We all know the feeling of getting up way too early just to go to school, and sit in a class that bores us to sleep, but Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School takes the monotony out of going to class. From earning our way onto the tram and escaping a death trap as an introduction to a new school year, this game demo is full of comedy and excitement, plus offers some interesting puzzles you can take on with a friend.
Fits Together like a Good Jigsaw
One of the issues I have with many puzzle games is that they tend to take you from puzzle to puzzle without much story or reason to do what you’re doing. This causes me to grow bored as the game progresses. I didn’t notice that during my time with this demo.
The demo takes place in the opening act of the game where we puzzle our way onto a tram and then after being knocked out must escape a life or death trap before orientation. Every step I took was full of puzzles, but also reasons for solving them. Our dorm room, locker, and even school necessities are locked behind puzzles we need to conquer if we’re to survive at the academy.
Why is the academy like this? The demo explains this through dialog with teachers, students, and information found during puzzles, which felt natural. I enjoyed finding red herrings (both literally and figuratively) that gave me info about the academy and the world of the game. I also found that the teachers make comments to hint at what your character did in the first game, explaining a bit as to why we’re treated so differently from other students.
Nothing is Free or Without Puzzle
Another thing I found interesting in the demo was a need for currency. Anything that would need to be purchased in the real world needs to be purchased in the game with Academy cash. The interesting thing is that you must earn the right to purchase items by solving puzzles. It feels like a secondary way to keep a player invested and exploring. The cash can be found easily throughout the academy or through extra credit assignments.
The extra credit assignments were probably my favorite parts of the demo. Every section of the school seemed to have one of these extra quests, whether it be help the clumsy kid fix some trophies, the lazy kid get the last energy drink in a sudoku vending machine, or help a poor cat get some food, these extra credit assignments forced me to go to places in the school I might not have otherwise.
Final Thoughts
I was surprised by how much fun I had with the Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School demo. While puzzles are fun, I was worried I might lose interest by the end of my time with the demo. What I found was that not only was I still interested, but I was wanting more. Whether that be going through multiplayer, or just playing through it again looking for secrets, I wanted more. On that note, I’m going to be on the lookout for the full release of the game, and hope that it gives me just as much enjoyment as the demo!
