ESC the Game: ESC From Sub TXI review

I guess I was a bit disappointed here – the game looks identical to their previous release, ESC From Cell 126 – it doesn’t feel enough like a new product. That aside, it’s a style that is distinct and makes this a recognisably ‘ESC the Game’ product. ESC the Game have also considered the full experience, the sound design and sometimes animated puzzles aid the immersion and the interface is simple to engage with. I just wish it stood apart more from their last offering!

ESC From Sub TXI uses the same interface, ideas and styling as their first game ESC From Cell 126. But this time the action has moved underwater whilst the difficulty level has been raised. Keeping it the same is good because I highly rated Cell 126, saying it was exactly how an online escape room should be done, but I was expecting a step up with this one.

There’s a minimalist storyline that keeps your focus on the nicely themed puzzles, background sounds aiding immersion, and an easy to use game system that tracks your time taken and number of clues used. It’s fully online and allows you to screen share or connect to the same game from multiple devices. You even have the option to access your inventory separately on your phone.

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In what’s likely to be a bit of a recurring theme here, the array of tasks to undertake had a whiff of ESC from Cell 126 about them. The most noteworthy occurrence of this was an identity centered challenge. To be clear, they’re not identical to each other but they share enough DNA to stand out. On their own terms, the puzzles were mostly fun with one observation-based task brilliantly catching us out. We did struggle with one particular piece that we solved after taking a hint – not sure if we were just overthinking it or if a part of it was under-clued but, for the most part, you should get on fine with what’s on offer here. Again, I just wish they’d have not shared as many similarities as they did with the previous game.

As mentioned earlier, this was quite a bit tougher compared to their maiden offering. The logic puzzles could be interacted with via the website and were well designed. They require observing, listening, solving riddles, brute forcing, deciphering, calculating and more. ESC the Game state you will never need to leave the game, however unless you have excellent geography knowledge, one puzzle will require just that, and may still leave you stumped. We struggled to understand the logic to the communications task, but it may have been our fault. The hints are easy to access, being baked into the game interface. We ended up needing two of them.

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Okay, the game was still fun to traverse and, if I had played this game first, I probably would’ve rated this one higher. But, as with everything I said above, it was just a bit too samey. Taken on its own terms, I think it’s still a solid experience but diminishing returns will definitely be felt if taking this on after ESC From Cell 126. I think really that’s the key thing to take away here. If you haven’t played ESC From Cell 126, you’ll have a fun time with this. If you have played the prior game, you’ll get a strong sense of déjà vu – it’s still a good way to spend 90 or so mins but it lacks the ‘wow’ factor a second time around.

I did enjoy playing Sub TXI, but for me it didn’t flow quite as nicely as Cell 126 did, due to the increased difficulty level and us getting stuck on a puzzle that we couldn’t get our heads around. It also felt too similar to their first game which was a shame. The excellent interface and design is a joy to use though. Sub TXI is designed to be harder so if a good brain workout is your thing, this should give you what you are after. Beginners may get a bit frustrated by this so would be better off going with Cell 126 instead.

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Despite all I’ve said about this very much feeling like a repeat of their previous game, it is still a solid, well-crafted experience, that can’t be denied. The styling sets it apart and you get the strong sense that the team behind this has spent some time crafting a cohesive experience. It’s a longer game than their last one and should keep you busy for the billed 90 mins. I can easily recommend this if you haven’t played ESC from Cell 126; if you have, it’s genuinely still a good time, just be aware that it will feel very much like an extension rather than a whole new game.

£15 is on the upper level of pricing for this sort of game, but ESC From Sub TXI deserves it with its lovingly made visuals, interface and puzzles which are all top-notch. It is also likely to take you longer than the usual 60 minutes to complete it, offering further value for money. As long as you like a challenge, you can’t go much wrong with this one.

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