Having first been given a release date of March 26, Prison Architect 2 has now been pushed back to May 7 this year. With over four-million copies sold, Prison Architect has been a trusty go-to for simulation game fans for very close to a decade. While the first game is chock-full of things to do and boasting a sixty-three-hour “completionist” playtime on HowLongtoBeat, it’s been a while since the Jungle Pack DLC pack was released and fans are chomping at the bit for some fresh content and, for these, May 7 couldn’t come quickly enough.
Developers, Double Eleven, have seemingly listened to the wishes of their loyal fan base and are set to release a sequel that will outshine its predecessor in every way, shape and form. Having delved into what’s in store for the well-loved franchise things are certainly looking up.
Prison Architect 2 Will Break Free of the Franchise’s 2D Archaic Roots
While Prison Architect worked quite well in two-dimensional form, Double Eleven’s choice to bring the franchise into three-dimensional splendor will undoubtedly be a step forward. Having broken from the shackles of the old (see what I did there?) , the esteemed studio will be moving into the modern age of gaming and, from what I can see, will be going so with both style and panache.
Furthermore, this step into the modern day has been done in a way that doesn’t change the familiar characters models and feel to the game. We still have the cutesy sprites with no arms and disembodied hands but now they are rendered in full 3D and it really works to remind you of the game’s roots while sticking to a more modernized theme.
Prison Architect 2 Announcement Trailer
With the time gap between the two titles being so wide, Prison Architect‘s hordes of fans would have been excited when the announcement trailer was first dropped a couple of months ago. However, their hopes – like my own – would have been crushed by the sheer ambiguity of what was actually shown. We were, however, treated to a glimpse into the character modelling and how our inmates have transitioned into the three-dimensional world – the answer is “impressively”.
Sadly, very few actual details were revealed. With the trailer playing out like a cutscene and only showing sneaky but short flashes of gameplay action, we are kept in the dark in terms of the juicy and plump fish we were all fishing for.
Prison Architect 2 Will Give You More Control
Prison Architect was a triumph for Double Eleven and a lot of its success was likely due to the way they perfectly balanced the gameplay to suit both the casual gamer and the veteran-to-be alike. It was one of those games that was easy to learn, yet so hard to master; a fine line to tread but one Double Eleven did with all the prowess of a ninja ballerina in a prowess contest.
Prison Architect 2 is set to follow with the same “caters to all” approach but will do so while giving you even more control of your prison and all that happens. You can expect a far more intricate experience with policies to enforce, advanced AI inmates and a wider array of architecture when the game finally rolls out next month.
Prison Architect 2 – Summary
If you were a fan of the first then there’s no doubt that you will be crossing the days off until release on your calendars and I’m the same. Prison Architect offered a deep yet simple-to-learn game that holds hours of entertainment and to hear that a fresh and vamped-up sequel is around the corner is music to my ears. Watch this space for my coming review!
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