When comparing Perception vs The Escapists 2, the Slant community recommends The Escapists 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best games for the Nintendo Switch?” The Escapists 2 is ranked 31st while Perception is ranked 65th. The most important reason people chose The Escapists 2 is:
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.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Unique premise creates compelling gameplay
Using echolocation to get around as blind girl is a very interesting premise. By taking a step or tapping your cane on the floor, it sends back information that you can use to navigate the house. However, this same noise can also alert a ghost to your location, meaning you'll need to tread carefully while you search the sprawling house. Carefully navigating the house, searching for clues, and avoiding the ghost all come together to create some pretty compelling gameplay.
Pro Tense atmosphere
Stumbling around a strange house only using echolocation to guide you can be daunting enough, but the addition of a scary presence who stalks you creates some very scary moments. Having to stand perfectly still in a dark corner or hiding behind some boxes while some unknown entity strolls through the room really gets the heart racing. Every footstep or tap of your cane can alert it to your whereabouts, making each step a fairly nerve-racking experience.
Pro Easy mode makes it accessible for all
There is an easy mode where the ghost can't hurt you. This is great for players who just want to enjoy the story and soak up the atmosphere without having to watch out for danger. While it ruins much of the tension and fear, it's still a great way to experience the adventure without worry.
Pro Great horror audio design
Since the protagonist is blind, much of the horror in Perception is delivered through audio. The lack of detailed visuals and having a clear picture of your surroundings help to make the sounds stick out a bit more. Hearing constant footsteps in distant rooms, doors slamming, and all the bumps and scrapes in the dark can be pretty disturbing and amplify the horror.
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 Voice acting is poor
Much of the voice acting is overacted to the point of sounding forced or very generic. Sometimes when Cassie is scared or in a panic she will utter one-liners meant to portray her fear, but they normally just come off sounding humorous.
Con Bland visuals
While walking around using echolocation is a unique mechanic, it creates some pretty boring visuals. Walking around in the dark in video games is usually pretty annoying and uninspired, and this is no exception. Lighting is extremely dark with neon highlights around objects such as doors, tables, and walls. It's a very promising idea; it just doesn't translate well to being visually pleasing.
Con Getting caught by the ghost feels cheap at times
Being spotted and caught by the ghost is sometimes a matter of pure luck. Having it appear randomly when you're not even making any noise can be frustrating and dampen the excitement of carefully managing your footsteps. Sometimes, it will just show up to ruin your day, often giving the impression that it's simply spawning next to you. Depending on your difficulty level, this either sends you back to entrance of the house or to the game over screen.
Con Can become boring
Walking around in the dark only using vague outlines of objects can lose its appeal fairly quickly. There's not much to look at, and this simplistic style may wear thin after the first hour or so.
Con Fairly generic horror premise
Exploring the haunted house you saw in your dreams is far from an original premise, and has been done a million times.
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.