For a more casual player, the pure overflow of simulator and management games might seem like a fad. Some, like Euro Truck Simulator or Farming Simulator seem funny, but have devout and hardcore followings due to their hidden, yet addictive gameplay routes. (No pun intended) So it’s interesting to see an indie developer take the genre’s roots and confine it to a more grounded and frankly depressing setting. Will it pan out in terms of depth, be fun, and provide unique social commentary? Or will it resign with it’s sentences with pure hopelessness? Either way, it’s a game that’s got potential, and here’s our analysis on whether it fully completes it.
Gameplay:
Prison Architect is a game of mass scope, but not all off it comes together under the enriching surface. For example, the initial breath of failure is massive, and may turn off any players who aren’t immediately familiar with the genre, yet hooked by the premise. There’s also little room for relaxation upon your beginning objectives, but this starts to fade away if you are willing enough. The structure however is competent itself, and includes the normal simulation fair in a prison environment. It’s a game that craves a sense of patience to say the least.
Story & Design:
Distancing itself from more boring clones and any competition that may come it’s way, Prison Architect innovates by using clever narration and a cinematic system to make your objectives seem less mundane. Although short lived to a simulation buff, it makes the game more unique by miles. Simple tasks have a great sense of weight, and you actually create emotional attachment based off of how well your prison is performing.
Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:
It’s sometimes hard to make a simulation game feel right on console, and Prison Architect is perfectly aware of this, with the developers implementing some small changes to more resonate with a couch player. It may be a bit harder to perform at mass speeds without the presence of a cursor, but new additions do the job well, on top of a decent menu layout and varied mode list.
Conclusion:
Prison Architect is a game I would definitely recommend to any simulation diehards, but some looking for a more accessible pathway into the genre may want to take it easy. However, most of the major flaws have been ironed out from the Early Access experience, which is a sign of improvement others aren’t as worthy of.
Prison Architect gets a 7/10 (Average)
We’d like to thank Double 11 for giving us a code!
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