[section_title title=Audio and Graphics]
AUDIO AND GRAPHICS
With the game being a top down 2D construction and management simulation, the graphics at first glance are rather simplistic. Notice I did say at first glance, after spending time with this game I have come to see how much detail has gone into each of the sprites. I have noticed a few sprites that have been designed to have a different depiction depending on their orientation, namely the bookcase which has a Bible on one side and a Quran on the other. This in itself given the current climate could be seen as a huge risk, however in prisons today a high number of inmates who “find religion” convert to the Islamic faith. Another thing to note is the sheer number of different inmates in the game, at present there are 20232 inmates, each with their own character design and personal back story. During my play through I don’t think that I seen the same prisoner sprite used more than once. The sheer number of inmates due to the game being crowd funded with the option available to design an inmate.
The game runs a full day/night cycle with a day in game equalling 24 minutes real time, during this the game simulates the transition from day into night and shadows as the sun passes across the sky. I found that during the night the prison can become extremely dark if not lit correctly, which added to the immersion of the gameplay especially in escape mode it gave you a place to hide from the guards during your daring attempt to escape. Alongside this if there was no member of staff or CCTV present in a room; you had no visual access to what was happening inside. At first I didn’t realise why I was coming across unconscious inmates in my prison but not seeing how they got that way. Once I realised that the “fog of war” descended when there was no one present it made me think about positioning my guards and CCTV cameras more strategically.
The audio in the game was pretty flawless, as you would expect the game provides us with construction noises when any building is taking place and general chatter of the inmates while eating and interacting with each other. The game also features music set pieces and sound effects cropping up when certain events were taking place, much like the battle music in Final Fantasy. My favourite example would be during a riot, you hear the shouting and cheering of the inmates as they grow more and more restless until the riot brakes out, alongside the background music grows with intensity which adds tension to the whole situation. The only sound that I had an issue with in the game was the choice of ring that they have placed when the CEO calls; every time he rang it grinds my gears, the shrill ring-ring of the incoming call.
