Intro

Jailbreak: Voice Onrush is a retro style game where you play a lost girl, trying to escape from an array of pursuing enemies through maze-like levels. You are constantly guided by this ‘mysterious voice’ that instructs you what to do in each level. Furthermore, you can pick up bonuses scattered around the levels that grant you additional powers/perks such as running faster or a greater line of sight.

Get chased by police

Gameplay – 9/10

The gameplay is very addictive and compelling, and can be nerve-racking at times. There are two types of player perspectives. There is direct view, which is what you can see in front, either side and behind you. The other view is represented as a dark circle around you. When enemies enter this circle, they appear as a white outline. This means you can see them, but they can’t see you. This is handy when deciding whether it’s safe to round a corner and make a run for the exit.

The levels are varied and range from a supermarket to a caravan site. This makes the gameplay much more diverse.

There is a lot of strategy involved in playing Jailbreak: Voice Onrush. To complete harder levels you are required to create a plan of how you will get past the level by luring and sneaking past enemies. Even though the process of trial and error sometimes gets frustrating, the sense of achievement at the end is worth it.

The AI/enemies are well programmed and seem to act realistically. When out of direct sight, they make decisions on turning left or right to try and track you down. They can also end up cutting you off and cornering you. This process of coaxing and losing a pursuing opponent adds a realistic aspect to the game, and becomes a useful skill in later levels.

The game also includes two other modes apart from story; free mode and survival (more on that later).

Hide and sneak past enemies

Graphics – 7/10

Jailbreak: Voice Onrush has pixel graphics to create a retro feel. The animation is good (in a retro sort of way) and I have not experienced any frame rate issues throughout the whole game. For those who are a fan of retro graphics then this is perfect for you, if not, then this might not be your cup of tea.

The levels are very well made, however they adopt a very dark atmosphere meaning that it is very hard to play outside.

Controls – 8/10

There are three types of control schemes that you are able to choose in this game; Swipe, Joystick and Accelerometer. My preferred option is Joystick. However, it is not perfect and I sometimes find myself running into a wall, but the more you practice, the better you become. Swipe is another good option for those who dislike Joystick, and this involves swiping across the screen in the direction in which you want to run/walk. Accelerometer does not perform well and I never use it.

Collect objects to help you escape the level

Sound – 8/10

The sound is well made and adds a spooky atmosphere to the game. The soundtrack changes the further you get into the game, which adds variation to the gameplay. There are no sound effects relating to your environment. The only sound, apart from the soundtrack, is when an enemy sees you or when you pick up a collectible.

Menus – 10/10

The menus are very clear and easy to navigate.

Longevity – 6/10

Jailbreak: Voice Onrush includes only 15 levels, which doesn’t sound like a lot (I completed all levels in 2 hours). However once you have completed story mode, Free Mode and Survival Mode are unlocked. Free Mode consists of playing previously finished levels, trying to complete them in a shorter time. This then makes your overall score lower, meaning you rank higher in the leader boards, yet the lack of an online leader board severely lets this down. Survival Mode involves you running round a pre-selected level avoiding enemies and collecting ‘Time Orbs’ which increase the time left by 10 seconds. This is fun for a while, but adds nothing to the game overall. There are also two other difficulty levels which increase the number of enemies in the level. Unless you really get hooked by this game, it will occupy you for around 5 hours at most.

Price 10/10

At $0.99/£0.59, Jailbreak: Voice Onrush is very affordable, and is definitely worth it for what you get.

Conclusion – 58/70 – 4/5

Jailbreak: Voice Onrush is a very intense, thrilling game and should definitely be on any retro gamers wish list, scrap that, bought list!

Jailbreak: Voice Onrush on the App Store.