izigame.me

Escape Simulator – B+

Who This Game is For:
People who enjoy co-op games, co-op games that require thinking and communication, and/or enjoys puzzles and solving riddles.


Click Here to Follow My Curator Page for more reviews!

Summary:
If there was a game to be made about escape rooms, this would be exactly how it should be made. This first-person game takes you through 15 or so pre-made levels (with more on the way) where you can interact with objects, examine them, and put clues together to…well, escape the room. Puzzles can range from a minor challenge to insane difficulty. The game can be played fully co-op, which I would highly recommend over single player. And the best feature by far is a built-in level editor with Steam Workshop functionality for custom escape rooms made by the community. Other than some minor gripes, this game is a must-have for people looking for a new game to play together.
Disclaimer: The game was played on my main account, so this doesn't have my accurate in-game time.
BREAKDOWN (Grading Key at the bottom):
Graphics - B:
The graphics in the game has been developed with a non-realistic, cartoon look. The cartoon style fits it quite well though as the colors are vibrant, distinct, and pop out. This plays well with the different themes they have for the levels and adds to the atmosphere. My biggest issue with the graphics is probably the character design. Being able to customize your character a bit adds some personal touches to each person, but it can be quite jarring. For example, one of my friends made his character’s skin bright red and while looking around the room, the character, who looks like the embodiment of a Hot Tamale, seemed to be staring at me and it hurt my eyes to look at him. Other than that, the skybox and far away textures on some models were not as detailed as the models in front of you. While that doesn’t matter nearly as much in enclosed rooms, the outside levels were affected by it. All in all, I wouldn’t say this was a dealbreaker.
Gameplay - A-:
Now here is where things get very good. This game does an excellent job of implementing interactive puzzles that you really have to think about, which is the main goal of an escape room. Being plopped into a level with 15 minutes on the clock (finishing in 15 minutes gives an achievement, does not kick you from the level), you and whomever you are playing with must decipher clues from the environment around you and interact with objects to put the pieces together to escape. The ways of interacting with objects are varied and can range from putting certain objects in the correct holes, glossing over the object to decipher symbols and codes, and even pressing buttons or inserting keys into individual objects to unlock an object inside. You can also pick up and hold multiple objects in your inventory, scroll through them, inspect them from your inventory, and chuck them across the room. The puzzles on each of these levels are varied and interesting, even if some of them are near impossible to solve. The rooms in this game are also not randomized, so going into an old one will have those same puzzles. If you reach those impossible puzzles or just have trouble, the game offers a hint system where at the press of a button, a picture with a hint will pop out. The hint system is a little bit behind though, as it doesn’t follow your progress and will give you hints to earlier or completely different puzzles. The Egypt group of pre-made levels has been my favorite so far as it felt so unique and rewarding to figure out the puzzles that stumped me at first. Can proudly say that I used no hints in that group and it felt the best to play of all the levels included in the game.
Replayability B+:
I am sure you are wondering why I scored replayability so high when rooms are not randomized. Each level has about 8 hidden tokens for you to find and you can go back to look at where they are placed, but that isn’t the reason to come back. The best feature of this game is the built-in level editor and Steam Workshop integration. This means the community can create full escape room scenarios from scratch and upload them for others to play. The best level I have played in this game was a community-made one called “The Miniature Escape” which puts you and a friend in separate rooms where you must describe and work together to solve puzzles on each side of the room. This room/level was one of the best I played in the entire game as it was incredibly unique, well-crafted, and has an emphasis on communication to solve its challenging puzzles. Currently, there are 740+ rooms currently that have been made so far and about 10+ are being added every day. At this rate, there are more than enough community rooms to keep you coming back, along with the ability to create your own for friends, family, or yourself if you get amnesia or forget very easily.
Multiplayer A+:
This game is probably one of the greatest co-op experiences I have played in recent years, which is great that the entirety of the game can be played in co-op. Since the game is about solving intricate puzzles, communicating and deciphering together are key components of your co-op playthrough and will be integral to solving the tasks at hand. I would say the optimal group is around 2-3 people, but apparently the game can hold a lot more. I don’t remember the last time I had such joy in discussing a piece of paper with my friends and figuring out how the symbols on the page, which correlated with numbers, were added together and in what order. There is also full player clipping, meaning you can walk through your friends’ characters, which is essential in a closed space like a room. Though beware, it could get frustrating if you are solving a puzzle and your friend walks over and stands in front of you, blocking your view of the actual puzzle...I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU, CANDYLORD. It is also nice to throw objects at your friends. Even though it clips through them and doesn’t hurt them at all, you can pretend it actually hit them and there's some joy in that.
Sound B-:
For the record, I am not a sound guy. I do not claim to be one that investigates sound deeply, so please take this with a grain of salt. My biggest gripe is the music. I am not a fan of the loud overlaying music that are on the stages. After trying the tutorial and Egypt level, turning down the music was a must for me. For what it is worth, the sounds of the objects work and get the job done without taking you out of the experience, but that music will be something I leave off no matter what.
Developers B+:
I can’t say I have been following the developers or this game for a long time, but I can say from my research, they are fantastic. Not only have they made one of the best speedrunning games out there, “SEUM”, which I played on my friends account but still haven’t bought myself and that needs to change. They have also shown themselves to be willing to accept criticism and understanding of the community's feelings on the game, which is a must. A game’s community is its lifeblood nowadays, so respecting and listening to your community is a very important aspect of game development due to the nature of how games are made now. I believe this developer cares about the community and the enjoyment of the game to them, not just the profits that could be made from it. On top of that, they have plans to add more rooms and have just added some Halloween-themed assets to build your own levels with, as well as a build-a-room competition where the winner got $1,000. So far, I am pleased with the developers.

This was my first in-depth review and I hope you guys thought of it as a good read! Thank you!