Personal Computer News


Escape-MCP
By Rabbit
Commodore 64

 
Published in Personal Computer News #019

Passage Pursuit

Passage Pursuit

Ever had a bad dream where something rather unpleasant was chasing you and was so close that you could feel its hot breath on the back of your neck? Escape-MCP offers you the chance to relive that nightmare, time after time.

Objective

Based loosely on one of the episodes from the film Tron, the object is to sprint through a series of twisting passages to reach the other end. There is just one snag - a creature, looking remarkably like a McDonald's sign on legs, is in hot pursuit. Further, although you are confined to the lanes, your pursuer isn't and will always take the shortest route towards you, marching straight through walls where necessary. If it catches you, expect to receive a large dose of electricity and the loss of one of your three lives.

In Play

The game begins with an attractive title page. Pressing the fire button on your joystick brings up screen 1, a fairly simple series of passages. At the top of the screen, at the entrance, is a small human - you. Lower down the screen is the dreaded yellow thing on legs which immediately starts marching toward you, silently and inexorably. Manipulating the joystick causes the human to sprint to the sound of loud footsteps.

Escape MCP

There are two markers in the passages - each one reached gains points. All must be crossed before you can move to the next screen. You can add to your score by living dangerously and allowing the creature to get as close as possible to you without it actually catching you - not for the nervous.

If you reach the end of the passage, you pass on to screen 2 - much more tricky.

There are nine screens in all. I never managed to get beyond screen 3 so cannot tell you what horrors lie beyond that.

Escape MCP

Cunning and logic is needed. This makes it a cut above the usual run of arcade games which rely on reflex action.

Instructions for playing were virtually non-existent but this caused little trouble.

Verdict

Escape-MCP has a simple concept, is easy and exciting to play, presents a range of challenges and requires brains as well as reflexes. In short, it is a superb game and totally addictive.

Bob Chappell

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