GAME REVIEW | Seeking A Way Out Via "The Exit 8"
If I had a hundred yen every time I got lost in Ikebukuro or Shinjuku Station, I’d quit my job and live out a nice early retirement. Alas, that ain’t the case. But KOTAKE CREATE’s The Exit 8 makes me have to relive all those times I couldn’t find my way out of there. But it’s not exactly a 1:1 recreation of those subway labyrinths. In fact, it’s a tad bit more sinister.
The Exit 8 has one objective: get out of the underground train station. Sounds pretty easy, until you find yourself going through the same areas over and over again. That’s where your eyes will have to pay attention to everything. The posters, the ceiling lights, even the balding mustachioed man who always walks past you. If something feels a little bit off, turn the hell around!
Having to keep a close eye on every single detail can be very aggravating at times. On some occasions, the changes are so minimal, that it takes a keen detective to discover something’s amuck. But on other occasions, the changes are very obvious, like a bunch of “No Smoking” signs splattered all over the walls and floor. Or maybe it’s something like the size of the passing man shrinking or growing.
But it’s when The Exit 8 likes to give a good jolt to the player when things can get intense. There’s no music, only the sound of footsteps in the echoing station that plays through your speaker. That is, until something chaotic happens like the lights suddenly turning off or the sound of rushing water getting louder. I have zero idea what would happen if you were to keep moving forward when those things happened, and to be frank, I don’t want to know!
How you beat The Exit 8 depends on how good your sleuthing skills are. On my first play-through, I managed to escape in ten minutes. The second time, two hours! You’ll never know just how good your skills are when you embark on this journey to leave. Perhaps that’s what makes it all the more fun in the long run!
PROS:
- Simple-yet-fun concept
- Good jump scares
- Lots of discoveries to uncover
CONS:
- Won’t help you get out of Ikebukuro Station quicker
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Even if you’ve got a keen eye, The Exit 8 will test its might and limits. This is a very simple game, but it surprisingly has a lot of fun and intense moments. KOTAKE CREATE takes what could’ve been an easy cash grab, and instead pulls out one of the most unique strategy horror games around.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Alissa Saito of Stride PR. Reviewed on the Nintendo Switch.
