AR-K Episode 3: The Great Escape

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 45
  3. Negative: 9 out of 45

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  1. garvey213
    Oct 1, 2015
    9
    ¡Great game! The story is very entertaining and fun. The graphics and the characters are better than the two first episodes. If you like puzzle games and adventures, you'll like this
  2. hectorcontreras
    Jul 29, 2015
    9
    Nice game! I played the first two episodes, and I didn't like it very much. But in this episode, they improved in all the ways. Graphics are better, story is richer (and written by comic superstar Greg Rucka) and puzzles are more intuitive to solve.
  3. Diabolini
    Jul 19, 2015
    10
    This episode is a huge improvement over the previous 2. Better characters, better graphics, better scenarios and, over all, a much better STORY.
    If you like point and click adventures, you cannot miss this one
  4. Elba
    Aug 10, 2015
    9
    It's great when you come to a game and it's a lot better than you thought it would be. While I enjoyed ar-k 1 and 2 and I do recommend those games to play first, this for me is a lot better - story, graphics, setting. The writing was very good and if you didn't want to read everything, you didn't need to click on that character's bit of conversation but could come back to it if you wanted.It's great when you come to a game and it's a lot better than you thought it would be. While I enjoyed ar-k 1 and 2 and I do recommend those games to play first, this for me is a lot better - story, graphics, setting. The writing was very good and if you didn't want to read everything, you didn't need to click on that character's bit of conversation but could come back to it if you wanted. I liked the humour, and it was witty in parts. It is the perfect balance of not just a good story which is vital in an adventure game but also good interactive gameplay.

    You continue to play as Alicia and thankfully she is more likable. In the first episode the OTT "I am a sexy vixen" coupled with a not nice attitude a lot of the times frankly put me off her and I didn't care what happened to her, but by the end of E1 this was mostly gone and here I actually cared and liked her.

    The story continues from 1 & 2 and I loved how at the end of episodes there is just enough surprise or hook to keep you invested for the next epsiode, it is literally a cliffhanger ending (not resolved or tied up with bow) with all of them and this episode is the same.

    I love the setting in this game (all new) and I got to solve a murder as well which was cool. There is also a transporter map so you aren't wasting time walking everywhere.

    While you could play this on it's own I do think there would be too many unanswered questions (what is the sphere, why am I here etc) and I do think you need to play the first game (which has episodes 1& 2 in it) to know what is going on. There is a video intro at the beginning which is supposed to recap what has happened but I don't know why but the clips seemed out of sequence, and they could have done a lot better job of a recap, seemed very disjointed.

    I loved the achievements in the first game, very imaginative and different but here it was mostly straightforward and some more unusual ones would have been fun. There is one though which I didn't see the point of and will be a bit annoying to do (worker one,) - so don't go by my final time re gameplay!

    Thoroughly enjoyed it and I really look forward to the fourth and final episode. Thanks DEVS for a very good, fun point n click adventure game.    … Expand
  5. Mandulum
    Jan 28, 2017
    6
    Five Word Review: Short, decent, ultimately incomplete game.
    Favorite Thing: Aside for the stiff animations, everything else was enjoyable.
    Least Favorite Thing: The recap didn't help at all. It barely even made sense.

    Playtime: ~ 3h
    Enjoyment: 6/10
    Recommendation: No. The story is incomplete and from a brief look on the forums the next chapter isn't even in development.
  6. Voyou
    Sep 5, 2016
    6
    The introduction is the most indecipherable video that I have ever seen in a game. I ended up skipping the rest of it and, while in game, it took me a while to realise that this was the 3rd episode of a story. Somehow it had escaped my admittedly poor attention, as there is actually no number in the title. Ah, this trend of slicing adventure games in episodes before selling them has toThe introduction is the most indecipherable video that I have ever seen in a game. I ended up skipping the rest of it and, while in game, it took me a while to realise that this was the 3rd episode of a story. Somehow it had escaped my admittedly poor attention, as there is actually no number in the title. Ah, this trend of slicing adventure games in episodes before selling them has to stop. Should have never been accepted for payed games in the first place.

    Anyway, once in the game, not having played the previous chapters is no bother at all. The gameplay is exactly like the LucasArt classics, with less nonsense than its models. Also welcome is a map for fast travels, removing the hassle of backtracking. No hotspots key, but honestly it was not needed. A silly maze at the end, but too short to be really annoying. Some characters are too small to perceive what they are doing, yet there's no major clue to be missed there. Overall a good interface. Achievements... I heard one person in New Zealand cares (another trend that has to go.)

    The characters break the 4th wall and go meta too much for my taste, but are otherwise very agreeable (personalities, designs and voices.) The story line is classic, the humor as well, the writing good, not great, because mostly derivative. The dialogues are better, and the setting of District 8 very well rounded.

    I'll never recommend to buy an unfinished story (there is obviously a 4th episode to come,) but if that kind of contemporary swindle is your thing, this is a decent point n' click.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

86
#86 Best PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. COGconnected
    Jan 15, 2016
    78
    A charming adventure game that will have you waiting ever so eagerly for the next episode in the AR-K series.
    Read full review
  2. SpazioGames
    Jan 4, 2016
    75
    Quite a step in the right direction if you compare it to its predecessors. Greg Rucka’s arrival was definitely great for the whole series, and everything got better, from dialogue to game mechanics. Definitely a good introduction to the final act. If you want to get the whole package, though, keep in mind that chapters one and two are highly inferior.
    Read full review
  3. IGN Spain
    Dec 2, 2015
    75
    A modest point'n click episodical adventures that is improving with every chapter released. The Great Great Escape is bigger and better, but still not perfect.
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