The Esc4pe

First-person shooters have evolved a lot over the years, especially when it comes to realism and gameplay complexity. However, sometimes gamers want something with less bullet physics and more arcade fun, much like it was the case with classics like Quake and Wolfenstein. Although they appear simple, they are actually very difficult to get right, especially multiplayer ones.

The Esc4pe is a retro first-person shooter in which your only goal is to kill everything and survive the constant onslaught of enemies that try to do the same to you. It’s obviously not a very complex game, but then again it doesn’t need to be if you are just looking for some quick fun. Granted, this one is a bit too simple, especially in the gameplay department.

You start with a pistol that barely does any damage, but you soon get better weapons as you manage to advance. There doesn’t seem to be any other goal than to survive and keep moving, but there’s no need for a convoluted story in such cases anyway. It’s not even clear who are you fighting against, although they appear to be some sort of aliens.

The gameplay is not very polished, as you might expect, especially when it comes to the shooting mechanics. Everything moves very fast around you, but the bullets do not seem to keep up with the action. Hence, you always have to watch out where you’re shooting, because the bullet trajectories do not keep up with the enemy movement for some reason.

As for the graphics, they are about as basic as they can get, but that doesn’t mean they are ugly. Most of the levels are fairly small and cramped, which can be a problem when you have to deal with high numbers of enemies and annoying shooting mechanics. However, there’s definitely a retro vibe throughout the game that should bring back a few memories.

Even if it has quite a few shortcomings in the gameplay department, The Esc4pe can keep you busy for a while if you like a challenge. However, it needs a lot of work in order to become a proper game.