LiMiT's Escape Room Games 2

LiMiT's Escape Room Games 2 raises two questions that would be shared with plenty of others. Who is LiMiT, and why do his escape room games matter? They appear intriguing enough that there's a second version of the title, translating escape room popularity into the video game sphere. Honestly, I don't know where to begin with so many questions.

LiMiT's Escape Room Games 2 arrived a year after the original was released, integrating the mechanics of a physical escape room into a video game. Looking into the first title, it was not particularly well-received. There's not much reason to believe this title will fare better against the assuming masses. But my curiosities have been taken, so let's try this wild puzzle game.

Under Pressure

Playing the first title would introduce you to who LiMiT is, but the second does not do so. I will assume it's the screen name of the solo developer who put these escape rooms together. But anyway, it's a bit redundant to gameplay, as these escape rooms don't seem to be branded under this person's known persona.

It leads to the first real issue with LiMiT's Escape Room Games 2; nobody can assemble the who, why, how, or when. Isn't that integral to building the immersion factor in an escape room? Players (solo or up to eight) are thrown into an arena with little knowledge about what to do, where the objectives start to creep in while they still try to figure out how to move and interact appropriately.

We've got four different arenas that vary in difficulty, luckily with a hint system for those who can't figure out how to proceed. Therein lies the following issue with LiMiT's Escape Room Games 2, which is that the puzzles are not accessible. Many players may enjoy the challenge, but for the vast majority, getting frustrated by being unable to solve what are advertised as elementary obstacles will deter them from playing.

Overall, despite the visuals creating a pleasant escape room atmosphere, there are too many inconsistencies for my liking. The controls are clunky, the objectives unclear, and trying to rack your brain with friends who aren't getting it can be frustrating. It's the right approach to bring the escape room experience into a video game, but it feels too niche for my liking.

No Escape for the Wicked

LiMiT's Escape Room Games 2 feels the developer has included everything he likes about escape rooms without understanding the broader market. There's nothing wrong with that, but if he wants his ideas to be popularized, some of the difficulty and mechanics will have to be toned down. Escape Simulator does a decent job of this and can inspire future development.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Nice visual setup for the four escape rooms
• The difficulty will satisfy those that like a challenge
• Vast improvements over the original

Cons:

• The control schematic feels clunky
• Casual players may struggle with instructions
• Difficulty wrapping heads around what's going on