Without Escape

Ultimately, Without Escape is a sad shadow of a genre from the past. Point-and-click adventure games fell from favor years ago due to progressing technology. Some of the originals of the escape room genre may soon be lost to time (due to Adobe's support of Flash ending in a few months). Now kids can play Roblox with a quick download and Minecraft on a web browser. Perhaps if this game offered more in terms of narrative or visuals, it could be worthwhile, but it doesn't offer enough to be appealing. While some attention was given to the visuals and music, Without Escape largely feels dissatisfying and lackluster.

Quite a short game, but quite a compelling one. Without Escape captures some of the magic of the '90s and brings it to your Switch, however it misses a few key ingredients to make this an essential purchase.

Without Escape brings back the point and click adventures of yesteryear in a rather original first person shooter. The plot, while catching and entertaining to the end, does not offer many answers throughout the game. The puzzles are very well thought out and it is a pleasure to solve each one of them, although there are few that offer. A game specially designed for nostalgic of the genre.

Without Escape is a project of a single person and the game is impressive because of that. On the other hand it is short and doesn't offer much challenge to typical genre lover. Rare example of XBLA Indie game that grown up.

Without Escape crafts its tale with a great deal of enthusiasm, something that isn’t seen that often in games today. It’s simplified but fast-paced point-and-click puzzle mechanics make for an interesting experience that, while short, is quite memorable.

If Without Escape had been released in the '90s, it would have been well-received. This game captures the classic pixel hunting adventure style, presenting decent puzzles within a somewhat confusing context. Its longevity might be short, but with six different endings and a low price, fans of Myst-like experiences will find it a worthwhile pastime.

Without Escape is a pretty short game overall. It makes up for this with a little bit of replayability in the form of five additional endings to get. The game has a handful of achievements on Steam, too. The replayability does suffer since every playthrough is nearly identical, with the exception of some extra areas you can find to get some of the endings. If you know what you’re doing, you can blow through a playthrough in under an hour. I’ve spent two to three hours in the game with one complete playthrough and part of another. The game is available on both Steam and the Windows 10 App Store for $6.99. You can also get the soundtrack for an extra $1.99. It’s entertaining for a while, but it’s not a game you will play very many times. Can you find and solve your way through every obstacle and uncover the bizarre truth of what’s going on in your home tonight?

A strong sense of identity, solid scripts, and a willingness to take risks may just make this game a cult classic amongst enthusiasts. I know I won’t forget it for a while.

Without Escape is the perfect dish for those hungry for classic 1990s puzzle adventures like Zork, Myst, et al.