Escape Simulator
Game Title: Escape Simulator
Released: Oct 19, 2021
Game Length: 6 Hours
Grade: A-
Searching For a Game: I had an itch that I wanted to scratch for another good puzzle game. Both The House of Da Vinci and The Room series were pretty decent. I had checked out a quick 2-hour game called Between Time. Unfortunately, the one-hint help system didn't help too much when it came to some of the more mathematical problems. Most of the interactive puzzle games are making their way exclusive to Virtual Reality platforms. Then I came across one that supported both systems.
Gameplay: At its core, there are 4 different settings with 5 rooms each (in addition to the tutorial and holiday special levels). The rooms are so small that they won't be able to fit more than you and another player. Considering the number of red herrings, interactable objects, collectable tokens, and game mechanics, I highly doubt a person will be able to complete any of the 22 levels within the 15-minute achievement timer on their first try. Even if they did, it would kill the fun out of exploring the levels. Since the levels don't change, think of it as a speed-run challenge. The hint system periodically prints out snapshots of the steps needed to progress if you get stuck.
Extra Content: For a typical player, you'll probably spend 30 minutes solving the puzzle, 20 minutes finding all the hidden tokens, and another 10 minutes for the achievement. However, I highly advise playing in VR with a friend for the first time through for the high jinks while solving the puzzles. The workshop allows players to create their own rooms and share them with people. Daily picks will pick out the best ones. Even when waiting for the game to go on sale, there were more "campaign" levels added to the game.
Technical Difficulty: As much fun as I had trying to figure out what I needed to do to advance, there were a series of glitches that halted my progress. I once dropped an important artifact into the abyss inside an unbreakable flower pot. The direction of the pipes in the floor seem to reset whenever I wasn't looking at them. Finding all the hidden tokens can be excruciatingly difficult when quite a few of them seem to mold with the background. There are also reports of connectivity problems with other players. In the long run, very few problems propped up in my playthrough.
Review: Because of its relatively newness, Escape Simulator is constantly evolving and adapting new levels. The $14.99 price tag is decent for their Virtual Reality and Multiplayer Support. All the levels are pretty challenging and provide a number of random activities players can engage with outside the bounds of solving the main puzzles. The hint system helps a lot by periodically providing assistance whenever you get stumped. The only major problem I see with the game is that the solutions aren't randomized after every playthrough. Only get it if you were wondering whether or not to get it in the first place.
3-1-2022