Previewing games when they are not quite fully cooked always brings a degree of apprehension. The hope is that everything that bothers can and will eventually be fixed, while sometimes, that hope doesn’t materialise and serves to only cause frustration at what could have been. After several delays and the changing of the guard at studio level, it already feels like Prison Architect 2 is facing a stacked deck before the game has even begun.
However, the first game has certainly built up plenty of goodwill, and we went into an early preview of the game with a similar level of optimism. What we got out of the first few career missions and the foundations of the game’s mechanics point to a rough diamond buried in the confines of the prison yard. It’s going to take some work to satisfy the community’s expectations.
With a couple of months to go before the game’s September release, we were well aware of the fact that the experience could be a little rough. Game crashes, NPCs losing their way, things not functioning as they should, and performance issues were common enough occurrences to warrant some worry, but they aren’t game-breaking issues that can’t be fixed. It is part of the development process and, in turn, an early preview of the game, and that is fine.
What is perhaps not fine is the way Prison Architect 2 structures its starting hours, missions that are meant to teach players the intricacies of running your own prison in 3D instead of 2D. Normally, the expectation is a few longish tutorial scenarios that run through various management aspects, but the sequel breaks it up into several smaller missions that require very little from the player to learn about elements that could have been better delivered in a more coherent manner.
There really is no need for a specific mission to just impart the knowledge of creating buildings and assigning rooms and have it end there. Not when you can also learn about water and electricity at the same time, which is another mission altogether. The disjointed feel is not exactly the start we envisioned, and it is a shame because the systems at work in Prison Architect 2 have always been the star attraction, and it is no different here.
Balancing the needs of the administration and your prisoners is what drives aspiring architects. With room to flex your creativity, hours can easily be devoured if you dive too deep, as we did in Sandbox mode. Finding the best ways to stretch the dollar and the space afforded is always good fun, and tweaking security parameters to rule with an iron fist can be something to pursue too. The way progression works in gradually giving players new toys to play with, be it new rooms or mechanics, also helps to keep the fun going.
The transition to 3D from the iconic 2D look of the first game is undoubtedly the most notable departure, but it is not just a visual thing. Sure, there is something cool about seeing your people exploring the spaces you put together, yet the biggest thrill is in construction. Prisons can now be even more complex structures with multiple floors, and the game makes it rather easy to get all of these done without convoluted methods.
You can place objects easily and map out your rooms, and even use the copy function to replicate what already works in an instant. Just make sure to add a roof if you are building upwards, which seems like an obvious automation that should be done on the game’s part, but that’s just another thing for the team to look at before launch.
After hours spent digging foundations and putting up bars, it seems that Prison Architect 2 is offering what players love in a reimagined way, both for better and for worse. Building in 3D freshens things up aplenty, and the underlying systems are still awesome to study and master, but the starting hours could really do with some tightening up, and hopefully, what follows are more substantial scenarios that actually challenge players instead of ticking boxes to get to the next stage. The jury’s still out on Prison Architect 2, and we have got a few more months to reach a verdict. Fingers crossed.
