Hands-on | Prison Break: The Conspiracy

Format: Xbox360/PS3 | Genre: Action adventure | Publisher: Deep Silver | Developer: Zootfly | ETA: 26/03/10

OUT OF SIGHT
Of course, it makes sense. Sneaking around Fox River is exactly the kind of thing Michael got up to in the show, and clearly the developer wanted the player to be doing things they’d seen Michael do in the show, even if you wouldn’t get to do them as Michael. For example, since Paxton does see Michael’s pills robbed off him, he decides to break into the infirmary to check things out. By following in Michael’s footsteps, he’s all but following Michael’s plotline through the season.

The first real mission sees me guiding Paxton to a chamber high within a large room that’s guarded, all to retrieve information to barter my way into some standing with another prisoner. I’m taught how to stay close to walls, jump across gaps in cover Gears of War-style, avoid and disable security cameras Metal Gear Solid-style, and negotiate my way by climbing ledges and jumping across them Uncharted-style. It’s not revolutionary, but it is functional and fairly challenging early on. As I clamber my way across a catwalk and lower myself through a dislodged tile into the room, I’m impressed. It feels like Prison Break.

After a few more stealth sequences, I am less impressed. The main mechanics haven’t evolved, and things are already feeling a bit samey. I’ve clambered over this ledge before, turned 90 degrees round that wall and jumped across that gap already. But this is only after two hours and the play may well evolve over the course of the game. After all, Prison Break’s first season continually evolves as the plot advances, so there’s certainly hope for some mixing-up of play.

What breaks up the stealth appears mainly to be fighting and quick time events – or a combination of the two. One sequence sees Paxton fight another inmate, with me desperately mashing buttons as they quickly appear on screen. Sure, it’s once again a fair bit short of revolutionary, but what’s going on behind the QTE is tense, and these sequences may add that dramatic tension Prison Break fans love.

The fighting, on the other hand, is hard to accept as a potential winner. While it’s impressively restricted to a simple four buttons (punch, hard punch, dodge and block), it’s very unnatural. Fights are kept one-on-one, and the difficulty in estimating distance between my opponent and I, coupled with some clumsy AI and a few oddly missed swings, doesn’t help to immerse. Maybe it will see some improvement between now and release. Hopefully so, given the inclusion of a multiplayer versus mode that entirely depends on this fighting mechanic.

DISTRACTIONS
There are other mini-games to distract as well – things like picking locks, lifting weights, training with a punching bag – but the best compliment to pay them is that they are functional. It’s probably going to be the stuff Prison Break fans will get a kick out of, though.

And I realise that’s where Conspiracy is likely going to find itself. For Prison Break fans, there’s certainly some merit, particularly with juicy subplot revelations and the ability to mess around and explore Fox River. For anyone else, well, time will tell.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the game plays out, and how things like the actual prison escape are handled. There’s certainly scope for the game to go in some interesting directions. To make another unfair comparison, this doesn’t look like a potential Lost: Via Domus. Which is a statement in itself worth rejoicing. Whether or not it’s another 24: The Game is something we’ll find out when it releases on 26 March.

A suited, silver-haired gentleman and his dapper entourage watch on as I struggle to teach one of the other inmates a very physical lesson involving my fists. Suddenly, that personal feeling of not quite belonging hits again.  I’ve enjoyed my day out, but it’s definitely time to negotiate my escape from my luxurious surroundings into the freedom of the wintery London air. I stealthily pick up a cucumber sandwich and whisk it away to safety. By Sinan Kubba

Prison Break will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on 26 March 2010. Look out for our full review around that time.

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