There must be hundred of games on Xbox Live Arcade now, but they keep on coming, the latest one to hit Arcade is Exit but should it go stage left or stick around?
EXIT is a port of the often overlooked PSP game that came out a few years ago. You play as Mr Esc, an escapologist who seems to like nothing more than throwing himself into burning buildings to save people.
The animation of Mr Esc reminds me of the original 2D Prince of Persia games, in fact there are quite a few similarities in the level layout and movement. The aim of each level is to get to an exit at the end of the level and save as many people as possible, however along the way you have to overcome many obstacles like fires, locked doors, blocked exits and stubborn people.
Mr esc is able to jump and pull himself over large obstacles with ease, but at some points there are a few tricky puzzles to get past, and this is where the other characters come in. As you make your way through the hazard packed buildings, you will come across other people who need rescuing. Help these people out and you will be able to use their skill to assist your progression. Adults are able to push larger objects and children can squeeze through tighter gaps. You will also come across patients that cant help you at all and you will need to help them find the exit.
The difficulty curve is relaxed, with the first few levels set up as a training exercise, however the later levels are punishing. There are a few occasions where you need to be wary of your next move, as make a mistake and you may find yourself blocked in, though this seems harsh, it is nice to be challenged like this.
The level designs require loads of forward thinking, and with over 200 levels to play through this will not be a walk in the park. To make things easier the screen layout helps plan your moves as you are ale to see most of the floors above and below you, with the levels scrolling left to right as you play along.
The graphics have a unique look not seen in gaming, a kind of cell shaded 60’s - 70’s look, and this works really well, however, the levels do feel a bit similar after a while.
