Game review: Escape Plan, Playstation Vita

I enjoy a good puzzle game. The satisfaction of achieving something that initially seemed impossible is hard to beat. Portable gaming consoles are perfect for the puzzle genre; being designed for short bursts of action while on the bus, in a waiting room or in the toilet (go on, admit it).

Escape Plan, from Fun Bits Interactive, encompasses everything that is beautiful about portable gaming and puzzles. Its 75 short rooms soak up anything from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, which makes it very hard to put down. You always want to take a look at what the next level has in store.

What makes it even more difficult to put down is the fact that visually speaking, Escape Plan is a work of art. If Tim Burton and Hayao Miyazaki collaborated creatively, the quirky, black-and-white world of Escape Plan would be the result.

There are two protagonists, Lil and Laarg, who, sometimes individually and sometimes together, have to get through the exit door of each room. The game uses the front touchscreen, the rear touch pad and the Sixaxis to control the characters and/or their environment.

For the most part, things work very well, but there are times when you need to repeat some gestures when they don't seem to work the first time. It's not a serious problem, though, for a game that almost requires you to die from time to time so you know what not to do next time.

If you want to make the most of the unique controls the Vita has to offer, Escape Plan is a must-buy.

Title: Escape Plan

Special features: Fun Bits Interactive

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Console: PlayStation Vita