A Way Out places you (and a friend) in prison. It’s your job to get out, avoid the cops, and exact revenge on the man responsible for your imprisonment. Every inch of A Way Out requires coop — and while there is excitement around every corner, this isn’t actually an action game. Fights play out in QTE sequences, but you’ll still have a little control.
It’s hard to call A Way Out a pure adventure title. There are puzzles (and lots of puzzles) to solve, but you’ll also encounter stealth sequences with actual sneaking mechanics. You can knock out guards, and sometimes you’ll have to while weaving through rain-slicked rooftops. There are more surprises in the game, including a fun mechanic that gives you multiple methods to tackle scenarios, giving you an entirely different experience depending on your choice.
See what we thought; check out Gameranx’s A Way Out impressions and see whether this is one prison worth escaping.
More A Way Out guides on Gameranx:
- A Way Out Walkthrough | Part 1: Escape
- A Way Out Walkthrough | Part 2: Fugitives
- A Way Out Walkthrough | Part 3: Preparations
- A Way Out Walkthrough | Part 4: Vengeance
- A Way Out Walkthrough | Part 5: Conflict
- A Way Out: How To Unlock All 14 Achievements / Trophies
#1: There Is No Solo, But You Can Easily Play With Friends
A Way Out is a strictly cooperative adventure. From beginning to end, you’ll be working from dual-persectives. Playing as either hot-headed Leo or thoughtful Vincent, you’ll have to sneak (and sprint) your way out of the slammer and exact revenge against a diabolical crimelord, living large on the outside.
Coop is required, but there’s good news — there are two ways you can play. Either through couch coop (two controller, two players, one screen) or online. You can share a copy of the game with friends for free — so you don’t actually have to buy two copies to play the experience.
#2: Stuck? See What Your Partner Can Do
There’s always a solution, not matter what situation you’re in. Usually, that solution involves Leo and Vincent working in tandem to bust through a door, take down some guards, or climb something they can’t get on alone.
If you’re lost, check the same guards, prisoners, or locations with both Leo and Vincent — they each have their own insights and methods for tackling a problem. Vincent might want to talk his way out, while Leo simply knocks the problem out with a quick punch.
#3: Splitting Up Always Leads To The Same Spot
You’ll find yourself in two completely different places. Leo and Vincent might not be in direct contact or in completely different spots on a particular map, but you can always stay in contact. Hold [L2] to see where Leo / Vincent is standing — a green marker will help you navigate.
No matter where you go, you’ll always converge on the same spot. Chapters don’t end until you’ve broken through that door or blown past a pair of guards so Leo / Vincent can join together again. Often, you’ll need to pass items from one guy to the other, so look for windows, vents or other openings.
#4: Keep Coordinating & Communicating
Communication is key. Usually, Leo or Vincent will need to stand watch while the other is completing a task — chiseling through a toilet, getting past some guards, or causing a distraction. Escape is all about working together, and you’ll have to time your movement (or button presses) to match.
Later in your escape, you’ll need to coordinate and kick down doors by kicking at the exact same time. Create a quick process — countdown from three, then kick. Do the same for other activities — sneaking up on guards for double-takedowns, or when climbing a narrow shaft back-to-back.
#5: There’s More Than One Way To Solve A Problem
A Way Out is a very linear game, but you’ll have multiple ways to solve a problem. You can cause a fight to draw away a guard, or drop a canister in a dryer to break it. If you’re looking for solutions, talk to the guards and prisoners in the area. Sometimes they’ll drop hints — or use Leo to knockout prisoners in charge of the duty roster so you can get through a tight situation.
#6: If You’re Sneaking, Guards Won’t Spot You Instantly
Here’s an important tip — guards don’t always see instantly. We’re going to say “always” here because, sometimes they will spot you instantly, leading to an immediate failure. When you’re staying low, and the guards have small yellow pointers above your heads; that’s when you can get spotted and still have time to hide.
If you’re seen, it’s an instant failure. When you enter a guard’s vision, a meter will appear above their heads. When that meter fills up completely, you’ll get caught and there’s no escape after that. This isn’t Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, or Deus Ex — there’s no alarm state. When the alarm goes off, you’re dead.
#7: Takedown Guards (Together!) To Clear The Way
There are a couple of ways you can deal with guards while exacting your multiple daring escapes. You can sneak by them, obviously, or you can get a little rough. Stand behind a guard and press [R2] to perform a takedown. It takes a few seconds, so if there are more guards wandering around, I don’t recommend grabbing a guard. You can’t move bodies, and guards will be alarmed by downed pals.
#8: Stay Low, Stay Out Of Sight… In Bushes
In the event you’re overwhelmed by cops — like just after you escape prison — you’ll want to stick to stealth. Most of the time, sneaking will be enough to get you through a tricky sequence. On low walls, press [Square / X] to hide, gluing you to a wall and making it harder for guards to see you. There are other methods for hiding too.
Outside the prison, you’ll want to stick to the bushes. Even standing on the edge, you’ll be completely hidden (don’t worry about the rustling, cops don’t notice rustling) — and don’t forget you can perform takedown from brushes or low walls. Later on, you’ll be able to press [R2] to hide when riding in cars or carts. There’s no reason not to hide in those situations.
#9: Two Ways To Escape | Vincent’s Way or Leo’s Way
Leo and Vincent don’t always agree — sometimes, they’ll each have a separate plan to deal with a particular situation. In Part 2: Fugitives, you’ll encounter the very first split decision. When one of these events occur, you’ll be able to vote on which choice you want to make — Vincent’s plan, or Leo’s plan.
During the very first choice, you can choose to take Leo’s route (stealing a cop car and driving across the bridge) or Vincent’s route (climbing underneath the bridge) to reach the exit. Both are completely different, giving this quick game a little extra replay value.
