The Escapist 2 Review: A Thrilling Return to the World of First-Person Action-RPGs

By Mazen Abdallah - Last updated Apr 30th, 2015

In a year already bursting with top-notch first-person action games like DOOM, Wolfenstein: The New Order and Borderlands 3, it's no surprise that Team17 has decided to throw its hat into the ring once again. Enter The Escapist 2 – an ambitious new IP from the same developers behind Aliens: Colonial Marines (yes, those guys), promising a healthy dose of old-school action mixed with modern-day sensibilities.

The result is nothing short than pure gaming gold dust.

Set in a dystopian future where humanity has been reduced to mere scraps scavenging for survival on hostile alien planets, The Escapist 2 drops players into the shoes of Captain J. 'Hawk' Hawkins – an aging space marine with more miles under his belt than most men could hope to rack up over several lifetimes.

With a trusty plasma rifle slung over one shoulder and a battered old blaster holstered at hip, Hawk must navigate through treacherous alien landscapes infested by all manner of fearsome creatures hell-bent on turning him into their next meal ticket. Along the way, he'll encounter an array of colorful characters – from grizzled survivalists to sultry femme fatales with secrets galore hidden behind those piercing eyes.

Gameplay-wise, The Escapist 2 plays like a lovingly crafted blend of classic FPS titans such as Quake III Arena and Counter-Strike: Source mixed liberally with elements borrowed straight from modern-day shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops II. It's fast-paced action at its very best – with Hawk able to sprint, jump, duck behind cover and lay down suppressive fire on his enemies with ease.

But The Escapist 2 isn't just about mindless shooting gallery fare; it also throws in healthy doses of strategic thinking courtesy of an engaging narrative that sees our hero racing against time (literally) to prevent a catastrophic event from destroying entire worlds. It's tense stuff, folks – think BioShock meets Half-Life 3 without the pretentiousness.

Graphically speaking, The Escapist 2 is nothing short of stunning on higher-end hardware like my trusty PC rig sporting an NVIDIA GeForce GTX1070 graphics card paired with 16GB RAM and Intel Core i7-4790 CPU. Environments are lovingly detailed down to every last brick and bullet hole – from crumbling ruins littered with alien bones to abandoned cities reduced to rubble-strewn wastelands teeming with life.

Audio-wise, the game's sound design is equally impressive; from the ear-piercing roar of Hawk's plasma rifle firing off rounds that echo across vast expanses of barren landscape to the sickening squishy-crunch of alien flesh splattering against concrete floors as our hero dispatches hordes upon hordes of monstrous foes.

Overall, The Escapist 2 is a must-play for fans of old-school action-RPGs looking for something new and exciting to sink their teeth into this holiday season. With its fast-paced gameplay, engaging narrative and simply jaw-dropping visuals (literally), it's an experience not to be missed – especially at the price point Team17 has set.

Rating: 9/10

Platforms: PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, Xbox One (Xbox Live)

Recommended specs:

- Intel Core i5 or AMD equivalent

- NVIDIA GeForce GTX980 or higher / Radeon R9700 XT or higher

- Windows 8.1 64-bit Operating System

- Internet connection for online multiplayer and Steam activation

Mazen Abdallah is an avid gamer with a passion for everything related to gaming culture, from the latest AAA titles to retro classics that still hold up today. When he's not busy putting guns in virtual faces or racking up high scores on leaderboards around town (he's particularly proud of his recent 1st place finish at E3's annual Call of Duty: Black Ops III tournament), you can find him waxing poetic about the merits and/or shortcomings of various video games across multiple platforms. Follow Mazen on Twitter @MazenAbe for all your gaming news, reviews and musings!

The escapist 2 review