A wonderful story mixed in with entertaining and truly original co-op experience. It was such thrilling time to be playing a game that required teamwork. The main story is good, but then a major twist that pushes the story even deeper makes the game even better. Leo and Vincent's polar opposite personalities come together and offer for fun dialogue. A Way Out's beautiful design and thrilling gameplay bring back the fun times of binge playing a game on the couch with your best friend.
My friend and I watched the announcement of this game at E3 last summer. Ever since we saw the trailer, we could not wait to play. The two of us had been looking for an intense co-op game for a while. We were not disappointed, to say the least. A Way Out is simply one of the most fun games I have ever played with a friend. The idea of forced cooperation between players is exciting and makes for a great time. Not only was the gameplay fun, but the designs and movements of the split screen display was awe-inspiring. The main story got predictable and that was soon wiped away with a M. Night Shyamalan like twist. Not only does this game thrive off the gameplay, it is boasted by its two main characters. Leo and Vincent with their contrasting views and ideas actually create sweet, sweet chemistry. If you play this game, you will have yourself a hell of a time.
I have waited a long time for a co-op experience like this. It was so fun working together for the common goal of escaping the prison. Whether it was me throwing another inmate to my friend and having him punch the guy or one of us standing watch as the other pried the toilet off the wall. In a strange way, the two of us had different experiences doing the same thing and there was such beauty in that. Some of the most trivial tasks, like fishing, instantly became more fun because we had to figure it out together. Even midway through the story, my friend and I spent 20 minutes playing baseball and hitting dingers.
Hats off to person who came up with the idea of using split screen and shifting the views depending on the action. It was a unique way to show the importance of certain scenes. I found that this aspect was like cinematic art. The way it worked with the game was brilliant, because at one point I realized I never looked over at my partner’s side of the screen and I didn’t want to. I relied on him and trusted what he was doing.
My biggest problem was the story itself. It started off strong, getting out of the prison was a grind, in a positive way. Shortly after you escape, it then begins to trail off and become super predictable. Late in the game, things seemed too much like the film Scarface where the main villain seemed to be acting just like Scarface. If my experience ended on that, I would’ve been deeply disappointed. This was not the case, as shortly after we were met with a huge surprise that lead to further gameplay and more fun.
Leo and Vincent were a magnificent pair who balanced each other so well. Leo, with is guns blazing mentality and Vincent, always remaining cool. Both of these perspectives brought some good chuckles hear and then. Most importantly it brought us different options to take on situations. At pivotal points in the game, you were able to decide if you take Vincent’s or Leo’s approach. After my partner and I chose one way, we would say “we will have to try the other way next play through”. I loved that we were given options as how to handle certain situations. Having the freedom to choose what to do allows us to put ourselves in the situation and play the game the way we want to.
I cannot wait to play through this game another time. I am really looking forward to catching the things that we missed the first time. There is so much to see and do in such a short game. A Way Out is a great game.
