Double the fun: A Way Out Review

Not only is A Way Out of a very high quality when held to the standards of other games, but, as it was designed from the ground up to be played by two, it actually offers this level of quality within its co-op – this is key considering most co-op experiences available are essentially secondary features offering only a shell of their main game – A Way Out is a very enjoyable, complete game, for two players.

Story concept¹: 8

Story execution²: 8

Immersion through gameplay³: 8

Gameplay⁴: 7

World⁵: 1

^1&2 The game features strong writing with multiple points of emotional poignancy. There are some “that’s odd” evoking blips, which do detract from this, however as it hits all but one of the important notes well,  and the missed one becomes apparent far too late to ruin the most of it, the experience is absolutely worthwhile.

The development of character backstories felt formulaic, largely because the plot forced them to be addressed within a slightly unbelievable timeframe.

³ The gameplay forces excessive coordination and dependance on your partner, which lends itself to the core idea of Leo and Vincent establishing trust very well. As a tool to accentuate character traits, however, it falls a little short, as player choice took priority over characters acting as is more natural to themselves (for example we get to choose who shoots, and who drives, etc.). Player convenience was prioritised over character development – this is not a bad decision, just a noteworthy one.

⁴ There are very strong and novel co-op gameplay mechanics at the start of the game. Towards the end, these are to some extent replaced with driving and shooting set pieces which work, but aren’t quite as endearing, as they are far more generic, have a reduced focus on co-op, and have been done better elsewhere. I found this to be especially the case with the shooting parts. Unconventional and intuitive camera usage adds a sense of spectacle throughout.

⁵This game is a short linear experience, and is all about the characters. A single setpiece at a campfire captures the same sense of wonder more commonplace in other games, but it never does much to even feign to the player that ongoings are organic, meaning those seeking breathtaking exploration should look elsewhere.