When comparing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe vs The Escapists 2, the Slant community recommends Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for most people. In the question“What are the best couch/local co-op games for the Nintendo Switch?” Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is ranked 12th while The Escapists 2 is ranked 14th. The most important reason people chose Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is:
Every race in MK8DX is a fast-paced battle for first place. You drive at high-speeds, drift to gain speed boosts, fly off ramps, and collect mystery boxes that give you random power ups. It can be one-use weapons to set back your opponents. Or it can be one-use items that boost you in some way. For example, if you get a banana peel, you can drop it on the track, so anyone who drives on top of it spins out, setting you further ahead of them. Or if you get Bullet Bill, you can transform into a massive bullet, gaining increased speed, automatically steering through the track, and knocking out any opponent you touch. This is very useful for catching up to other racers, especially because the effect's duration increases the closer you are to last place. The end result is a very enjoyable gameplay that is equal parts strategy and skillful driving. It can be very easy to spend hours playing and not notice the passage of time.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Entertaining kart racing gameplay
Every race in MK8DX is a fast-paced battle for first place. You drive at high-speeds, drift to gain speed boosts, fly off ramps, and collect mystery boxes that give you random power ups. It can be one-use weapons to set back your opponents. Or it can be one-use items that boost you in some way.
For example, if you get a banana peel, you can drop it on the track, so anyone who drives on top of it spins out, setting you further ahead of them. Or if you get Bullet Bill, you can transform into a massive bullet, gaining increased speed, automatically steering through the track, and knocking out any opponent you touch. This is very useful for catching up to other racers, especially because the effect's duration increases the closer you are to last place.
The end result is a very enjoyable gameplay that is equal parts strategy and skillful driving. It can be very easy to spend hours playing and not notice the passage of time.
Pro Accessible to beginners and young players
Despite having a very high skill ceiling and 48 tracks to master, MK8DX makes it less intimidating for beginners by including the "Smart steering" and "Auto acceleration" options.
The former option automatically prevents collision with walls and the latter option glues your foot to the gas pedal. These two options used in tandem basically auto-drive your kart while still giving you control over the on-screen action. This gives you comfortable training wheels to learn the ins and outs of the game while also allowing really young players to enjoy the game without feeling too frustrated.
Pro Fun battle modes
Other than MK8DX's 3 main racing modes, there are also 5 battle modes, focusing on battles in arena-like tracks.
There's the Balloon Battle, where you have to pop or steal your opponent's balloons, Renegade Roundup, where racers are split into teams of cops and robbers, Bob-omb Blast, where you throw bombs at other racers to get points, Coin Runners, where you try to collect the most coins to win, and Shine Thief, where you have to hold a star for 20 seconds to win, but your opponents can steal it away from you. These 5 modes can be a great distraction when you get tired of regular races, keeping the game fresh for a long time.
Pro Excellent variety of race tracks
MK8DX features 48 unique race tracks, including tracks running through a haunted mansion, an airport, a medieval castle, and even outer space. Each track also has a completely different layout, providing its own set of twists, turns, loops, and shortcuts for you to enjoy and master. As a result, there's enough variety to keep gameplay fresh and exciting for a long time.
Pro Encourages experimentation and creativity
There is no right or wrong way to do anything, and it's entirely a risk vs reward scenario for anything you want to try. You are only limited by your creativity in escaping, as each prison has almost endless possibilities and encourages the player to make the best use of their inventory and be creative in handling every situation.
Bed sheets can be used to cover cell windows from the prying eyes of guards, desks can be moved to reach out of reach vents, crafted tools can be used for various purposes such as breaking through walls or doors, and shovels can be used to dig holes. You can try to sneak around guards, or opt to hide in vents until they're out of sight. If you're feeling especially brave, you can even attempt to fight the guards and take their keys allowing easier access around the prison.
Pro Good balance of game systems make for a rewarding simulation
Taking action in the game uses up your stamina, so you'll still have to make time for things like eating and sleeping if you want to have energy for things like digging through walls, fighting other inmates, or cutting through vents and gates.
Items such as shovels and cutters have limited durability, so they can't be used endlessly. Raw materials can be found around the prison to craft items, or you can buy items from fences using money earned by running fetch quests for other inmates. No matter how you acquire them, crafting materials and finished goods are limited so you'll have to use your items wisely.
Time is an important factor that has to be managed too, with certain activities having to be done at certain times. This limits the amount of time you have to roam the prison, since you have to show up for meal times and roll calls. Free time can be used to craft, roam the prison to determine the guard patterns, or finally put your ultimate escape plan into action.
Juggling each and every one of the various aspects of the game results in a very deep and rewarding simulation experience.
Pro Solid progression of difficulty
The difficulty increases as you progress, with each prison becoming just a little more intricate and more challenging to escape from than the previous. The prisons themselves get more complex with more obstacles to overcome such as tougher guards which results in more ways things can go wrong. The progress feels good and natural, as you're always building on what you learned in previous prisons to escape from the newest one.
Pro Great pixel art style for retro fans
If you enjoy a more retro style, then this game is pure eye candy. Simple but charming, the pixel art is colorful, with the sprites having a nice variety in animations when they're shoveling, searching, running around, fighting, or partaking in any kind of activity that would require movement. The tile sets for the game world are nicely detailed, colored and shaded. You won't get tired of looking at the same tiles over and over due to the sheer amount and variety of the art assets created for the game.
Pro Lots of replayability
No two games will play out alike. Each prison is an open sandbox, so it's definitely not a linear experience with a defined escape blueprint. Prisons can be replayed over and over to beat your previous time, measured in how many in-game days it took you to escape, which leaves plenty of room for trying new things on each successive playthrough.
Pro Co-Op multiplayer mode adds a new depth to gameplay
Working together creates a whole new experience with loads of possibilities. In co-op mode, you play with up to 3 teammates either online or locally as you work towards escaping the prison together. This adds a whole new dynamic to gameplay as working together creates experiences that just aren't possible when playing solo. Someone could distract the guards, while another searches rooms for crafting materials. One player could run around collecting items, while another scopes out the guard's patrol patterns. Some can complete quests to collect money while others are working on digging tunnels.
Pro A couple of alternative prisons add a change of scenery
Tired of bricks, cold floors, and cement cells? For those who want a change of scenery, there is a prison set in the wild west, and even a futuristic space prison. This adds a little bit of variety to the look of the game while keeping the same gameplay mechanics. It's a nice touch and gives your eyes a break from staring at the same tilesets over and over.
Cons
Con Unlockables might not feel that exciting
Every character (except Golden Mario) and race track is unlocked from the beginning, leaving you to only unlock new kart parts. While these are very good for improving/adjusting your kart's performance and looks, you probably won't ever use the vast majority of the parts. This can cause unlocking them feel pointless and tedious, making it really disappointing for players looking for a more meaningful progression system.
Con Getting caught by guards can be overly punishing
It's frustrating when you spend several hours grinding quests for other inmates, collecting items, crafting, and carefully planning your escape, only to get caught by guards and lose all your items or killed. This effectively means you have to start over, wasting hours of your own time and days of in-game time.
Con Can feel grindy at times
Running around doing fetch quests for other inmates, or searching for crafting materials for hours on end can get stale after a while.
Con Tutorial doesn't cover much
The tutorial will only walk you through the barest of basics, resulting in the player having to learn the game's various mechanics on their own.