Hazelight Studios impressed me when I first played “It Takes Two” with a friend, and needless to say, we enjoyed everything the game offered. Before “It Takes Two,” Hazelight Studios created a co-op experience that was much grittier and adult compared to the somewhat more family-friendly “It Takes Two.” The game was called “A Way Out.” Joseph Fares is the man behind the story. Fares envisioned a co-op experience meant for two players only and not a game where players could drop in and out of the gameplay experience whenever they wanted. Released in 2018, “A Way Out” may not have seen the massive success that Hazelight’s follow-up game would get. However, it still proved that even back then, the small indie company knew what they were doing and carried a vision through their passion and understanding of crafting an interesting story and gameplay. I grabbed a friend to play through this co-op game, and needless to say, we were very impressed for the following reasons.
In 1972, Vincent (Eric Krogh) is sent to jail for murder and fraud. While in prison, he comes across another criminal named Leo (Fares Fares), who is in jail for robbery and grand theft assault. After the two met by a force of events, both of them seem to have the common goal to break out of prison and find and kill a mob boss named Harvey, which ties into the reason why somebody sent both of them to jail in the first place. The two ally and work together to accomplish their mission, but emotional conflicts and unexpected twists meet them at every turn.
The Story is quite impressive for Hazelight's first go at a narrative for a video game. It's tense, engaging, and, best of all, unpredictable. It is a more adult narrative meant for mature audiences, but it has the storytelling tools to make it memorable and engaging instead of padded and dull. The pacing is excellent, and it knows how to simultaneously transition between having a fun, action-packed, and even a sad emotional moment that will break hearts as long as they need to. What makes this game engaging is its well-laid-out twists that perfectly fit the story and are very shocking when they happen. Most of these twists come with the course of the narrative. Still, twists can occur if the player chooses a different path to take on an objective differently, which can significantly impact the story. My friend and I enjoyed this game so much that the only semi-problem we had with the narrative (I’ll also talk about this more in the gameplay section) was that while the story was tight and cohesive, it was also very short. Still, this game proves that Hazelight knows how to tell a great story for a video game and managed to charm me again with what they have accomplished.
The Characters in the story do a fantastic job in their roles, and it is hard not to connect to the two main “heroes” that each player takes control of. Both Vincent and Leo are well-defined as characters, and each has an agenda but a common goal to stop a mob boss, Harvey, who has done terrible things to both Vincent and Leo’s lives. Along the way, the duo will encounter characters with relationships with one of the two, providing much of the emotional core that the game seems to thrive on. Most of these side characters are usually family members of one of the two main characters, and they bring a down-to-earth and realistic attitude that helps ground the story more emotionally and maturely. All characters have something to offer, and while Vincent and Leo are the main highlights, every character does an excellent job to help elevate the already incredible story into something even more.
The Gameplay is a co-op-only experience. I grabbed a trusted friend, and once we turned on the console, there was no going back. Like with “It Takes Two,” the co-op experience is too unique for words. The game incorporates both players and uses them to be as important as the other. Both players will need to use their communication skills to help one another get through certain obstacles that stand in their path because there is no way one player can get through a section without the help of their partner. This game is primarily a prison break-type narrative. Expect to see a lot of stealth and sneaking through areas to bust out of the joint. Once out, the gameplay ranges from third-person shooter-like missions to driving away like a crazed maniac. Between the main missions, there are also little side quests in the form of mini-games, which are fun to play, especially when you go up against your friend in a battle of using the controller to win the mini-game. Just like the story, though, the game is relatively short. It is not necessarily a bad thing, as every gameplay element is well done, but my friend and I breezed through the entirety of the game in one playthrough, and both of us were puzzled as to why the game wasn’t longer. It is not a massive issue, though, cause, on the other hand, the gameplay elements are very well handled, and not one overstays their welcome, making the game feel fresh throughout the journey. Another exciting thing is how the split screen looks during the story. It is easy for the player to see the side that their character is on, and sometimes, there are moments when one player will be watching a cutscene while the other is still playing their character at the same time. Even though it's shorter than it should be, the gameplay is still at the level of quality that I'm used to seeing from Hazelight and creates an engaging playthrough experience in a more grounded environment.
The Graphics may not have the endless creativity that “It Takes Two” had, but the visuals make the most of its more restrained realistic look to show the beauty on the screen whenever they possibly could. At first, we start in the dirty prison. Once broken out, the visuals take the players to the colorful forest where our heroes must survive the trials of being in mother nature. Then, the game takes us into the city to meet other characters who have relationships with either of our two main leads. The game takes the players to many different places, which creates an incredible amount of variety and keeps the players engaged in where the visual journey will take our heroes next. Even though the visuals are realistic, they still are done with personality and passion. The characters look and feel natural without looking uncanny, and the backgrounds are detailed in all the right ways. The game’s visuals are great and make the most of its more realistic style to still create beauty in what the creators were given to work with.
The Music was composed by Sam Hulick and Gustaf Grefburg. The tracks in the game may pale compared to “It Takes Two,” but that doesn’t mean it is bad overall. The music works perfectly in setting the mood and is even more effective in the emotional momments which are handled exceptionally well. This music does its job very nicely, and it knows to set players in the mood for what will eventually come next in the story.
Despite the story and gameplay’s short length, A Way Out proves that even before “It Takes Two,” Hazelight Studios and Joseph Fares knew how to craft a great story and gameplay that both players could experience simultaneously in a unique way. It may still be debatable for some people whether this first game from the small indie company is better or worse than its more beloved follow-up three years later. Still, it is a miracle that we got the game that would cement Hazelight Studios as a studio that was here to stay for a great reason. “A Way Out” is a more maturely complex game than “It Takes Two.” Still, it has all the qualities I now expect from a studio that has seen great success and talented people making lovely video games that will most likely live on in many gamers' subconscious.
(Final Grade: A-)