The Escapists 2

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.

82%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

stability, grinding

91% User Score Based on 10,269 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 30 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1.99

Buy NowGet on Steam$19.99

About

The Escapists 2 is a prison escape simulation game. It features enhanced graphics, new customization options, and a variety of ways to escape. Players can form alliances, engage in combat, and navigate complex prison structures to plan their escape. Up to four players can experience the excitement of prison break in multiplayer mode.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+14

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 10,299 reviews

gameplay115 positive mentions

stability123 negative mentions

gameplay
459 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
68%
7%
The gameplay of "The Escapists 2" is characterized by its strategic depth and variety, offering players a mix of exploration, crafting, and cooperative multiplayer elements that enhance the escape experience. While many players appreciate the improved mechanics and charming pixel art, some criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay loop and the steep learning curve for newcomers. Overall, the game provides a fun and engaging experience, particularly for fans of strategic and sandbox-style gameplay, though it may feel tedious over extended play sessions.
- “The gameplay you'll find here is deep and rewarding but throws you straight into the deep end, for better or for worse.”
- “The mechanics here revolve around exploration, crafting, and innovation, with each day in prison offering opportunities to gather resources, form alliances, and map out your escape plan.”
- “With its strategic gameplay, engaging multiplayer mode, and creative freedom, it stands as an enjoyable and addictive experience for fans of strategy and puzzle-solving games.”
- “The gameplay becomes very repetitive very fast.”
- “The game's mechanics are also needlessly complex and convoluted, leading to frustration and confusion for players trying to navigate the prison environment.”
- “Despite its charming pixel art style and promising premise, the game is marred by repetitive gameplay, frustrating mechanics, and a lack of meaningful progression.”
graphics
334 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The graphics of *The Escapists 2* have received mixed reviews, with many praising the charming pixel art style and improved visuals compared to its predecessor. Players appreciate the colorful and detailed prison environments that enhance the game's quirky tone, while some feel the graphics are simple and not groundbreaking. Overall, the game's aesthetic is seen as a significant upgrade, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, especially in multiplayer settings.
- “One last thing worth mentioning is how the game’s pixel art style is simple yet effective and captures the quirky and lighthearted tone of the game perfectly.”
- “The prisons are colorful and detailed, each with its unique layout and theme, which keeps the visuals fresh as you progress through the game.”
- “The game sports charming, retro-style pixel art graphics that are both nostalgic and appealing.”
- “The graphics and overall presentation of the game are lackluster at best.”
- “The pixelated art style feels outdated and uninspired, and the soundtrack is forgettable at best.”
- “The controls are annoying, the visuals are overwhelming and it's generally a very stressful experience.”
story
218 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
83%
6%
The game's story revolves around the concept of escaping from various prisons, each presenting unique challenges and quests. While some players appreciate the quirky and engaging escape missions, many feel that the narrative lacks depth and can become repetitive, often relying on fetch quests that detract from the overall immersion. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a mixed bag, with some enjoying the lighthearted approach while others desire a more substantial narrative experience.
- “The story is built around the concept of escaping from increasingly challenging prisons, with each prison offering its own unique challenges and objectives.”
- “Whether you prefer to go solo or team up with friends, The Escapists 2 invites you to don your inmate disguise, plot your daring escape, and outwit the guards in a quest for freedom within the confines of the prison walls.”
- “From strategically planning your escape from captivity to tag-team fighting your way off a train, the game is so full of exciting missions that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you set in motion the final plan that will either work to perfection to make for a clean escape, or fail miserably.”
- “[❌] 🎨 Limited narrative depth: the minimal focus on narrative may leave some players wanting more context and story development to enhance their immersion in the game.”
- “There is little to no story in this game.”
- “It's purely just a case of repeating the same fetch quests over and over again - just a slog of collect this, do your job, collect that, maybe purchase something once in a while with the money you've earned from your collection-based job or one of the 3 repeating quests inmates give you.”
humor
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "The Escapists 2" is a standout feature, with players highlighting the game's ability to create chaotic and funny moments, especially when played with friends. The witty dialogue, absurd character interactions, and unpredictable scenarios contribute to a lighthearted experience that often leads to laughter. While the humor may diminish slightly on repeat playthroughs, the game's comedic elements, including hilarious cutscenes and quirky escape methods, ensure it remains an entertaining choice for players seeking a fun and engaging multiplayer experience.
- “Coordinating with others to pull off a synchronized escape can be incredibly rewarding, and the unpredictable nature of human teammates often leads to hilarious and unexpected moments.”
- “The escapists 2 is a humorous gem that delivers laughs in prison-sized portions.”
- “From the wacky-looking prison guards to the eccentric fellow inmates, each character is bursting with personality and humor.”
stability
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that range from minor annoyances to game-breaking problems. While some users acknowledge that the developers are actively working on fixes, many feel the game remains a frustratingly buggy experience, particularly in multiplayer modes. Overall, the consensus is that the game feels incomplete and requires significant improvements to its stability before it can be fully enjoyed.
- “The game is fine; not buggy and polished.”
- “I found almost no glitches, except when I couldn't complete some favors. I think it is good.”
- “If this continues, the game will be bug-free pretty soon.”
- “The game suffers from frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues, ranging from minor annoyances to game-breaking problems.”
- “This game is a worthless buggy pile of trash.”
- “The game is extremely buggy right now; wait a few weeks and then pick it up.”
grinding
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
24%
73%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, often requiring players to invest significant time in item farming and completing monotonous tasks with little sense of accomplishment. While some players enjoy the grind, particularly in co-op mode, many find it becomes a chore that detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration and boredom. Overall, the game is described as needing a "second life" to manage the extensive grinding required.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Lots of grinding.”
- “Unlocking new items and abilities requires grinding through repetitive tasks and objectives, with little sense of accomplishment or satisfaction upon completion.”
- “The lack of variation leads to a repetitive and tedious experience, where players are constantly looking for the same items to craft keys, shovels, pickaxes, and other tools necessary to escape.”
- “It becomes incredibly tedious when you spend a few hours looking for just one item, and then the guards kill you.”
music
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
48%
5%
The music in "The Escapists 2" is widely praised for its catchy and thematic soundtracks that enhance the game's atmosphere, with each prison featuring its own distinct tracks that adapt to gameplay events. While many players find the music engaging and fitting for the prison escape theme, some critiques mention that it can be forgettable or repetitive at times. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the immersive experience, making it a standout aspect of the game.
- “The music dynamically changes based on the player's actions, adding tension during escape attempts or riots/fights, and providing a sense of pride and accomplishment upon success.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful, the art is beautiful, the character designs are beautiful, and overall the game itself is beautiful, and personally I've never seen anything like it!”
- “The music is brilliant, and each prison has its own distinct theme that matches with that prison's setting perfectly.”
- “Ugly graphics as well, terrible soundtrack (far too loud as well) and I will never buy a product from this team of devs. What an awful experience, truly.”
- “The music wasn't amazing or anything special.”
- “The multiplayer mod in The Escapists 2 is very buggy, the prisons are really easy and the music is really bad.”
replayability
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to the variety of prisons, multiple escape routes, and the option for multiplayer gameplay. Players appreciate the unique strategies and challenges presented in each playthrough, with many noting that community-created content further enhances replay value. However, some reviews mention that once certain missions are completed, the incentive to replay diminishes, suggesting a mixed experience in long-term engagement.
- “This is one of the most fun games I've ever played, and it has tons of replayability with just how many escapes each prison has. Highly recommend!”
- “The variety of prisons and the different ways to escape each one ensure high replayability.”
- “Considering you can play community maps, this game has effectively infinite replayability.”
- “This severely limits the game's replayability, as there is little incentive to return to a completed prison and try a different approach.”
- “Almost all the reviews have very low hours for a reason - there is no enjoyment from replayability.”
- “There's no replayability once you completed missions.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
87%
13%
Players express a range of emotional responses to the game, from heartbreak over lost progress to feelings of accomplishment and tension during challenging levels. The mix of wholesome moments and intense gameplay creates a unique emotional experience, with some players finding joy in the game's variety while others grapple with frustration and vulnerability. Overall, the emotional impact is significant, with players feeling both smart and foolish as they navigate the game's challenges.
- “It's a great game, but there's one problem that actually made me cry: when making your own prison, sometimes it doesn't save.”
- “Great, the game made me feel that I am already dead :(”
- “I really enjoy it, even though I kind of suck at it... it really makes me tense during those timed levels and made me feel like I was actually accomplishing things, made me feel smart when I figured out how to get out, and is a good game overall, much better than the first.”
- “heartbreaking”
- “heartbreaking”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
31%
46%
The game is plagued by significant optimization issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and performance problems that hinder gameplay and immersion. Many players report persistent stuttering and poor performance even on high-end systems, suggesting that the game feels unfinished and requires further optimization before it can be fully enjoyed. Overall, the current state of optimization is a major drawback, leading to widespread frustration among users.
- “Your goal is to get out as fast and clean as possible, with the ideal performance usually being within a few days without drawing any attention.”
- “The graphics have majorly improved from the last game and runs smoothly on my laptop.”
- “The game suffers from frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues, ranging from minor annoyances to game-breaking problems.”
- “Still has widespread stuttering problems on my PC with a 2080 and good CPU, as well as on my friends' computers.”
- “It's a game behind the times, from the way it plays to its awkward design choices, and its weak performance and optimization on consoles is further cause for frustration.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The atmosphere in "The Escapists 2" is highly praised for its engaging music and sound effects, which effectively enhance the gameplay experience. Each prison maintains a unique ambiance despite similar mechanics, although some players feel that a lack of detail regarding inmates detracts from the overall prison atmosphere. Overall, the game's art style and sound design contribute to a fun and immersive environment.
- “The music enhances the overall atmosphere and keeps players engaged during their escape planning.”
- “The soundtrack and sound effects in The Escapists 2 are fitting and do a good job of setting the atmosphere.”
- “Despite there being similar mechanics between all prisons, each prison manages to maintain a unique atmosphere.”
- “I also feel like the lack of detail on inmates' criminal history and time spent/time remaining kind of takes away from the prison atmosphere.”
- “This game also provides a perfect atmosphere for dumb, stupid, and memorable stuff to happen.”
- “Gameplay, atmosphere, graphics.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that the developers prioritize profit over gameplay quality. Additionally, concerns were raised about intrusive tracking methods used for advertising purposes, detracting from the overall experience.
- “It also seemed like a cash grab on the franchise, and if only the developers cared about the actual game at least a little bit more, and not just the money.”
- “Essentially, RedShell tracks you on the web with info that can be retrieved in a browser session while serving ads.”
- “After the first escapists and all those advertisements, I thought that the sequel would be a game far greater than its predecessor.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Reviewers praise the game's character development, highlighting the detailed character designs and engaging visual experience that enhance the overall narrative. The combination of beautiful art and a compelling story contributes to a strong sense of character, making the game stand out in its genre.
- “The 2D top-down perspective is complemented by more detailed environments and character designs, providing a clearer and more engaging visual experience.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful, the art is beautiful, the character designs are beautiful, and overall the game itself is beautiful; personally, I've never seen anything like it!”
- “This game has good character design, good graphics, good story, good everything.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I was disappointed by the limited growth options for my character; it feels like I'm stuck in a one-dimensional role.”
- “The storyline doesn't allow for meaningful character progression, leaving me feeling uninvested in their journeys.”