The Collection Chamber: ONESCAPEE

The Escapee

...maybe they though I was dead, and they threw me out like a rag doll, in the middle of dirt, waste and litter. I was an Escapee - was I the only one?

Danel White - captured from Earth

GAME FEATURES:
Stunning hand-drawn graphics with rendered elements
Digitised music scores, some include vocals.
7 large and varied levels - including swimming!
Logical games with amazing graphical effects.
Vast number of animations.
5 minute long CD ROM intro.
Fully multitasking and system friendly.
Supports double-scanned and VGA/Super-VGA monitors.
Game saving option available at any time.
Auto-detects NTSC and adjusts screen position.
Uses 'Locale' to auto-set current/correct language.
Will support gfx-cards (with free patch/update).

~ from the back of the box

If you ever wondered what might happen if Another World and Flashback got together and sired a long-lost Hungarian baby, onEscapee (pronounced "One Escapee") is your answer. Developed by Invictus Team and first released seclusively for the Amiga CD in 1997 before earning a low-key Windows port in 2004, this atmospheric 2D cinematic platformer feels like a loving tribute to its imagined parents. It shares the same DNA of thoughtful exploration, deliberate acrobatics and puzzles so tricky its like an angry teenager acting out.

With its beautiful pixel art and atmospheric score, it also won the same genetic lottery that made its elders such a looker. The game opens with an intro sequence that still impresses. A hand-drawn, moody animation worthy of Blade Runner comparisons, complete with a grungy vocal theme song. You play as Daniel White, an unremarkable man abducted by aliens for reasons never quite spelled out. When your captors' ship crashes spectacularly, you tumble into the wilderness of an alien planet, injured but alive yet completely alone.

The "Help" screen gives you a visual representation of your entire moveset (left).
Is that a gun that hanging dead guy is holding? Could be useful (right).

From there, onEscapee wastes no time demonstrating its style of cinematic storytelling and trial-by-error gameplay. In the first few minutes, you’re hemmed in by a fence and an electrified pylon while a hovering craft tries to incinerate you. If you're clever, you’ll bait it into blasting you over an unclimbable pylon, before aiming it at a derelict car hiding a manhole cover beneath. Before long, you're scrambling through a cave system where a bunch of other alien monstrosities of both flesh and metal do their best to end your life. It's a mad rush for survival that sets the tone for the many, many near-death (and, no doubt, actual death) experiences to come.

Mechanically, the game feels instantly familiar to anyone who played Delphine Software's classics. You move Daniel side to side, crouch, run, jump, and eventually shoot, all with deliberate, sometimes finicky controls that can be as frustrating as they are rewarding. Simple in concept, yet deliberately finnicky in practice. There's a slight lag between input and action to allow for frames of animation, which is especially true when climbing ledges or timing rolls, but once you adapt, this deliberate pacing becomes part of the tension. You'll often find yourself creeping along the edge of danger, hoping you don't mistime a jump into a bottomless pit.

Crouch twice on top of interesting objects on the floor for a close up view (left).
You never know, you might find an important alien doohickey needed for a future puzzle (right).

onEscapee isn't shy about its difficulty. Even ignoring the occasional punishing action sequences, the puzzles can still stall your progress for ages. A harmless-looking panel might conceal a crucial socket, or a seemingly impassable creature could be distracted only by triggering just the right environmental cue. While this trial-and-error approach isn't everyone's cup of tea, there's a genuine satisfaction in finally cracking each conundrum.

Technically, the game punches above its weight for a 1990s Amiga title. The hand-drawn backdrops are beautifully detailed, even if some character proportions can look a bit off. Animations, particularly the dozens of darkly humorous death scenes, are fluid and memorable. Whether you're getting vaporised by drones or crushed by falling rubble, you'll find the morbid spectacle strangely compelling. The soundtrack heightens the atmosphere with sparse, eerie melodies that perfectly suit the lonely alien landscape.

The are a few single-screen puzzles scattered around, though too many are variations of Lights Out (left).
If you find a shimmering section at the edge of the screen, walk into it. It will fully regenerate your health (right).

A nice flourish is the attention to usability for the time. You can save anywhere taking up one of 10 slots complete with screenshot thumbnails, allowing less able players to see the end even if it's piece by piece. The whole package is incredibly polished for a late-stage Amiga title, though the belated Windows port does have some issues. Timing in the opening cut-scene is off and while the gameplay remains unchanged for the most part, I did find some moments where input wasn't recognised as expected. This is an issue in bother games - a moment early on had me wanted to run and jump over a small gap but the game is programmed to force you into a standing jump instead - but many an instance in the PC update felt less like a deliberate (through unnecessary) design choice than glitchy controls. Still, neither are a terrible option with each of the six chapters paced to grow progressively more complex in terms of visuals and gameplay, which is a reward in itself.

Though onEscapee doesn't quite reach the effortless brilliance of its inspirations, it remains a striking, atmospheric adventure worth exploring - especially if you yearn for more cinematic platformers that truly challenge you. If you enjoyed Flashback or Another World, this flawed but fascinating gem not only deserves a place in your collection, but a place that sits right next to its more famous forebears.

To download the Amiga original, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses FS-UAE running the Amiga Workbench to emulate the Amiga version. Manual included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 321 Mb. Install Size: 607 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download

To download the Windows port, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses dgVoodoo to run on modern systems. Manual included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 130 Mb. Install Size: 253 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download

AMIGA CD

WINDOWS

AMIGA CD