Inescapable

About

Inescapable is a single player action adventure game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Magnetic Realms and was released on May 21, 2014. It received negative reviews from players.

Named the "Best PC Metroidvania You Didn’t Play of 2013" by Matthew Zulawski of metroidvanias.com and listed as a notable game in indiegames.com's Top 10 Indie Horror Games of 2013, the game sees players unravel the mystery uncovered by a remote interplanetary mining operation. What did they find? What threat does it pose? And ultimately, what does it truly mean to be a hero?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

37%

Audience ScoreBased on 101 reviews

story13 positive mentions

music5 negative mentions

The game has a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic 2D platformers, appealing to fans of retro gaming.
Some players found the story engaging and appreciated the atmospheric design, which evokes a sense of exploration.
Despite its flaws, a few players enjoyed the gameplay mechanics and found it to be a fun, albeit short, experience.

The game lacks a map, leading to frustrating backtracking and confusion about where to go next.
Many players criticized the combat for being simplistic and repetitive, with a limited variety of enemies and mechanics.
The ending was widely regarded as unsatisfying and abrupt, leaving players feeling disappointed after investing time in the game.

story
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
66%
12%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it interesting but ultimately unsatisfying due to a lack of engaging plot development and a disappointing ending. Many reviews highlight that the narrative is conveyed through scattered snippets and logs, which fail to create a cohesive or compelling experience, leaving players feeling unfulfilled. While there are moments of intrigue, the overall execution and resolution of the story leave much to be desired, often feeling clichéd and disconnected from the gameplay.
- “The lore and storyline are interesting enough; it feels like the game is building towards something great.”
- “There are some tense moments, especially the underwater sections, but overall the plot and the atmosphere are well done.”
- “All of this makes for a decent game, but it's the storytelling that makes it stand out.”
- “The plot does not hook you in right away; you are just a spacebro going on a planet for reasons, and all your spacebros die. You go and loot their shuttle and find lizard people past caves in some kind of facility.”
- “There's some attempt at a story, but it's very cliched, primarily revealed through exposition, and lacks a satisfying conclusion - you open a tomb, a quote pops up which has nothing whatsoever to do with anything you just played, and then the game just stops.”
- “The plot does not thicken or develop enough to the point where the story becomes complex and interesting, and the ending is composed of nothing more than a random quote that, while itself alone is indeed full of insight, hardly has any correlation to the rest of the game and serves no other purpose than to give the game an undeserved sense of depth.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
74%
16%
The game is notably devoid of music, which many players find disappointing, as it significantly detracts from the overall experience. While the absence of a musical score may have been intended to enhance the atmosphere of isolation, it often results in a dull and repetitive audio landscape that fails to engage players. Some reviewers acknowledge that the lack of music contributes to a certain tension, but overall, the consensus is that the game would benefit greatly from a more dynamic audio experience.
- “Varied monsters, music, redesigned levels, and (hopefully) a map system could make this game worthwhile.”
- “I admit, music would've been nice but its absence does provide a certain tension that is conducive to the game's atmosphere.”
- “Because there was light tricks, some areas were darker than others, and monsters actually looked like something, and there were sounds and music to create an ambience where you expect things to pounce on you.”
- “There is no music and little audio in general.”
- “The game lacks music, but it lends a harshness to the proceedings with nothing to accompany the player except the ambience of gunshots.”
- “There is virtually no music.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
69%
12%
The gameplay has received mixed to negative feedback, with many players criticizing its repetitive mechanics centered around finding keys and backtracking, leading to a lack of engagement. While some appreciated the nostalgic feel and straightforward controls, others found the level design lazy and the overall experience uninteresting, culminating in a disappointing ending. Overall, the gameplay is described as simplistic and uninspired, with little challenge or innovation.
- “Solid gameplay.”
- “The game is quite linear with some small backtracking, the gameplay focuses on exploration and some light puzzles, the combat is fairly straightforward and doesn't obstruct the flow of the player.”
- “Fun but unforgiving gameplay.”
- “Not to pile on 'mostly negative' reviews, but honestly, after wandering around for 20 minutes thinking I was softlocked only to find a room I had forgotten about (there's no map, in case you're wondering) and drudging through another couple of minutes of who-cares gameplay, I realized when I saw the words 'the end' that I had reached the end.”
- “This game has no redeeming features; the gameplay is plain and oversimplified, the level design is lazy and repetitive, the puzzles are mostly based on backtracking and serve no purpose other than to make the game last longer (it still takes only 2 and a half hours to finish though), the combat is oversimplistic and offers no real challenge at all, the enemies have no AI and are all of only 3 different types, and the plot is cut short by an unsatisfying ending right when it was beginning to build up.”
- “I do not recommend this game in the slightest... it feels absolutely soulless... go here, find this keycard... backtrack to the door you couldn't open... rinse and repeat... generic enemy and sound design... a retro style is no excuse for boring gameplay.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic 16-bit aesthetic, reminiscent of classic titles from the Amiga 500 era, which some players appreciate for its retro charm. However, many reviews highlight the visuals as bland and lacking complexity, with criticisms aimed at poor animation and unresponsive controls detracting from the overall experience. While the graphics may appeal to fans of old-school design, they ultimately fall short of modern standards, leaving some players feeling disappointed.
- “Nice graphics.”
- “Graphically it's beautiful as it reminds me of Amiga 500.”
- “I followed it for a while during development because I like the retro graphics and 'metroidvania' always gets my attention.”
- “Audiovisuals are poor.”
- “Bland visuals.”
- “If you enjoy mindless backtracking and dishwater graphics, then consider your wish fulfilled.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective delivery, particularly in creating tension during key moments, such as underwater sections. While some players note the absence of music, they argue that it enhances the overall atmosphere, evoking a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the pre-cell phone era. Overall, the combination of environmental design and plot contributes to a compelling atmospheric experience.
- “But I'm also into the atmospheric 'feel' of in-game environments... and despite (or due to?) the lack of music, this game delivers its sense of atmosphere quite effectively.”
- “There are some tense moments, especially the underwater sections, but overall the plot and the atmosphere are well done.”
- “Atmosphere is like from the pre-cell phone era.”
- “I admit, music would've been nice, but its absence does provide a certain tension that is conducive to the game's atmosphere.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is frustrating, with frequent deaths from minor falls and tedious backtracking through levels. Players find the platforming mechanics overly punishing and the lack of engaging elements, such as music and clear enemy behavior, detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel tedious and unfun.
- “If you're looking for tedious garbage that lasts 2 hours, then you've found the right place.”
- “Apparently 'adventure style puzzles' actually means 'and now your player comes to a gap that can only be jumped if you nudge forward until you have approximately one pixel of sprite box left on the ledge,' and failure doesn't result in death; you just fall back to the beginning of the level and have to loop back through three stories of tedious ladder climbing.”
- “Typical platformer but with no music, unexplained enemies, and fails to be fun when it introduces annoying jumping sections and requires the player to start tediously backtracking to advance further.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its exaggerated and over-the-top marketing dialogue, which users find to be genuinely hilarious.
- “The reviews quoted in the game's marketing dialogue are hilariously overstated.”
- “The witty banter between characters had me laughing out loud.”
- “The absurd situations you find yourself in are pure comedic gold.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers limited replayability primarily focused on speedrunning, as it can be completed in a single evening. However, its depth and challenge, particularly in the metroidvania genre, provide a thought-provoking experience that may encourage players to revisit it.
- “It's a metroidvania with tons of depth, replayability, challenge, and fun.”
- “Sure, the game is something that you can finish in an evening (though I suggest late night for best results), and there's no replay value besides speedrunning it, but this was like watching a movie that leaves you with a lot to think about.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers commend the game for successfully achieving a high level of emotional resonance, particularly impressive given its vintage 2D style. This accomplishment highlights the developers' ability to evoke deep feelings and connections, akin to those found in more modern titles.
- “I think trying to make a game with the same sort of emotional resonance that is attempted in modern titles, within the confines of a vintage-styled 2D game, and to succeed on the level this game has is quite the accomplishment.”