Customer Reviews

Exit

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This game is not for everyone. This is a game of trying to figure out how to save people from various diasters. It is a puzzle game. The graphics are not great, but okay. You control Mr. Esc by tapping on him then tapping where you want him to go. It takes a little getting used to. You can also control the people he rescues. Some of the levels are tough and I get a little frustrated trying to figure them out. There is also a time limit on each level. There are 150 levels, so I think it's well worth the $20. If you like puzzles games than this may be for you.

Basics: You save people(plus one dog) from various dangerous situations. After you reach them on the level, they snap out of their panicked state and become playable characters. It is through astute sequential use of everyone's specific skillset that you figure out the way to get them all safely to the exit.

Examples of some of each character's precise abilities and limitations are what size blocks one can push, how far of a gap one can leap, how high of a platform or block can one climb up on or jump down from etc.

Every set of ten levels has a different theme and often introduces a unique puzzle mechanic, such as ice, movable platforms, balances, rock or cement barriers, swimmable water, directable conveyors and others.

Pros:

Levels are generally cleverly and sometimes ingeniously designed.
Almost no precise timing or reflex actions needed, just careful thought and analysis of the specifics of the situation.
Plenty of levels are always unlocked for you, so if you are having trouble with one, you can always try another.

Cons:

Doesn't record the total time you spent or the number of attempts before you solved a level.
The physics of how some items behave in the game doesn't always match the real world eg for some solutions you stack blocks in ways that would topple over in reality(This isn't a real big deal, you just have to get used to and accept the game's reality).
No option to turn off phrases that the characters use repetitively.

Comments: This is one of my favorite DS games; I really enjoyed it. In terms of the type of puzzle solving required, it reminded me alot of Toki Tori and Adventures of Lolo, so if you like those you definitely will enjoy Exit DS.

Also there is a sequel, Exit 2, that was released on Xbox Live Arcade which is worth getting if you liked this one(Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will be released on DS).

STORY-

As far as the plot goes, there's not much to say. The main character of the game is the dashing Mr. Esc, a professional escape artist who uses his talents to help trapped civilians in emergency situations. Each situation in the game has a different setting, and provides a small cutscene at the beginning to clue you in on what Mr. Esc's latest job is. The lack of a 'serious' plot doesn't dampen the spirit of the game at all, nor did it hinder my understanding of the game. For a casual puzzler like Exit, I feel as though this simple story worked just fine. In fact, I would say that it made Exit an even better game, especially for more casual players who want to pick something up and start playing right away.


GAMEPLAY-

[the basics]

The gameplay is obviously the meat of Exit, since story and characterization are almost nonexistant. Exit plays as a sidescroller in which the main idea is to get yourself and the survivors (called 'Companions') to the door marked 'exit' before the timer runs out. While the early levels may be fairly simple, they get more challenging and require more complex thinking as the game progresses.

[controls]

Exit has a neat little configuration system in which you can switch the controls from the stylus to the buttons if you so desire. I found this choice rather refreshing, since most DS games don't give you the option to mess with the controls. It takes a bit of getting used to (and a lot of stylus-tapping) to really get into Exit, but everything was cleared up after the tutorial stages. Tapping on a character and then tapping on their intended destination is usually enough to get from point A to point B. The camera is moved with the use of the d-pad. Most items are also used by either tapping or dragging the stylus, but it rarely gets more complicated than that. The simple control scheme makes this an excellent game for virtually anyone to play. Occasionally, it can get a little hectic if there are too many characters in one area at a time, but other than that, I don't have many complaints about it.

[stages]

Each part of the game is divided up into situations, and in each situation there's a total of ten levels. While you start off with only 100 levels, 50 more can be acquired, making a total of 150 possible levels to play. This provides a more than adequate supply of puzzles for most people, and may take anywhere from 10-20 hours, depending on how often you play (and how much of a strategist you are). Each situation has a different theme. The second situation takes place in a burning hotel, while the fourth situation is located in a sinking cruise ship. This colorful variety of scenarios create unique obstacles and interesting challenges for you to solve. To make it short: you won't get bored with Exit anytime soon.

[miscellaneous comments]

An integral part of the gameplay is the use of Companions in order to advance through the stages. Mr. Esc is the most agile character in the game; he's able to hang from ledges, shimmy along pipes and drop up to five meters without dying. However, the survivors aren't quite as light-footed as Mr. Esc, which means that in many cases, they must be helped along to the exit. 'Adult' characters have many of the same abilities as Mr. Esc, but lack his ability to jump and fall great distances. 'Large adult' characters are slower, and have much more difficulty climbing and jumping than Mr. Esc, but they can also push large objects that are otherwise immovable. 'Child' characters are nearly incapable of jumping or climbing without assistance, but their small size makes it possible for them to crawl into spaces where others won't fit. 'Dog' characters can jump long distances and crawl into small spaces, but cannot use items or climb steep objects. 'Injured' characters can't move at all, and must be carried by someone else in order to reach the exit.

Companions can't be commanded until Mr. Esc comes in direct contact with them. Until that happens, they will continue yelling "I'M OVER HERE!" and "SOMEBODY HELP ME!" at the top of their lungs. Sometimes, you can reach the survivors quickly, but usually, you can't get to them without a few minutes' time. To put it frankly, it's quite irritating to try and solve a complicated puzzle when you constantly have to listen to the nasally voice of a child asking "IS ANYBODY THERE?" every three seconds. I often found myself turning down the volume just to avoid hearing the whining of the Companions. Even once you come in contact with them, they refuse to shut up. Every time you select a Companion and tell them to do something, they respond with a loud "GOTCHA!" or "NO PROBLEM!". It may seem like nitpicking, but it was a flaw that was obvious enough to get my attention several times throughout the course of the game, and thus warrants mentioning.

There are only two ways to lose a level in Exit. The first occurs if Mr. Esc or any Companion falls from a fatal height, or if they are otherwise injured by environmental hazards. The second possibility is to trap yourself or a Companion, rendering them unable to reach the exit. Many items can only be used once, and objects that have been pushed against walls can't be moved again. It's actually quite easy to screw up and have to restart the mission, even with careful planning. Despite the fact that I had to try many levels over and over to get the right solution, Exit never stopped being a fun game, and I enjoyed it immensely.


VISUALS, CHARACTERS AND AUDIO-

[visuals]

The graphics of Exit are quite interesting. The backgrounds and objects are nothing to write home about, but the characters are probably what stand out most. Everyone in the game appears to be a sort of comic book-esque silhouette, portrayed in black and white with a few splashes of color. It's an interesting artistic choice, albeit maybe not one that everyone will like at first. What really impressed me about the characters were their smooth animations. Every type of Companion has their own animations that really bring the characters to life. I feel that Exit should really be commended for giving the characters so much personality without relying too heavily on shiny graphics to enhance the effect.

[characters]

There isn't really much worth noting about personalities for the characters in Exit (then again, it's hardly a necessary component of a puzzle game). One vaguely amusing feature is the ability to check the 'profiles' of all of the people you've rescued in the various missions. It was a nice little touch, and gave me a chuckle or two when reading about them.

[audio]
Exit's music was decent, and fit the theme of the stages well. However, there were no particularly memorable tracks that I enjoyed, and it usually just served as background noise: neither excellent nor terrible. Most of the time, I turned the sound down or off completely because of the aforementioned complaining from the companions.


PROS/CONS-

[pros]
-easy for casual gamers to play - challenging enough for more 'hardcore' gamers
-nice character animations and designs
-uncomplicated story, which works well for this type of game
-never too difficult or too easy to beat
-simply fun to play!
-lots of levels

[cons]
-companions make a lot of noise before you rescue them (trust me on this one)
-music is nothing special


SUMMARY-

Exit is a fun little puzzle game that does an excellent job of entertaining the players. The abundance of levels and the medium difficulty of most of the challenges make it a lengthier game than one might initially expect. It definitely requires quite a bit of strategy, and you may have to restart a lot, but I found myself enjoying every bit of it. I definitely recommend buying this game.

I loved this game. It was immensely challenging and I cannot imagine a better buy for the money as you will get an untold number of hours playing this. You will get stuck as you progress, but there are cheats available online. If anyone knows of a great sequel to this or another like it (I love the Prof Layton, but they are different), please let me know.

I enjoy this game very much. Get alot for your money. You have to like puzzle type games though. Lots of levels,has kept me busy for some time and I am still not finished with it.

This game is addictive! Really fun absorbing puzzle game...can play this for hours without getting tired of it. Challenging but not so hard that I haven't been able to do most of the levels. Really excellent game, hope they come out with a sequel!

This is a really fun game. Your job is to lead Mr. Esc to the exit of each level. In many levels he must rescue people, ranging from kids, to agile adults and overweight adults. He even has to help animals. Each person rescued has limitations, whether it is only being able to climb a certain distance, jump across a certain gap, or crawl under obstacles. Mr. Esc must find a way to use the tools provided to navigate through fire, ice, holes or tall walls to get him and the survivors out to the exit. It often takes a certain sequence of events to happen in order to make it all come together correctly.

It is fun trying to logically sequence the tasks and get the survivors to cooperate and follow Mr. Esc. The graphics are simplistic but fun to watch. They sometimes move a little slowly, like when people are climbing up or down a ledge but you get used to this.

Each level is timed and is graded from a score of 100 based on the number of moves you make and the time frame in which you complete the task.

The only drawback to this creative game is the way you use the screen and controls to keep Mr. Esc moving. You have the option of sliding your stylus to move him in different directions or to tap on him and then tap where you want him to go. The problem is that the screen keeps centering back on Mr. Esc so if you are trying to see what else is going on, you have to keep scrolling with the + pad. You can tap on Mr. Esc and then hit multiple locations for him to travel but it is very sensitive and not always as easy to control as you would want. Once you get past the difficult interface (and it only gets marginally better as you gain more practice) the game is very enjoyable.

I love this game.I have it for my PSP and I played it for months. I was wishing it would come out for the DS and low and behold it did. I like games that give you scenarios and tasks to complete. I think it sharpens your skills and helps you to focus better. Plus there are sooo many levels of things to do. You can't get bored and its constantly challenging you. If you like a challenges then this is the game for you. All in all this game comes highly recommended.

love this game. level after level of brain teasers. can be frustrating until you "get it" then you feel so proud you figured out the solution. i got Exit for the psp and loved it. with a few adjustments to get used to the controls on the ds, i love this version too. you will love this game.