2
The Escapists 2 cover art.png
Developer(s) Mouldy Toof Studios
Team17
Publisher(s) Team17
Designer(s) James Witcomb
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Linux
macOS
PlayStation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
iOS
Android
ReleaseLinux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
August 22, 2017
Nintendo Switch
January 11, 2018
iOS, Android
January 31, 2019
Genre(s) Strategy, role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

The Escapists 2 is a strategy role-playing video game developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and published by Team17. It is the sequel to The Escapists (2015) and it was released worldwide for Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2017. Nintendo Switch and mobile phones versions were released in 2018 and 2019, both iOS and Android respectively.

Contents

Gameplay

In the game, players assume control of an inmate from a top-down perspective. The inmate must follow daily routines in the prison while completing quests for fellow inmates and seeking out opportunities to escape. Missing routines results in the prison's security level increasing; at higher security levels, more guards patrol the prison, dogs sniff out contraband items stored by inmates, and, at the highest security level, a total lockdown occurs in which all inmates must return to their cells. A lockdown can also be caused by damaging the prison or misplacing guards' keys. The Escapists 2 features a crafting system which allows players to craft items like shovels, tasers [1] and dummies to confuse guards. [2] Once the player character is caught, all contraband items in the inventory are lost and the inmate is put into solitary confinement. [3] Comparing to its predecessors, the game has a larger variety of prisons, including prisoner transport vehicles and incarceration facilities set in space. There are also more customization options for the player character. The game features an expanded combat system which allows players to lock onto targets, block and perform light and heavy attacks. [4]

The game features both local and online cooperative multiplayer. There are some unique escapes that require multiplayer to unlock where up to four players can assist each other when escaping prison. [5] The competitive multiplayer pits between two and four players against each other and the player who breaks out from the confinement facility fastest wins the game. [6]

Development

Mouldy Toof Studios created The Escapists 2 in conjunction with Team17. The team listened to feedback from players who have played the first game and identified multiplayer as the most requested feature. Since the first game's code would have needed to be substantially rewritten to incorporate such features, the team decided to create a new game instead. The team wanted to introduce something new to players. Therefore, many systems were expanded to become more complex, and the prisons featured in the game are multi-storied. [7]

Team17 announced the game on October 3, 2016. [8] It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 22, 2017. [9] Team17 then released the game on Nintendo Switch on January 16, 2018. [10] The game was released for iOS and Android on January 31, 2019 as The Escapists 2: Pocket Breakout. [11] Several downloadable content packs were released for the game. These include "Big Top Breakout", "Dungeons and Duct Tape" and "Wicked Ward", all of which introduce a new prison map. [12] Sold Out served as the game's distributor for the retail version of the game for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. [13]

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews from critics according to review aggregator Metacritic. [15] The Russian magazine Igromania praised the game's humor, characters, variety of maps, and the option to play multiplayer, while somewhat criticizing the interface, specifically the dialog boxes. [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hunter: The Reckoning</i> (video game) 2002 hack-and-slash video game

Hunter: The Reckoning is a 2002 hack-and-slash third-person shooter video game developed by High Voltage Software and published by Interplay Entertainment for the Xbox and GameCube. It is based on the tabletop role-playing game of the same name, and is part of the larger World of Darkness series. Two sequels, Wayward and Redeemer, were both released in 2003.

<i>Uno</i> (video game) Video game adaptation of the card game

Uno is a video game based on the card game of the same name. It has been released for a number of platforms. The Xbox 360 version by Carbonated Games and Microsoft Game Studios was released on May 9, 2006, as a digital download via Xbox Live Arcade. A version for iPhone OS and iPod devices was released in 2008 by Gameloft. Gameloft released the PlayStation 3 version on October 1, 2009, and also released a version for WiiWare, Nintendo DSi via DSiWare, and PlayStation Portable. An updated version developed by Ubisoft Chengdu and published by Ubisoft was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in August 2016, Microsoft Windows in December 2016 and for the Nintendo Switch in November 2017.

<i>Worms</i> (2007 video game) 2007 video game

Worms is an artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17. It was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and iOS platforms. The game is largely a port of 2006's Worms: Open Warfare.

<i>Voodoo Dice</i> 2010 video game

Voodoo Dice is an action puzzle game produced by French studio Exkee and distributed by Ubisoft on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and WiiWare. In Voodoo Dice, the player rolls dice through a path containing barriers, switches, conveyors and trap doors. The game consists of 60 single-player levels and 20 multiplayer levels. There are four multiplayer play modes. In single-player mode, the player must finish each level within a set time limit in order to win achievements.

<i>Prison Architect</i> 2015 video game

Prison Architect is a private prison construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Introversion Software. It was made available as a crowdfunded paid alpha pre-order on September 25, 2012 with updates that were scheduled every three to four weeks until 2023. With over 2,000,000 copies sold, Prison Architect made over US$10.7 million in pre-order sales for the alpha version. Prison Architect was an entrant in the 2012 Independent Games Festival. The game was available on Steam's Early Access program, and was officially released on October 6, 2015.

<i>The Escapists</i> Strategy video game

The Escapists is a strategy game played from a top-down perspective. The game was developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and following a Steam Early Access release in 2014, was released in 2015 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It was released on iOS and Android in 2017. A Nintendo Switch version of the game containing all downloadable content was released in 2018. The game was launched on the Epic Games Store on 23 September 2021, with the weekly free game campaign of Epic Games. Players assume the role of an inmate and must escape from prisons of increasing difficulty.

<i>Yooka-Laylee</i> 2017 video game

Yooka-Laylee is a platform game published by Team17 in 2017 for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, followed by a version for Amazon Luna in October 2020. Developed by Playtonic Games, a group of former key personnel from Rare, Yooka-Laylee is a spiritual successor to the Banjo-Kazooie series released for the Nintendo 64 nearly 20 years prior. After years of planning to develop a new game, Playtonic Games initiated a Kickstarter campaign that attracted significant media coverage and raised a record-breaking sum of over £2 million. The game follows chameleon Yooka and bat Laylee on their quest to retrieve a magical book from an evil corporation.

<i>Lego Worlds</i> 2017 Lego-themed sandbox game

Lego Worlds is a Lego-themed sandbox game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Games. The game allows players to build constructions in a 3D procedurally generated world. A beta version of the game was released on 1 June 2015 on Steam Early Access. It was released on 7 March 2017 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on 5 September 2017 in North America and 8 September 2017 in Europe.

<i>Stardew Valley</i> 2016 video game

Stardew Valley is a farm life simulation game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who inherits their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The game was released for Windows in February 2016 before being ported to other platforms. Stardew Valley is open-ended, allowing players to grow crops, raise livestock, fish, cook, mine, forage, and socialize with the townspeople, including the ability to marry and have children. It allows up to four players to play online together.

<i>Worms W.M.D</i> 2016 video game

Worms W.M.D is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game in the Worms series, released on 23 August 2016. Its gameplay resembles that of Worms Armageddon more than subsequent installments, while adding new features that range from interactive vehicles such as tanks, to buildings that the worms can enter for protection. It is also notable for being the first major redesign the worm characters have received since Worms 3D.

<i>Overcooked</i> 2016 video game

Overcooked is a 2016 cooking simulation video game developed by Ghost Town Games and published by Team17. In a local cooperative experience, players control a number of chefs in kitchens filled with various obstacles and hazards to rapidly prepare meals to specific orders under a time limit. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2016. A Nintendo Switch version was released in July 2017.

<i>Knights of Pen & Paper 2</i> 2015 role-playing video game

Knights of Pen & Paper 2, stylized as Knights of Pen & Paper II, is a role-playing video game developed by Kyy Games and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released on May 13, 2015, for iOS and Android, and on October 20, 2015, for Windows, OS X and Linux through the download service Steam. Versions for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One were released in December 2018 under the name Knights of Pen & Paper 2: Deluxiest Edition. It is the sequel to Knights of Pen & Paper.

<i>Dragon Quest Builders 2</i> 2018 video game

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is an action role-playing sandbox game developed by Square Enix and Omega Force, with Square Enix publishing it. It is the sequel to Dragon Quest Builders, and was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan in December 2018 and worldwide in July 2019, for Windows in December 2019, and for the Xbox One in May 2021. The game shipped over a million copies by August 2019 and received generally favorable reviews from critics.

<i>Human: Fall Flat</i> 2016 video game

Human: Fall Flat is a puzzle-platform game developed by Tomas Sakalauskas, founder of the Lithuanian studio No Brakes Games, and published by Curve Digital. It was initially released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in July 2016, and received ports for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and iOS and Android over the next several years.

<i>Yokus Island Express</i> 2018 video game

Yoku's Island Express is a platform pinball adventure video game developed by Swedish studio Villa Gorilla and published by Team17. The studio's debut project, the game was released in May 2018 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A version was released for Amazon Luna in October 2020.

<i>Overcooked 2</i> 2018 video game

Overcooked 2 is a cooperative cooking simulation video game developed by Team17 alongside Ghost Town Games, and published by Team17. The sequel to Overcooked!, it was released for Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on August 7, 2018. The game was released for Amazon Luna on October 20, 2020. Overcooked: All You Can Eat, a compilation game that includes both Overcooked and Overcooked 2, was released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 12, 2020. The compilation came to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on March 23, 2021, and on Google Stadia on May 5, 2022.

<i>Moving Out</i> (video game) 2020 video game

Moving Out is a 2020 cooperative moving simulation game developed by Swedish studio DevM Games and Australian developer SMG Studio. In a local cooperative experience, players move objects from houses into a moving van while coping with exaggerated physics. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 28, 2020, and for Amazon Luna on January 28, 2021.

<i>Golf with Your Friends</i> 2020 casual video game

Golf with Your Friends is a golf video game by Australian developer Blacklight Interactive and published by Team17. The game started in early access on Steam on 30 January 2016 and fully released on 19 May 2020 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on Google Stadia on 14 April 2022.

<i>Boomerang Fu</i> 2020 video game

Boomerang Fu is a fighting game developed and published by Cranky Watermelon. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One on August 13, 2020. The game released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on January 13, 2022. In the game, players control anthropomorphic food-based characters armed with boomerangs and various superpowers. Boomerang Fu received generally favorable reviews.

<i>Moving Out 2</i> 2023 video game

Moving Out 2 is a 2023 video game developed by SMG Studio and DevM Games, who also developed the previous game. Players attempt to move objects across various levels without hitting objections. It combines elements of strategy, puzzle, and party video games. Team17 published it for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

References

  1. ↑ Phillips, Tom (11 July 2017). "The Escapists 2 announced, introduces multiplayer". Eurogamer . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  2. ↑ Mundy, Jon (11 February 2019). "The Escapists 2 review - "A fine sandbox game that can't quite escape its past"". Pocket Gamer . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  3. ↑ Grayson, Nathan (23 August 2017). "The Escapists 2 Starts With Prison Breaks, Then Gets A Lot Weirder". Kotaku . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  4. ↑ Harrdence, Mike (11 January 2018). "The Escapists 2 Switch launch trailer makes a break for it". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  5. ↑ Donelly, Jon (11 July 2017). "The Escapists 2 release date set". PC Gamer . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  6. ↑ Wallace, Kimberly (22 August 2017). "The Escapists 2 Review: Escape From Prison Without Losing Your Sanity". Game Informer . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  7. ↑ Corture, Joel (23 August 2017). "Boosting complexity (and absurdity) of prison breaks in The Escapists 2". Gamasutra . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  8. ↑ O'Connor, Alice (3 October 2016). "The Escapists 2 Tunneling Into 2017". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  9. ↑ Phillips, Tom (11 July 2017). "The Escapists 2 carves out a release date". Eurogamer . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  10. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (19 December 2017). "The Escapists 2 Will Break Out on Switch Next Month". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  11. ↑ Cowley, Ric (17 January 2019). "The Escapists 2 is breaking out of Android and iOS from January 31st". Pocket Gamer . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  12. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (15 November 2018). "The Escapists 2 Has Just Received Three New DLC Packs On Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  13. ↑ "The Escapists 2 to break into retail this summer thanks to Sold Out and Team17". MCVUK. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  14. ↑ "The Escapists 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  15. 1 2 "The Escapists 2 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  16. ↑ "The Escapists 2 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  17. ↑ "The Escapists 2 for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  18. ↑ Wallace, Kimberly (29 August 2021). "The Escapists 2 - Escape From Prison Without Losing Your Sanity". Game Informer . Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "The Escapists 2 Review (Switch eShop) | Aces high". Nintendo Life . 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  20. ↑ Lloyd, David (29 August 2021). "The Escapists 2 (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "The Escapists 2 review - "A fine sandbox game that can't quite escape its past" | Aces high". Pocket Gamer . 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  22. 1 2 "Обзор The Escapists 2. Все побежали — и я побежал". www.igromania.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.