Exit - Xbox Live Arcade review

Oct 26, 2007

Xbox Live Arcade: your classic PSP game clearing house! Yes, Exit is yet another port of an older PSP game. And it's really good, too. But unlike a lot of other PSP to Live Arcade transitions before this one, Exit doesn't come equipped with a lot of extra features in an attempt to re-sell it. But this is one game that didn't really need any sort of upgrade in the first place.

Exit is a puzzle game that plays a lot like the original Prince of Persia titles, where climbing up to higher ledges and avoiding really long falls is your main goal. That and gathering up and rescuing any people you may find stranded in each level. Navigation is done by simple movement, as well as finding and using various items scattered throughout each level.

It sounds simple, and it is. But like so many other deceptively simple puzzle games, Exit gets really difficult in later stages, where creative inventory usage is required to get through each area. Since the hero, Mr. ESC, can only hold one item at a time, figuring out what he should use when becomes a real challenge.

Exit hasn't seen much of a visual upgrade during the trip to Microsoft's console, either. But again, it's not a big deal. Exit isn't about flashy, high-def graphics so much as it is style. The almost stickman-like silhouette of Mr. ESC, punctuated by his red scarf, travels around delightfully simple levels that give the whole game a truly unique look.