The Escapists 2 Reviews
The Escapist 2 adds a multiplayer dimension to the previous game. If you have the opportunity to gather one or more friends around the same goal, you will be able to live very pleasant moments to cooperate.
Review in French | Read full review
The Escapists 2 is an ingenious and sometimes frustrating romp with a rewarding experience that's often just out of reach. A follow-up to 2015's deliciously popular prison-escape simulator, The Escapists 2 stays true to fans with more freedom and level variety but fails to endear detractors.
The Escapists 2 is everything the first game was and more. Give it some time and it won't be long before its claws have sunk in and you're hooked.
The Escapists 2 builds upon its predecessor rather impressively. While the crafting expansion can lead to confusion when trying to plot your escape. Still, it's a fantastic improvement on The Escapists and well worth your time.
With it's sandbox style approach to escaping at time you might find yourself flapping in the wind and unsure what to do next. The pacing of the game has been improved since the first one too much less waiting around. The 16bit style of of graphics have also been improved the game overall looks and plays great.
This action puzzle, now avaiable on Nintendo Switch console, is the same - funny - title released on other platforms some months ago. Very good, indeed. [OpenCritic note: Marcello Paolillo separately reviewed the PS4 (7.5) and Switch (7) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Escapists 2 is a perfect sequel for fans of the first game but may overwhelm those new to the series
There's a lot of joy to be had with The Escapists 2. From an updated crafting system to fun challenges and interesting escape scenarios to discover, this game is designed for hardcore strategists and won't be an easy play for anyone.
Those looking for a unique challenge and that have a group of friends willing to pick it up as well could find themselves with hours upon hours of laughs.
It's a game behind the times, from the way it plays to its awkward design choices, and its weak performance and optimisation on consoles is further cause for frustration. For those willing to put themselves through an unbalanced learning curve there is some enjoyment to be had on the far side, but beyond the fleeting charm of some of the levels, the rest of the experience falls flat.
With a delightful pixel-style that fills the screen with details, it'll be hard to take your eyes off the screen as you make your way through all the different prisons on offer. Most of us might never have the, uh… joy… of breaking out of prison, but The Escapists 2 does a swell job of showing us just how entertaining it can be!
The Escapists 2 is a well-made sandbox game and a fun continuation of the series. While the title gives you a good amount of freedom and tools to spend your time in fun ways, it can also get rather repetitive and overwhelming. The Nintendo Switch version mostly runs well, although the two-player limitation on local play is disappointing.
Ultimately, The Escapists was such a success because it was fun, entertaining, and smart. You could perhaps argue that the sequel doesn't do enough to build on the foundations of the first, but that's only if you don't use the multiplayer options. Those alone breathe fresh air into the whole experience, and, as I said at the start, the Nintendo Switch hardware itself is just perfect for Mouldy Toof's endlessly entertaining vision.
More of a refinement of the original than seeking to right its wrongs, The Escapists 2 on Nintendo Switch adds more of what fans enjoyed in the first place, whilst still not quite advocating enough time to entice a newer crowd.
For an open sandbox game that relies on the user to enjoy the experience utilizing their imagination, the journey to the goal just isn't enjoyable enough. My hope going in was that I would be spending time coming up with creative ideas to fool guards and bypass security. Instead, what I found was that I would often pray that my first plan would work so that I would have to go looking for more tape and files.
A fun mix of strategy and puzzle game which isn't really that different from it's predecessor. Multiplayer mode is a nice addition, but because of some irritating design choices it's hard to recommend The Escapists 2 to friends, although they could make the gameplay more engaging.
Review in Russian | Read full review
The Escapists 2 adds a lot of content and is still the best prison escaping simulator available. There really aren't any major negatives here; if you enjoy the thought of planning prison escapes in a videogame you should pick this up right now.
All in all, The Escapists 2 is a bigger and better version of the original game. The core gameplay loop of improving your inmate and finding materials and resources to escape is really engaging, even if it can be remarkably boring at times. The new features are mostly hits, and even when they're misses, they just need to be fleshed out, rather than being bad additions to the experience. The Escapists 2 does a solid job, and it's fun to play. Its only shortcomings are some awkwardness with the controller and the general tedium and punishing nature of the game.
With some choice additions to an already great formula, The Escapists 2 is a neat little game which is sure to capture your attention.
There are quality of life upgrades here but The Escapists 2 is still that same challenging, unforgiving prison simulator that you either love or hated.