Electronic Arts, in a press conference before the launch of this year's E3, revealed A Way Out, a two-player prison break game that can only be played on split-screen, either online or locally.
The concept is certainly an interesting one, and a gameplay trailer showed what players can expect from the title.
Electronic Arts Unveils 'A Way Out'
A Way Out is the first game from Hazelight, a studio created by the people behind the award-winning Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Similar to Brothers, A Way Out features two characters who are on a mission, with parallel gameplay mechanics. However, while Brothers has two sons looking for the Water of Life to save their father — both controlled by one person, A Way Out features a much darker theme and requires two players at all times.
In the new Electronic Arts title, players can play either as Vincent, a new inmate, or as Leo, a prison veteran, and will have to work together to accomplish various tasks.
The reveal trailer showed Vincent and Leo plotting their prison escape, though the game does not simply end after the two inmates break out. The gameplay trailer, meanwhile, highlighted just what the upcoming title offers.
Josef Fares, the writer and director of A Way Out, serves as the narrator for the gameplay trailer. He describes the game as "designed, played, and experienced only in split-screen co-op," with gamers playing with a friend either online or locally on their couch.
Players can tackle scenarios differently, with the example provided in the gameplay trailer being the task to smuggle sheets using a laundry cart. Vincent can grab the cart while Leo provides a distraction, or it could be Vincent doing the smuggling while Leo takes out the guard.
Getting out of prison is simply the start of the A Way Out story though, as there are scenes in the reveal trailer that show Vincent and Leo running away from cops and visiting their loved ones.
Split-Screen Co-Op Only: Genius Or Risky?
From the trailers and the bits and pieces revealed about the story, A Way Out appears to be an emotional narrative presented in a method that has never been seen before in the video game industry.
The gameplay trailer for A Way Out opens up intriguing possibilities for split-screen co-op, which may offer mechanics that will only be made possible by such a set-up.
"By focusing on the two characters in different ways, it opens up a huge variety of gameplay, as we really wanted to avoid repetitions so they will get to know the characters through very different situations," Fares said.
However, requiring another player to progress in the game may come with certain issues. If your friend goes on vacation, does that mean that you will have to wait for him or her to come back before you can play A Way Out again? If another player may take his place in the meantime, does that not undermine the experience of two players watching the story unfold at the same time?
We will find out for sure if the formula of A Way Out will work once it is released in early 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.