Escape Academy is a smart, funny, and creative puzzle solving adventure that pushes players to think outside the box. Thankfully, the Escape From Anti-Escape Island DLC is no different. From the jump, players are confronted with high-level puzzles that somehow get more challenging and engaging as time goes on. However, this consistent level of quality makes the final two levels all the more frustrating thanks to a handful of obtuse puzzles.
Escape From Anti-Escape Island starts with a bang, as the plane the escapists are on is hit by a missile. This initiates the first escape sequence in which players must find a way to wake up Jeb and regain control of the plane while everyone else gets the ejection seats ready - though it's never that simple. After a phenomenal and tense first sequence, Jeb and the player find themselves stranded on a mysterious tropical island, separated from Gillian and the Headmaster.
The gameplay and controls are just as they were in Escape Academy, for better and for worse. The first-person perspective provides the feeling of a classic point-and-click puzzle game but with the downside of occasional motion sickness due to awkward camera controls. Each level is made up of multiple stages and each of those stages is filled with individual puzzles. The frequency of these small puzzles keep players on their toes and the added time-limits add a sense of urgency.
Unlike Escape Academy, however, there are a handful of levels that didn't quite fit well into the time they were allotted. One such level is around the mid-point of the DLC, where the player must navigate the Anti-Escapist facility. In this multi-floored level, players must figure out how to solve each floor's puzzle, starting with the basement; which could be a level all on its own. Additionally, each floor has several items necessary to solve the greater overarching puzzle. While the design of this section of the game is brilliant, the time-limit feels too short. Even after replaying it and knowing all the solutions, the final time was cutting it pretty close.
Another notable complaint appears in the DLC's final two levels, which have a handful of obtuse puzzles. In a sequence that involves three machines, there is a cipher puzzle and an accompanying document meant to help decipher it. Instead, it made the puzzle more confusing and was ultimately bypassed after using the "hint" mechanic and wildly guessing, causing the actual solution to remain a mystery. This issue, as well as the occasional timing issues, only stand out this much because everything surrounding them is so tight and brilliantly designed.
Much like the "What Lies Below" puzzle from the base game, each level is made of several puzzle rooms that flow and connect to each other seamlessly while still managing to feel wholly unique from one another. Even the aforementioned puzzles standout in more positive ways than negative. The Anti-Escapist facility is brilliantly laid out and interconnected, while the final two levels, particularly the very last level, reach a level of creativity and spectacle that was wholly unexpected. Despite some minor pitfalls, the Escape Academy: Escape From Anti-Escape Island DLC is a wonderful continuation of the base game that makes every epiphany feel more satisfying and rewarding than the last.
Escape Academy: Escape From Anti-Escape Island DLC is available November 10 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Screen Rant was provided with an Xbox digital download for the purpose of this review.