EXIT is a 2D side scrolling puzzle game that started out as a PSP game
and was ported over to the Xbox Live Arcade late last year. Its main
premise is simple - Mr. Esc, the game's caffeine-driven main character,
always seems to find himself deeply involved in some sort of terrible
disaster, and along with himself, he has to save other victims from the
many traps, twists and turns found throughout the game's 22 cases - 12
of which are accessed through two free game content packs offered for
download over Xbox Live Marketplace. Each case presents a different
backdrop and challenges, from the more conventional crisis, like a
fire, to much, much more bizarre occurrences, in ten individual levels.
As these levels progress, the challenge curse widens, and more dangers
and obstacles are thrown into Esc's and his companions' way. The
variety of dangers faced is just as crazy as the levels they reside in
- small fires, icicles, open electrical outlets, and even the lack of
light are some of the things that will be between Mr. Esc and the exit.
On the other hand, there are tools littered across the environments for
the everyday escapologist. These can easily be picked up and used in
specific circumstances, like spiked boots that allow traction in ice,
that allow Mr. Esc and companions to push boxes lodged over icy
surfaces. However, only one item can be held by Esc at a time, and this
is where the survivors he finds come into play. Not only can they
combine strength with Esc in order to push heavier boxes, but also hold
items for later use - by themselves or by Esc, after he discards the
item he's currently holding - and helping out other less capable
victims on their way to the level's exit.
There's a variety of companions that will be needing Esc's services -
kids, who have difficulty leaping over tall obstacles, but who can
crawl through tight spots; young adults, that basically have the same
strength as Mr. Esc, but cannot jump or fall as far and chunky adults,
who have much more brawn than Esc, but need help leaping over taller
obstacles and are slower moving than the rest of the cast. Ordering
these companions around can be done with a press of the right thumb
stick - pressing once will select the person, and a second click will
order them around to pick up a certain item, push an obstacle or simply
move to the assigned location. The scripted intelligence presented for
the secondary characters in the game is a mix between impressive and
just plain annoying. When ordering them to move to locations at the
same level of sight as they are in, the movement is recognized, even if
there are climbable obstacles in the way. The annoying part comes when
you need them to move up or down ladders, stairs and holes in the
ground - if the ordered companion if somewhat far from the transition
area between levels, like a set of stairs, they'll run all the way to
the end of the level they are in, and thus, not reach the location you
need them to be at. While this can be easily remedied by issuing orders
that cover shorter lengths of travel, it can be overly, and needlessly
aggravating, especially if a time trial wants to be cleared with a
perfect score.
The scoring system in EXIT works in synch with a timer. While the time
given by the game is more than enough to finish the levels, by
completing them quickly, the overall score will be higher, up to 100
points per level. The scores, while unimportant for the overall
completion of Esc's missions, do play a part on the achievements
offered in EXIT, and can be uploaded to Xbox Live Arcade's leader
boards, in which they can be compared with the times and scores from
players across the globe, or with friends in your Xbox Live friends
list.
Considering that EXIT started out as a portable game, the aestetic
presented is very impressive, although simple. Colorful backgrounds
with thick black lining present a feel of playing a caricature of
reality throughout the levels. The characters, including Mr. Esc, with
his trademark yellow fedora and red scarf, are incredibly simplistic
looking, but animate really well. Jumping, crouching, falling and
running feels very natural, even if the same cycles are used for the
specific character types found in the game, even if these companions
are portrayed as different individuals. Bubbles of text pop up as
people scream for help, complain and shout out of relief when they
reach a level's exit.
As far as the soundtrack goes, the music is upbeat and very
electronica, which fits the look of EXIT. Funnily enough, the sound
effects, especially the character voices, seem to do their best to
detract from the experience - voice clips from Mr. Esc and companions
are surprisingly repetitive, with lines being played over and over in
the course of seconds. Other sound effects are very plain, and won't be
missed in case you decide to turn down the volume for these, and
luckily enough, there's an option for all sound effects to be
deactivated altogether.
Moving Mr. Esc feels similar to a lot of 2D side scrolling puzzle
games, especially Flashback. Levels can be imagined as precision based
grids, as Esc's movements fall into these grids, where a push from the
stick forward will move the character over one square at a time. By
pushing the right bumper, Mr. Esc will run, not being nearly as precise
as walking in terms of positioning for jumps, but will obviously be
much faster. The left bumper serves as an order button for survivors,
with two phases, stop and wait, and follow. Leaving the follow command
activated gets increasingly dangerous as the game progresses, due to
the unstable programmed intelligence mentioned. While they are prone to
waiting next to insurmountable obstacles until further command,
sometimes, especially near chasms, jumps will be attempted, and most of
the times, they will meet the ground in a very intimate fashion, thus,
failing your mission.
For a 800 Microsoft Points game, around ten dollars, EXIT is a very
good deal. While some of the quirks mentioned might weigh down on the
overall enjoyment of the game, the variety of levels and puzzles,
stylish graphics and challenge are enough to keep players interested in
helping Mr. Esc's ludicrous escapades.
