An escape room usually ends with the door opening. You can take a breath, put the clues down and get ready for the next one. Escape Academy 2 has a slightly different idea about that bit in the middle: what if you could wander off and find something else to solve?
Coin Crew Games has built a campus that opens up as you go. There are still timed exams. Between them you can look around, talk to people and pick up smaller tasks from students. Xbox Wire says some of those tasks pay in Escape Bucks, a currency you’ll need at points in the story. You can also find it tucked away around the school.
Time for a look around
The Humanities Campus caught my eye in the developer’s PlayStation post. Art director Michelle Huttunen describes a space the team initially found too open. They added things to do and landmarks to investigate. That seems like a better reason to take the long way to class than a dotted line on a map. If I see an odd detail on a building, I want a reason to stop and look at it.
There’s solo play, online co-op and split-screen co-op. The sequel also has an optional mode that turns off the timer. I’d keep the clock for a first go with someone who likes that last-minute scramble. For an evening on the couch where we’re as likely to talk about dinner as decipher a clue, I can see the appeal of turning it off.
Steam and PlayStation both list November 5. Xbox’s launch coverage also lists Xbox on PC and day-one Game Pass access. If the store still says it’s coming soon where you are, check your platform’s release time before you make plans with a partner.