Review - Prison Break: The Conspiracy

Film and TV show tie-ins are invariably disappointing. And countless reviews have said just that of Prison Break: The Conspiracy for the PS3 and Xbox 360. This reviewer, however, looked beneath its obvious flaws and actually found the title quite enjoyable.

That's not to say that if you fork out full price for this you won't feel hard done by - this is definitely one to pick up from the bargain bins.

You take the role of agent Tom Paxton, sent to the very Fox River penitentiary that featured in the first - and best - season of the TV series. Your mission is to discover how fellow inmate Michael Scofield is plotting to free his falsely accused brother. The plot is hugely convoluted, meaning it's actually quite an accurate representation of the TV show.



Most of your favourite characters are featured in the game (Bellick, Sucre, T-Bag etc), and many are blessed with the actual voices of the actors, which is a nice touch. Graphically, I was pretty impressed too. The prison environment, from the cells to the doctor's office, the kitchens and the grounds, is lovingly recreated and the characters look as they should - although perhaps a little last gen in places.

Clearly though, it's the gameplay that lets it down. There's little variety from level to level, and no freedom whatsoever. Trudge from mission to mission, go from point A to point B, avoiding guards along the way.

And therein lies another fault; the AI is dismal. You'd imagine that a convict skulking about in an area where they're not supposed to be would raise a little suspicion among the guards but most of the time the NPCs are blatantly unaware of you even if you're stood only a few feet away. On the harder difficulties, however, a guard can see you from a mile off - and occasionally through walls.

There's plenty more that's broken in Prison Break too. It sports a cover system of sorts - not exactly a match for Gears of War or Red Dead Redemption - but a clumsy way for the protagonist to dive behind an object in an attempt to avoid the gaze of a guard. The game relies on stealth elements too but it's not in the same league as the likes of Splinter Cell; shadows offer little protection and obstacles appear almost see-through for guards on occasion.

The fighting elements of the game are incredibly basic, with only a couple of punching options available and a blocking move. Finishing moves consist of a QTE, which soon becomes tiresome. Occasionally the "action" is broken up by a kind of mini game that sees you picking locks to gain access to new areas. You quickly develop a knack for this though and it's hardly taxing.

Don't get me wrong, Prison Break is certainly not unpleasant to play - especially if you're a fan of the show - but there's nothing really of note here... It's playable but exceedingly linear.

Reviews have been scathing. Score aggregator Metacritic rates the PS3 version slightly better at 47% while the Xbox received a paltry 39%. Nevertheless, fans like myself will be able to gloss over its major failings and see a reasonable game underneath. For achievement whores, you'll be in paradise as the accolades pop up on screen with amazing regularity.

Nothing exceptional and hardly likely to offer any replay value whatsoever, it's still a decent game if you can get it cheap, or even better get it as a rental!