It's considered one of the most innovative games of the year, where cooperative play isn't just optional, but mandatory. Following the fantastic "Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons," developer Hazelight returns this week with "A Way Out"Back, which has sounded incredibly interesting ever since its announcement. We took a closer look to see whether the concept actually works as well as it promises or ultimately backfires."
A forced friendship
Just as the game forces players to cooperate, so too is the friendship between the two protagonists, Leo and Vincent, who first meet in the prison yard, initially forced. They have very different personalities, ranging from hot-tempered and boastful to cool and composed, which will play a recurring role throughout the story.
Both are imprisoned for various crimes, unjustly, as they themselves believe, so it quickly becomes clear that there's only one way out – the outside. As soon as they've somehow managed to pull themselves together, plans are hatched to escape this hole – tools are acquired, back roads are scouted, and guards are bribed. Somewhat surprisingly, however, players will find that the actual prison break only makes up about a fifth of the entire game, while the rest revolves around the escape itself, cinematic and sentimental family dramas, and a revenge plot. After nearly five hours to complete, Hazelight delivers everything you'd expect from a typical Hollywood film. Highs and lows abound, from emotional moments to action-packed sequences, culminating in a surprising plot twist.
Overall, one is left unsure whether the desired goal has truly been achieved. There's a nagging feeling that perhaps the film tried to do too much and avoided committing to anything too specific. At the same time, everything only scratches the surface, avoiding any real depth that it consistently pursues. As a result, certain passages feel contrived and out of place, especially towards the end, where you repeatedly get the feeling that this would be the perfect moment to end the story, but Hazelight simply continues, stretching the narrative arc further and further.
Not without my partner
The cooperative gameplay aspect is truly successful, not only because you're practically forced to use it, but also because a great deal of thought has gone into how to implement the interdependence in a believable and effective way. This is wonderfully evident right from the first hour, where you try to escape through the back wall of your cell using a file. While one player keeps watch, the other works on the wall and needs to be warned in time if the guards are approaching or how best to distract them. The vertical climb through the service shaft is another excellent example of why the cooperative aspect is so important. Whether these tasks could ultimately have been handled by an AI partner is debatable.
For Hazelight, implementing this mandatory co-op mode was certainly a risk, as playing "A Way Out" requires prior arrangements for playing together. Spontaneous gaming sessions are rather difficult, especially since a matchmaking system is currently lacking. This would be highly advisable, however, because who wants to spend nearly €30 just staring at the start screen while waiting for a suitable partner who has already downloaded the game to their console? These are definitely some hurdles that still need to be overcome.
Gameplay mechanics are too simplistic
While the co-op sections are well-executed, you'll quickly realize that the gameplay itself is quite simplistic. The story is completely linear, offering little room for interpretation; many scenes are entirely scripted, and even obvious choices only have an impact when it comes to choosing a specific path. The objective will always be the same, while human-level decisions are consistently ignored and ultimately irrelevant.
The gameplay is kept simple, requiring little more than pressing R2 or Square, or occasionally mastering minor platforming sections. However, the difficulty level is set so low that it feels utterly unchallenging. Even during intense firefights, there's rarely any fear of being hit; you can just keep shooting. This is a missed opportunity to…A Way Out"To make it accessible to an experienced audience as well, so that even casual gamers can reach the end in their sleep. Looking back at past co-op titles like "Army of Two," one knows what could have been possible."
The whole thing is spiced up with frequent mini-games where Leo and Vincent compete against each other. Whether it's darts, an arcade game, horseshoes, and more, this definitely lightens the mood and occasionally brings a smile to your face.
Interesting exchange
The overall presentation of “A Way Out” is all the more impressive. It's a truly beautiful game with fantastic character models, a well-crafted atmosphere, and an interesting approach to switching between characters. Especially during the escape from the hospital, the game consistently employs fluid and cinematic camera pans and movements between Leo and Vincent, lending the whole thing a fantastic dynamism that's rarely as enjoyable as it is here. From a technical standpoint, there are only minor flaws, such as textures loading late or a slight delay in character synchronization, which works significantly better in couch co-op. And although the game forgoes standards like HDR, the chosen graphical style and lighting create a consistently immersive atmosphere that's easy to lose yourself in. This is further enhanced by a mostly subdued soundtrack that skillfully underscores exciting moments, paired with solid voice acting.
