Danganlike, Ahoy: 'Inescapable' begins
I know it's been out for three months, but I only started playing "Inescapable: No Rules, No Rescue" just last night.
Most critics weren't very kind to this Danganlike upon its release; there were a lot of complaints of it being boring. But after a couple of hours with it, my initial impression is VERY positive. Before I get into that, though, let me give a detailed run-down of the basic setup.
A group of 11 Europeans (including our POV character, a Brit named Harrison) are abducted and taken to a tropical island loaded with cameras. There, a pair of "producers" broadcast to their phones to inform the group that they're now part of a reality show called "Inescapable."
They are now part of a limited-broadcast reality show called "Inescapable."
They must live on this island together for the next six months.
There one rule: They cannot interfere with the cameras and broadcast equipment.
Other than that? No other rules or limitations apply, and no law enforcement will ever punish them for any action they take. They may manipulate, assault, or even kill without fear of repercussions.
The phones they are each provided can communicate with one other or the two producers, but that's it. Any other calls are blocked.
The production team will airdop necessary tools for survival (food, fresh water, etc.) regularly provided that the participants leave the broadcast equipment alone and keep the show "entertaining" for the audience.
Failure to be "entertaining" or otherwise non-comply will cause the producers to intervene in ways that make their lives more "interesting." Maybe they'll withhhold supplies to cause starvation/dehydration. Maybe they'll reveal private details about the participants that will generate conflict among them.
Similarly, those who make the show more "entertaining" will receive rewards. These can be new sources of entertainment for them, luxury goods, and who-knows-what else.
Everyone still alive/present by the end of the six months will receive 500,000 Euros. (For most of the cast, this is a princely sum. But for a few, it's a mere pittance.)
The two producers are available to the cast via their phones for any suggestions/requests, but said producers prioritize entertainment value above all other considerations. Requests for information on loved ones, jobs, or possessions left behind are ignored; they are only given the vague promise/warning that "No one will be coming to rescue you."
Admittedly, this setup does not inherently promise murder and betrayal the way that something that Danganronpa, Yurukill, Your Turn to Die, or Virtue's Last Reward all did. Instead, there's a pervasive unease around every action your character or the other characters take. If you see someone on the phone, are they bartering with the producers in a way that will harm your or someone else? If someone is wittholding basic info about themselves, why would they feel the need to do so — are they potentially dangerous for the sake of "entertainment"? If you see two characters whispering, are they conspiring? Even if you try to have a whispered conversation in the middle of the jungle, are you truly alone?
Most of the gameplay is essentially structured like Danganronpa's "Free Time Events." On most days, you get a morning, afternoon, and evening. You look at the map of the island and can see who is hanging out where; from there, you choose where to visit and who to talk to. These conversations each last one of those time periods, can reveal more about the characters in question, and can also include dialogue choices that will affect your "route" through the game. But even the decision of who you choose to talk with affects the route... and once that time period is up, there's no guarantee you can see the other conversations that you skipped out on at a later time.
Any given playthrough can wind up on one of four "routes" to a unique ending based on the conversation choices you make, the people you choose to speak with, and some other actions. For example: There are some side games in an Arcade setting that you can spend time playing. It's also possible to earn "points" with the producers based on your choices that you can use to unlock "gossip" or "dirt" about any character you choose, with each character having multiple items in both categories. Whether you choose to purchase any such items and which ones you get also affect your ultimate route. In fact, based on what I'm seeing online? The number of simple actions that can affect what path your character is leaning towards reminds me more of a Silent Hill game than a standard visual novel! We're seriously talking shit like "Spend X amount of time looking at Y in inventory" can have an impact.
Sadly, there's no easy signposting for how you wind up on a given route or what you'd need to do to get a different one. I'd really prefer they had a flowchart like a Zero Escape game, but this is instead more like a SciAdv visual novel where unlocking a different outcome is going to be dependent on either (A) blindly trying different approaches as you go or (B) consulting an Internet walkthrough.
Either way, the stress of daily decision-making and the quirkiness of the characters/their dialogue has me hooked RN. We'll see if it can carry me satisfactorily across the finish line.
