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PSP | Puzzle | Exit

Boxart for Exit
Exit 3 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.5
  • SOUND: 4.0
  • CONTROL: 4.0
  • FUN FACTOR 4.5
  • AVG USER SCORE n/a
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.1
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Exit

Review by TheWatcher | 02/14/2006 | 09:48:09 AM PST

The recent release of Exit proves great games are indeed possible on Sony's portable powerhouse.

Anyone who owns a PSP knows that it hasn't yet enjoyed the string of hits the Nintendo DS has had since it was released earlier last year. While the DS has a handful of popular and critically praised games available, the PSP has been proving to be a far more popular portable media player than a handheld game machine. But for those who still want to actually play something on their PSP, the recent release of Exit proves great games are indeed possible on Sony's portable powerhouse.

Like the must-have launch title for the PSP, Lumines , Exit is an atypical sort of game that blends simple gameplay and attractive visuals with addictive results. It would appear to be a winning formula too, as handhelds aren't incredibly well-suited for long, drawn out gaming sessions or overly complicated mechanics. But simple doesn't have to mean boring or derivative. Exit's gameplay - you're a slick wannabe superhero rescuing innocents from dangerous situations - is deceptively simple in that it has a relatively low learning curve, but once you get further into it, it proves to be far from simple.

Slick Wannabe Superhero
Early maps involve little more than rescuing civilians from burning buildings, climbing over ledges, moving a few boxes, and opening locked doors with easy-to-find keys. But like any good puzzle game, Exit challenges you to find creative solutions to your problems, and later maps will become labyrinths filled with underwater passages, conveyor belts, pitch-black rooms, and countless other obstacles that will impede your superhero deeds. As difficult as some of the later levels may be, and many will require multiple sessions of trial and error, it never becomes overly frustrating; merely challenging. And once you've toughed your way through the game's initial levels, additional maps can be downloaded that add even more longevity, though for how long it's uncertain.

Even more than the gameplay, Exit's visuals exude a unique sense of style. Everything retains a hand-drawn minimalist appearance; sharp edges and bold colors are operative words here. Characters especially, while maintaining 2-dimensionality both literally and figuratively, stand out in their quasi-stick figure silhouettes. In all, Exit provides a pleasing and unique mixture of visual splendor that has so far rarely been seen on a handheld.

Quasi-stick Figure Silhouettes?
What few complaints there are about Exit are minor compared to what the game has to offer. Movements, particularly jumps that are required to be well-timed, can be awkward and delayed, resulting in a few too many long falls and unnecessary level restarts. Some of the civilians you rescue can also become tediously single-minded as they trek toward safety. Women will complain how badly they need a shower and the children; their incessant banshee wails could very well drive you to infertility.

But it's good to finally see another great game on the PSP. After all the rather lackluster ports that have doted the system's lineup of games, Sony's handheld needs another fun and unique title to draw attention to it. Thankfully for PSP owners everywhere, Exit does exactly that.


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