AWAY OUT
Co-op adventure is a (prison) riot Format PS4 ETA 2018 Pub EA Dev Hazlelight Studios
Co-op multiplayer has been on life support for the last few years, which makes this co-op- only split-screen adventure all the more refreshing. Taking control of two inmates, Vincent and Leo, you and a friend will be looking for a way to break them out of their cells and get back into society.
Our E3 demo has us working with a fellow journo to rob a gas station at an unspecified point in the story. It begins with a simple choice: Should Leo (us) or Vincent (our buddy) take the gun? We correctly decide to let Vincent have the shooter and head towards the building. As we do, there’s a number of environmental interactions that can affect how the scene plays out. We can try to scare away customers so they won’t alert the cops. Or we can sabotage the phone so they can’t call the police. Or maybe just chug from a beer bottle. Crime is thirsty work.
What makes this a unique game is that while we explore, we can see what our partner is up to on the other side of the screen. Even if he triggers a cutscene, we can still wander around or join him in the cinematic. While you’ll be able to play online, having a friend with you on the couch is the ideal experience.
We also see how A Way Out offers new ideas throughout its story. While the game is played in near continual split-screen, one chase in a hospital breaks that with one long tracking shot that puts the focus on Leo for a few moments before floating back to Vincent; A Way Out is way out.