In Josef Fares' first game - Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - the creative insights he has in games as a medium immediately became visible. With his second work A Way Out, one of the biggest surprises at E3 in 2017 for me, the creative jack-of-all-trades is aiming even higher in terms of content and gameplay. I saw an interesting experiment in the narrative A Way Out, with especially ingenious finds in the interplay. Almost a year after the promising reveal, I investigated with my favorite game companion whether this game really turns out to be that unique.Anyone who follows the game news closely will undoubtedly know that A Way Out is marketed as an ambitious title that can only be played cooperatively; both online (not with strangers, by the way, because there is not even matchmaking) and together on the couch. It is therefore virtually impossible to play the game alone. After all, it is the specific intention to experience this adventure from start to finish with the same game buddy. Because this can be a potential obstacle for some, the “Friend Pass” has been devised. Only one of the two players actually needs to purchase the game, your partner in crime can experience the full experience through the free trial.
A nice gesture, even if the achievement of achievements/trophies is disabled for the invited player. The entire adventure is split-screen and even if you each play on a separate screen online, you will always experience the world from the point of view of your co-op companion. The stylish splitting of your screen in two is therefore not a limitation, but rather an element to always tell the story from two pairs of eyes.
BromanceThat story follows two convicts, Vincent Moretti and Leo Caruso, who get to know each other behind bars, then forge a plan together to escape from prison, then remain on the run from the law enforcement, and meanwhile work towards a common goal. Both protagonists have their own personalities: the stubborn Leo has a short fuse and is more likely to opt for violence with his more aggressive attitude, while Vincent prefers to work more thoughtfully and knows that you can also achieve a lot with a more subtle approach.
The complete crime drama, from the slow-starting introduction within the prison walls to the punch-in-the-stomach ending, takes an average of six hours to complete. In that span of time, Fares easily fulfills his greatest promise to remain unique and not to repeat, but that urge to nip repetition in the bud simply creates a fragmentary whole here. The game constantly takes a new turn per chapter, locations are only visited fleetingly and the gameplay also constantly adapts.
There is, among other things, a sneak part in which the two of us silently take out stupid police officers, a chase in a car that does not steer too well, a little later we pilot a rowing boat over an increasingly wild river, for half a minute the game even in a side-scrolling beat 'em up, and towards the end A Way Out is most like a mediocre third-person shooter. In addition, the game contains a lot of optional mini-games, such as four-in-a-row, horseshoe throw or darts, which provide some entertainment.
Shines too littleThe fact that not all individual components have been worked out equally well does not make the ambition and approach of Josef Fares and the employees of Hazelight Studios, which he founded, any less sincere. At times the qualities of A Way Out are absolutely visible. For example, at that crucial moment in the first chapter where one player keeps an eye on the patrolling guards, while the other is chiseling open the hole behind his toilet. The game shines when the split screen is used creatively in such ways for some ingenious collaborative puzzles, but those moments are few and far between.
Occasionally, the perspective of a third character is added to provide some extra tension. In the hospital, the split screen idea is even abandoned for a mighty elongated scene in which the camera mainly seeks out interesting cinematographic points of view, while the two characters continuously switch. A fine piece of directorial work, although the player's input remains very limited here too. In any case, A Way Out, for a game that focuses specifically on cooperative gameplay, contains far too little challenge.
Josef Fares may not like to hear it – given some previous statements in interviews – but A Way Out is actually a film packaged as a game. A cinematic story, but with a great focus on teamwork and in any case more interactivity than in the games of Telltale, for example. Yet the game often vacillates between genuinely gripping drama and scenes of cringeworthy TV movie quality. Moreover, Hazelight Studios sometimes misses out on mediocre writing, completely useless dialogues, monotonous voice acting and a lot of clichés. Every now and then you have to make an important decision together, like when both gentlemen decide to rob a gas station for money and wonder which of the two will wield the revolver. The choice between two extremes only creates the illusion that you have a direct influence on the story. And the robbery itself? Finished in two minutes, to immediately move on to the next fragment. A Way Out is indeed an escape thriller for two, but it never gets exciting.
ConclusionThere are plenty of moments in A Way Out where Hazelight Studios, led by creative Josef Fares, prove themselves to be a talented indie collective that deserves all the attention. A Way Out is reasonably priced and the Friend Pass is a great initiative that I can only applaud. In the six-hour journey, from getting acquainted within the prison walls to the crazy finale, the two main characters are thrown into very varied, but unfortunately not always well-developed situations. The urge to create a concise gaming experience in which you don't do the same thing for a second makes for very superficial and even downright boring gameplay.
The fact that the screen is constantly split in half and you see both characters at all times certainly facilitates communication between the players holding the controllers and does provide some unique co-op opportunities. But those moments are too few. The story of two fugitives is okay at best, but the acting and writing just as often leaves much to be desired. A Way Out remains an interesting experiment, but the high expectations are not met.
4.5