SquareEnix's Exit DS is best described as an action puzzle game. You take control of Mr. Escape and risk life and limb to rescue stranded people from dangerous buildings. Use your rescued comrades and various items to solve puzzles and escape. It's fun and has a cool look to it but I honestly lost all interest after playing for about an hour.
My main issue with the game is the stylus control. I HATE being forced to use the stylus. I understand the need for it in this game considering the gameplay mechanics but it doesn't make it any less annoying. You move your character by tapping him with the stylus and then tapping the place you want him to go or the item you want him to pick up. Not so tough. Of course if you click half a centimeter off then Mr. Escape may be come Mr. Suicide and leap to his death.
As you progress through the game and begin rescuing stranded citizens they become part of your party and can be used to solve puzzles and assist in the escape. Just click them with the stylus and click where you want them to go. There's an awful lot of stylus work going on here. The stylus control is a little wonky and can get frustrating at times. Having to tap my character and a rope 15 times so he will climb down is not my idea of a good time.
I will say that Exit DS looks great. The character design is simple and effective and the levels challenging, if not a bit repetitive. It's great to look at and if you can get past the touchy stylus movement then you might find yourself enjoying it.
Ultimately, Exit DS is fun for a while but is just a bit forgettable to me. Like I said, I got bored after about an hour and went back to playing Professor Layton and the Curious Village.
Exit DS is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB. This game can be found on: Nintendo DS, PSP, and Xbox Live Arcade.
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