A Way Out Review: One Of The Best Stories Of The Generation

3. Presentation

Although much has been said about the title's insistence on using a split-screen presentational style even when playing online, it's entirely justified from the get go. The split-screen approach allows both players to be constantly in control over their own characters even during story moments that don't apply to them, enabling a deeper connection to whichever con you're playing as. You still get to see the whole story, as the screen expands and shifts depending on the focus of a particular scene, but the fact that you're always in control of your character (bar a few key moments) awards you with not only a better understanding of them, as a deeper connection to them as well.

More than a gimmick, the presentation style proves just how unique of a medium video games are, as the gameplay, which I've previously mentioned is solid but nothing mind-blowing, is really brought to life through this overarching context. "Cinematic" is a term that's used perhaps too liberally when talking about gaming, but A Way Out genuinely is, using its unique visual style to create stylish, mechanically-driven sequences.

Sometimes it indulges in its aesthetic to heighten the suspense of certain sequences, for instance showing enemies closing in you while you and your partner frantically attempt to keep one step ahead on the other side of the screen, or a brilliant, inspired "oner" action scene that cuts between both characters attempting to get to the same location. Each transition is always in service of a more complex goal, whether that's to create a unique gameplay scenario or to deliver a narrative beat from a perspective a player wouldn't be used to.