The Escapists
| The Escapists | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Original title | The Escapists | ||
| Publisher |
Team17 Xbox Game Studios |
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| platform | Linux , Mac OS , Microsoft Windows , PlayStation 4 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Nintendo Switch | ||
| Game engine | Unity | ||
| genre | Strategy game | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| medium | Download | ||
| language | including English, German | ||
| Age rating |
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The Escapists is a video game developed by Moldy Toof Studios and Team 17 Digital that is about escaping prisons. The successor The Escapists 2 , which comes from the same developers and was released on August 22, 2017, reached the most popular games on Steam 2017 and a wide audience. Another part of The Escapists series is The Escapists: The Walking Dead , which is not a direct successor and was released on August 20, 2014.
action
The player controls a self-composed game character with which he starts in a luxury prison and tries to break out. After each outbreak, he is transferred to a more secure prison and eventually ends up in a maximum security prison.
Gameplay
The game consists of different missions in which the aim is always to break out of prison. This goal can be achieved in different ways. There are routines in every prison. A routine is assigned to each time, such as a shower. A place belongs to every routine, such as, in this case, the communal shower. It's also about building a good relationship with your fellow inmates.
There are items in the game that can be used for the outbreak. Items can be bought from prisoners, stolen from cells, from prisoners and guards or, with luck, found in your own desk. With them you build objects that help you break out. There are different types of items, for example weapons, consumables and keys, which are also divided into the categories illegal and legal. Legal items are allowed, while illegal items are detected by scanners and lead to solitary confinement if cells are searched. One can with illegal items from other items produced ( Crafting ) and use it to bribe others. Consumables such as chocolate can be eaten to gain stamina or energy.
The other inmates can be both friends and foes, depending on your relationship with them. It expresses itself in the three levels good, neutral and bad. With a good relationship, some inmates sell items, with a neutral relationship they sell nothing and behave neutrally and with a bad relationship they start random fights with themselves. To improve the relationship, you can bribe them with money or illegal items, for example or do a favor. Some inmates offer favors which, if fulfilled, bring money and a better relationship.
Preventing the breakout is the task of the prison guards (= officers). They are well armed and have a high strength rating that increases from prison to prison. They are also the only source of keys needed to enter new areas in the prison. Officers intervene in fights and set off an alarm if you are in strange cells. They also wear a guard's uniform that can be used to dress up. They often carry illegal items that they have taken from inmates.
Prisons
There are two categories for The Escapists ' prisons , Story Prisons and Extra Prisons. While the story contains six prisons that remain the same, updates are added to the extra prisons. In the table you can see all story prisons.
| jail | difficulty |
|---|---|
| Center perks | Very easy |
| Stalag escape | light |
| Shankton State Prison | medium |
| Jungle camp | medium |
| San Pancho | heavy |
| JVA iron gate | very difficult |
values
The four most important values are energy, stamina, alert and money. The energy is needed to carry out strenuous activities such as digging or reading. It takes stamina to withstand attacks. If it sinks to zero, you wake up again in the infirmary. The alert increases with suspicious activities. If it rises to 100, a curfew is triggered. The money is needed to buy clues from the pay phone or to purchase items from inmates. There are also advanced values like intelligence, strength and speed. With more intelligence you can build more complex items and more strength increases the upper limit for endurance. This can be increased to a maximum of 50. The strength decreases continuously. Intelligence can be increased by reading books, while strength can be increased through exercise. The speed reduces the time it takes to attack in combat.
Routines
- Night rest: During this time, all inmates must be in their cells
- Roll call: All prisoners must go to the roll call area . If you do not appear, the curfew will be triggered.
- Breakfast / lunch / dinner: you have to go to the cafeteria. You can eat there, which increases energy.
- Work: There are various jobs that you can do in prison. There aren't enough jobs for all prisoners. So, for example, you can prevent a prisoner from doing his job. This is fired and you can now take the job. Every job brings money, more intellectual jobs like librarian bring more money, but you need enough intelligence. If you don't have a job, work is the same as leisure.
- Free time: There are no duties to be fulfilled. You can do whatever you want.
- Courtyard walk : During the courtyard walk you can use the equipment in the fitness area to increase your strength or speed.
- Curfew: It's actually not a routine. Only occurs in the event of a no-show at roll call or an alarm value of 100.
- Showering: When showering you have to go to the communal shower. Showering increases energy.
reception
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The Escapists was well received by the critics, with Metacritic the average rating of the game is 71/100 points for the PC and PS4 versions and 74/100 points for the Xbox One version. Sven Wagener from Gameswelt praised the loving graphics and background music, but also emphasized the high potential for frustration. Nils Krüger also mentioned the easily occurring frustration in his test for IGN , but also emphasized the high level of playful freedom and the resulting motivation.
successor
On August 22, 2017, The Escapists 2, a sequel to the game, was released.
A spin-off in the Walking Dead universe called The Escapists: The Walking Dead was released in September 2015.
Web links
- The Escapists at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Escapists (PC) - test, download, system requirements, release date, demo - GameStar. Retrieved May 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Chris Davis: The Escapists. Retrieved May 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Chris Davis: The Escapists. Retrieved May 20, 2018 .
- ^ Richard Cobbett: The Escapists Review. In: IGN. February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2018 (American English).
- ^ Richard Cobbett: The Escapists Review. In: IGN. February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2018 (American English).
- ↑ The Escapists Wiki. Retrieved May 20, 2018 .
- ^ The Escapists for PC Reviews. In: Metacritic. February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2018 (American English).
- ↑ The Escapists for PlayStation 4 Reviews. In: Metacritic. Retrieved June 2, 2015, May 23, 2018 (American English).
- ^ The Escapists for Xbox One Reviews. In: Metacritic. February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2018 (American English).
- ↑ Sven Wagener: The Escapists: Breakout instead of break-in. In: Gameswelt. February 24, 2015, accessed May 23, 2018 .
- ^ Nils Krüger: The Escapists - Review - Become the escape king. In: IGN Germany. February 13, 2015, accessed May 23, 2018 .
- ↑ Sasha Penzhorn: The Escapists 2 Test - prison sandbox for up to four players. In: Gamestar. August 28, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2018 .
- ↑ The Escapists The Walking Dead (PC): Test, news, video, game tips, pictures. In: 4Players. Retrieved May 23, 2018 .