Girl Gamer

Always one to do my homework, I soon learned that is was based on a successful TV show and my curiosity grew. I decided not to watch the show before playing the game, however – that way I could accurately represent a majority of those who might consider picking this one up.

When I received the game from Deep Silver, a hilarious note from PR was attached with a pink paperclip. I feel this note is a good preface for those who might have preconceived notions, so I’m including it here:

“Contrary to what other PR people might tell you – we’re delivering it straight up: not all games are for all people. We also believe that a game doesn’t have to be a universal favorite by everyone from Rambo to Robin Hood and his Merry Men to my Grandma in Pennsylvania to be fun or worthwhile.”

She goes on to explain that they designed this game for the casual gamers in mind, but with a higher difficulty level so that more hardcore gamers could still enjoy themselves. Much like your character in the game, I was out to find out the truth.

And here it is:

Watch Your Back, Milk Chicken!

This is just one of many hilarious, quotable one liners you’re sure to enjoy in this game. Another favorite of mine was, “I’ll squeeze Abruzzi like a fat chick’s ass.” Mind you, a guard said this! Great set-up on how you can’t trust anyone…and apparently, there is no HR department at Fox River Penitentiary.

The Good, The Bad & The Silly

Graphics are good, but inconsistent. For example, I haven’t watched the show but soon started recognizing actors by their faces and voices. (The game stars the original cast) That’s good! However, mouth and hand movements are often unrealistic to the point of being silly. At one point, Paxton (your main character) very realistically and with beautiful lighting sneaks up to a fuse box – then looks like he’s karate chopping the wires! AI characters often walk in place before heading off, which gives the game a cheap feel at times. Also, Paxton insists on talking at full volume into his recorder, within ear shot of people who don’t need to know. He literally does the theatre trick, where the other actors begin pantomiming their conversation behind him while he performs his monologue. Silly.

There are other moments when you’re timing the searchlights or a guard making his rounds when you can simply look up at the night sky. Rolling clouds and glittering stars make for a realistic and actually calming experience! There was one instance of obvious glitches in the code when I was sight-seeing, but I don’t think the developers meant for us to be looking around as much as I do.

Underground fights allow you a way to earn money and buy tattoos, but if that doesn’t peak your interest, then I wouldn’t bother. Multiplayer allows you fight one another as inmate characters, all with the same moves – Mortal Kombat this is not.

Kudos For Realism

“Hey, Honey, you’ll like this part!” I grinned across the room at my husband. He’s a locksmith, so I knew he would “nerd out” on the realistic interior of this lock I was picking. To my surprise, he informed me that the in-game lock mechanisms were identical to the real thing! So much, in fact, that he was able to point to the screen and coach me on how far to push the pins up to release them. And it worked!

A small detail that most people won’t appreciate is the sound of the guards walking. My father has been a sheriff for over 20 years and believe me, I’m familiar with the sound of a sheriff walking down the hall. The subtle shifting of the thick, leather duty belt and jingling of keys brought back some serious childhood memories. Most gamers will take that sound for granted, but I really do have to give the sound director some kudos for the attention to detail!

Lastly, the sound of trains in the distance can be heard from time to time on your adventure at the prison. My last apartment was situated right next to a train track and after many years of incessant horns at 2 in the morning, I don’t miss it. At one point during gameplay, I was waiting for a guard to turn his back when the “train” went by and I actually grumbled, reaching for the remote to turn it up. The sound was so realistic that it took me a minute to realize this was not a real train about to drown out the TV again. Impressive!

NOTE: As of this posting, I have not watched the show. However, I did find a behind-the-scenes clip and from what I saw, the game looks exactly like the characters and sets.

Patience Required

Like any stealth game, Prison Break requires a bit of patience to complete. If you’re like me, you’re used to runnin’ and gunnin’ in a FPS, or at the very least tossing an incendiary grenade in the room as in Rainbow Six.

The controls are a bit buggy, I’m not gonna lie. Paxton blew my cover on more than one occasion by spontaneously taking a stroll when I wasn’t even touching the controller. (Literally – both hands were in the air) I tried a different controller, since XBox 360’s are notorious for interior build-up with excessive use, but I encountered the same problem.

Also, you’ll want to turn your controller sensitivity WAAAY up in order to survive – there is an obvious delay and your survival literally depends on your ability to hit the right button at just the right moment.

It sounds annoying, I know – but once I figured those two issues out, I was able to just relax and enjoy the game.

In Conclusion

Prison Break: The Conspiracy is not a terrible game. It’s not ground-breaking, but never claimed to be. If you’re a fan of the series or intimidated by “hardcore” stealth games, you may want to give this one a try. OCD gamers who can’t help but notice every bug and every unrealistic plot point should just move along. Take it for what it is.

As the PR rep explained:

“People who have an unhealthy and unexpected love for T-Bag (I DO o_O)? People who want nothing more than to be called Milk Chicken (I plead the fifth)? Yup, they will probably love this game, too. You know, just sayin’.”

Let’s just say the plot, although (again) completely handed to me, was intriguing enough that I’m interested in checking out the show now.