By Zach Pavlosky | Observer Correspondent
Image from trueachievements.com
“Couch co-op gaming is dead!”
“Gamers are only interested in vast, open world experiences!”
“Character-driven narrative has no place in the gaming industry!”
Developer Hazelight Studios’ newest title, A Way Out, succeeds not just with eye-catching visuals, smooth controls, and a solid framerate, but by shouting “NO!” to all the false and hyperbolic statements above.
A Way Out is a third-person, multiplayer co-op, action-adventure title that features many of the expected accoutrements of a modern video game: white, male protagonists, revenge plot, quick-time events, and more. It is what is noticeably absent from the game that not only makes it stand out from others of its ilk, but also serves as a guiding light for an industry that is unfortunately mired in controversy, politics and doubt.
Electronic Arts- the publisher behind A Way Out– is one of, if not the, most reviled name in all of gaming culture. In fact, the company was voted as Worst Company in America in 2012, 2013, and 2017, according to Consumerist. EA has been at the forefront of all manner of shady business practices such as, micro-transactions, pay walls, and pay-to-win systems.
The fact that A Way Out is completely devoid of any such anti-consumer implementations is a much-needed sigh of relief. The game is also only $30. That is half the cost of typical triple-A titles. And to sweeten the deal even more, your co-op partner doesn’t need to purchase the game if you already have; a feature unique to A Way Out called Friend Pass, according to GameSpot. This is simply not typical behavior from EA. Their mantra is very much, “If it doesn’t make us money, then we’re not interested.”
There is a handful of reasons as to why EA has chosen to go down this route. The most obvious and controversial reason would be last Novembers Star Wars: Battlefront 2, which made headlines due to how nefarious the micro-transaction systems were in the game. The fallout cost EA millions and Disney even threatened to revoke their exclusive Star Wars license, something that clearly shook EA to its core.
I haven’t picked up and played a video game in many years; not because I stopped liking them, or not enough time to devote to them, but because of industry greed. Hearing all the positivity and praise for A Way Out– whether it’s the reduced price, absence of anti-consumer practices, or story-driven focus – makes me wish playing video games was still a daily activity for me. Unfortunately, games like A Way Out are far and few between. Here’s hoping that Hazelight Studios can be a harbinger for a brighter future within the video game industry.
A Way Out is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows for $30 across all platforms.
Comments are closed.