Exit Path: Gaming Review--Neverwinter Edition

Exit Path
Gaming Review--Neverwinter Edition

Exit Path has been on the Flash podium for quite some time now, and has even become one of the most played games on its primary host, Armor Games. But does it have what it takes to be your most played game. Find out, now!

Presentation:Exit Path is a clever little creation from jmtb02 Studios. It opens up with a little preloader and nice music that is reminiscent of a combined music you hear out of Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/Wii. After you click play, you are welcomed with a few options: Uniplayer, Multiplayer, Flair, Modify, Game Save, and Armor Games' little sponserships (their Facebook page, Twitter). For now, we'll jump into the Uniplayer. What I like about Exit Path is the fact that you can make your "person" however you want through clicking "Customize Player". Exit Path also gives you a chance to challenge yourself in virtually every way, through High Scores, Speedruns, and Multiplayer tournaments. Like it or not, one peculiar little detail is that it doesn't have a plot line. But, to sum the majority of it up, you are a runner, among tens, hundreds, or even thousands of runners competing for what you want most: Freedom. You find yourself in a simple room. The room's not too over-the-top; just a regular bed and some light, with you left possibly believing that this time, freedom is yours for the taking.

Graphics overall are nothing short of John Cooney's best. Sure they're simple, but it won't likely slow down your computer with flashes, explosions, and graphics of the like. In fact, one of the beauties of Exit Path is its sheer simplicity I haven't found in any other game thus far. After learning the controls, you pass by a gateway that automatically gives you a random alphanumerical number. To me, it just adds to the thought of having thousands of runners passing through tournaments, which I love.

Run	Left and Right Arrow Keys	A and D
Jump	Up Arrow	W
Slide	Down Arrow	S
Flow Boost (when full)	Spacebar	---

[justify]Gameplay: Playing Exit Path is all about timing, speed, precision, accuracy, and running at just the right speed to slide under that giant pendulum. In fact, all of the game is based on running, jumping, timing, and collecting the Flair "pieces" scattered across the game in every level. Flair helps you get new items to decorate your player. Uniplayer is just a fancy term for single-player, and multiplayer consists of online multiplayer.

Alright, here comes the rant. I do, however feel that the Uniplayer experience is too...dull. I mean you have a setting, a boost feature, and many ways to customize your player, but there's nothing exciting (except the lasers) to add to the experience. Look at Split/Second, a racing game from Disney. You never know what could happen, and it's always fun and exhilarating to play. That's what I expected Exit Path to be like as I played through, but it simply fell short. Sequel, anybody?

Being Armor Games' first true online multiplayer experience, you wouldn't be surprised to see this game come up with a few problems of its own. As I played the game, I noticed that it took at least a minute and a half for me to actually play. I knew it wasn't my computer because I saw a player leave in frustration of the long time. It would go from 25...24...23...and then switch to -7...then go back up to 24...25...24...23...

Some users even complain about the multiplayer bogging down their computers. What I suggest is clearing some cache/cookies and closing out any unnecessary tabs and windows. Log out some users if you have to, too. Now, I'm not the expert here, but I'm sure these suggestions might help.

Verdict: Pretty Good-8.7/10 Forget the sluggishness, glitches, and less-than-exciting levels, Exit Path is a great, easy-to-learn platformer made to pass the time.

That's all everyone! Comment, request, or rant as needed...