Prison Break: The Conspiracy Hands On Preview

16 Feb 2010 at 16:11:06 by Andy Alderson

Deep Silver’s Prison Break: The Conspiracy is a bit of a curio in the world of film/TV adaptations. Not only does the game retread old ground, by setting its storyline in parallel with the first series of the hit US TV show, it also puts the player in the shoes of the bad guys (at least initially), rather than the show’s hero Michael Schofield. It’s a brave, or unwise, move depending on your point of view although developer Zootfly deserves credit for setting the game during the first (and best) series of the show before it got bogged down in the Panama-based silliness.

You take on the role of Tom Paxton, an agent for the all-powerful Company which wants to make sure that Lincoln Burrows, the man it framed for the murder of the Vice President’s brother, goes to the electric chair on time. Your mission is to discover what Burrows’ brother, and hero of the show, Michael Scofield is doing in the same prison. All the while Paxton dictates his thoughts to a voice recorder he’s craftily smuggled into the prison as an “insurance” measure. It seems Paxton does not hold his employer in high regard and as the game progresses, he’ll find himself investigating The Company as well as Scofield and co. 

This allows developer Zootfly to shine a new light on some of the more famous scenes from the first series of the show as well as creating a bit of mystery – we know what happens to Scofield and co, so where will Paxton fit in and when (and how) will their paths cross? Initially though, you’ll find yourself interacting with some of the ancillary characters from the show, like C-Note, T-Bag and Abruzzi as Paxton attempts to both adapt and survive in Fox River Penitentiary.

In gameplay terms Prison break is divided between two disciplines: fighting and stealth. Not only can Paxton pick a fight with a lot (but not all) of the inmates in Fox River, he can also gain some kudos and, more importantly, info about Scofield by taking part in the prison’s unofficial fight club. This is the focus of many of the early missions in the game as Paxton needs to earn his right to fight. In practice, this means finding the right contact and then, inevitably, doing them a favour. One early mission sees him tasked with picking a fight with Fox River’s premier exponent of rape/murder, T-Bag.

Fighting in Prison Break is pretty simplistic and accessible. The A button performs a light attack, X a heavy one while the right bumper blocks. Timing and placement are crucial and varying your attack patterns will reap immediate rewards. You can also use the block function to good effect by blocking just as your opponent is readying an attack to set up a counter. In its current form, however, the fighting engine feels a little sluggish and imprecise and this is largely due to the lack of camera control in combat mode. The large player model takes up a fair proportion of the screen and you’ll often find yourself struggling to get a good view of your opponent which can make lining up your attacks difficult. Luckily, there’s a regenerative health system at work meaning you can create some space between you and your enemy by dashing with the Y button, allowing you some time to recover. You can also level up Paxton’s fighting skill by taking part in some of the button-matching mini-games in the yard, like the heavy bag and bench-pressing.  And you’ll need all the advantages you can get by the time you make it into the fight club, as you face off against some of the more powerful and experienced brawlers in Fox River.

But, first you need to earn the right to fight and that’s where Prison Break’s stealth mechanic comes in. Paxton will find himself carrying out missions for some of the prison’s big players and these usually involve sneaking into a restricted area and recovering an item. You’ll need to avoid guards, workers and security cameras in these sections and this is achieved by taking cover behind objects, moving stealthily and climbing. Unlike most stealth games, you don’t have the option to take out enemies silently so the focus is on avoidance rather than taking someone down and hiding the body. You’ll need to observe the movement patterns of guards, spot potential hiding places and look for ways to create a distraction to make your way through the restricted areas. Generally, the stealth aspect of the game is more engaging than the fighting and feels more in keeping with the spirit of the TV show. One early sneaking mission sees Paxton infiltrate the “loony bin” which culminates in a blind panic as a fire alarm is sounded and the lunatics literally take over the asylum.

Prison Break’s greatest asset, however, is its timeline and this will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the show. You’ll get to observe and take part in pivotal events from the first season of the Fox show, like the race war in which Paxton, like Michael, will find himself stuck between two warring gangs.The success of the game depends entirely on fans of the show, and the devs have clearly recognised this - you'll also find a versus mode which allows you to pit the main characters from the show against each other in a one-on-one brawl, which will no doubt prove popular to those desperate to beat T-Bag to within an inch of his life. If Zootfly manages to tighten up the fighting engine to the same standards as the stealth gameplay, this might be worth a purchase for Prison Break fans.

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