It's been a while since we've seen a new game from John Cooney, aka jmtb02, but his new jump-and-run game Exit Path more than makes up for the long wait with a non-stop, single-and-multiplayer feast for the senses.
Similar to his elephant series of games, you'll be running and jumping the screen with either the [WASD] or [arrow] keys, trying to make your way through a number of screens, each with its own set of challenges. But that's about where the similarities end. For starters, I can't ever remember the elephant being tempted with freedom in a dystopian future, and I'm SURE that pachyderm never had to dodge vicious death machines at every turn. As if that weren't enough, there are going to be some jumps that are just too far to make on your own, and that's where "flow" comes in. Once you've run constantly in any direction for enough time, you'll be able to hold down either [spacebar] or [shift] and move at incredible speeds, getting enough momentum to clear huge gaps and make it past falling traps.
In jmtb02 tradition, Exit Path is filled with achievements, the reward for each one being a new piece of "flair" that you can use to customize your character, make it a bit more personal (but don't worry, 15 pieces are not required for proper performance). And that personality is going to be important once you get into multiplayer mode, where you'll be playing under an automatically assigned guest name, unless you already have an Armor Games account, which will be used instead. Multiplayer takes you directly to a lobby until the next game starts, and then it's a frantic race to the finish against four other contestants. Winner gets pride, glory, and experience points, and the loser shall live forever in shame. Or just try again. Depends on your determination level.
Analysis: Okay, let's go ahead and get the obvious Portal comparisons out of the way. Yes, there's the obligatory all-powerful controlling force with empty promises of freedom, but that's hardly a new theme. At least this game had the courtesy not to offer us cake. Instead, he offers us screen after screen of spikes, lasers, and eye-popping acrobatics. John has proven himself more than capable of making a wide variety of games, but some of his best work seems to lie in creating fast-paced, action-packed games, and he certainly hasn't missed the mark with this one. The need to move quickly is integrated directly into gameplay, not only with the constantly ticking clock, but also the need to build up "flow" by keeping up a constant momentum. There are also hard to reach collectibles, and a few challenges that you'll have to think about before jumping into, so there are going to be some times you'll want to go a little slower, but even then, there's still an overbearing sense of urgency.
Flash games have always had a difficult time in getting multiplayer right, but Exit Path may be the best attempt we've seen. With auto-matching, auto-leveling, and a wide variety of courses to run through, the games end up being evenly balanced and well-matched, so there's maximum fun with minimal skill imbalance. Granted, you'll want to have completed single player (excuse me, UNIplayer) mode first, so you have a basic understanding of what you're doing, but by the time you've made your way through that mode, you should feel big and empowered, ready to take on any other players out there who think they've got what it takes to be the best.
The controls can be very touchy, and some of the traps you have to make your way through are going to test your patience, but those of you who are already accustomed to John's style should have a lot to love in Exit Path. And for those of you who don't, well, there's always the audit room for you!
Very enjoyable game. Challenging, but with enough checkpoints so that it is not frustrating.
Controls just stop working at level 30. You can't jump correctly anymore. Very frustrating.
level 27????
Not a bad game but I gave up on level 27 on what looks to be a near-impossible jump. I'm not going to spend forever trying to complete a task that has to be just perfect to move on. It sucks even more when it's in the middle of a fast-paced game such as this and it brings it to a screeching halt.
Hi , everybody , are you all having a very hard time "running" through this game , i made it as far as level 24 , but i keep dying , will someone please help me ? as some helpful tips for me to progress , anything ? please respond
Thank you in advance
Jaak
PS (sorry for my bad english)
Level 27 was frustrating, but my god level 28. The Double Conveyor belts and spikes are IMPOSSIBLE.
Game is toooooo hard.
I personally managed to play through the game without too much difficulty though some of it was very frustrating. Managed in something akin to ten or so minutes through it all.
The multiplayer function lags terribly on this computer though, it's annoying, but it's an interesting game nonetheless.
Wow! I just beat the game! And with no extra help this time.
The last level was actually quite easy. Just keep going forward, use short hops, and at the end, USE THE FORCE! I mean, flow.
Just wanted to say I experienced some lag on the last level. Not complaining, though, because it was even cooler to do it slo-mo.
its an awsome game. everything is great. im not the kind of person who likes to be pixel perfect, and i beat this rather easily. exept from levels 27-end. that made me scream. but all in all i did it, had fun, and i constantly try to do better. by the way, on level 30 its hard to jump cuz of lag, so be careful.
although i have no acount here, you can call me molegrave.
I found the first jump in 27 actually pretty easy.
Run on the spring (holding up) and get to the right of the fall-spike before it reaches down enough, should be easily possible.
Also, out of all levels, 24 is the one i die most on (the second set of swing axes).
I thought it was a very well-designed game, though I agree that the controls started to get funky a little late in the game. Overall I didn't see it as being terribly difficult, just enough to make me want to finish it!
I like this platformer a lot. While the controls can be a bit tedious, I liked the sort of Portal-like "being tested" theme. And it was also a bit scary at certain points. Most of all, though, I liked the fact that it was visually interesting. That says a lot for me.
If anyone knows Latin could you translate this. It's near the end so spoilers in case you do know Latin.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.
JIGuest: That's standard filler text. I can't post links, but if you search for "lorem ipsum" the first link will explain its story in its entirety.
I really lost track of the hidden signs later on - as in, not just not able to find them but not able when really, really looking for them. I know they how they started to hide since I found some, but it really got absurd. I just gave up and eventually beat the game.
I love how the loading music is the sound of an orchestra warming up... especially as a violin player! :D
Really, really nice.
I got through it in 29 minutes on the first run, and 26 on the second. But I was trying to get all those damn signs.
As a matter of fact, the only problems I found are the Level... 20? (something around there) sign - the one UNDER the pavement at the start - which can't seem to be reachable at all; and the lack of hints about how to unlock achievements.
The text on the official signs was really fun, by the way.
Awesome game. Challenging but not impossible. I made it to the end despite this tough jump at "300 feet left". Maybe I was lucky?
Apart from the game play, what's really great is the attention to details that create this futuristic atmosphere, a bit like in Canabalt I think. It's funny because both games remind me of an old 90s game called "Flashback", does anyone remember it?
Ugh, my computer's lag make it certain that I will come in last in multiplayer!
Uniplayer, on the other hand, is much easier to get through, especially levels that require reflex and timing (I don't have either).
Hello Tracian,
The last sign that is below the pavement is weird to get. You have to run off screen (to the left), and try to drop there. It takes a while to measure where exactly you are off-screen, but you'll get it.
Tracian- The sign under the starting platform is reachable.
At the very beginning, walk carefully offscreen to the left and you'll fall off the platform. Try to steer into the sign on your way down.
If you use the pause button then moving traps like axes, lasers, etc. will not affect you. unpause after they move.
Simply too hard.
Good and hard game, the way I like it. Too bad was the flow system. I found there were very little places where you could actually accumulate flow...
Excellent game! Hard but not unbeatable, and once you've done it, it becomes much easier to complete again.
And the multiplayer mode is just perfect.
Once again... a game from armorgames refuses to play for me.
This is getting tedious.
I love jmtb's games more than anyone, but this one was a bit disappointing.
Music and atmosphere are stellar, great achievements, setup, multiplayer is quick and easy. But the jumps... why so floaty. =( I've played platformers since Mario on the NES and this one is one of the worst. I can't jump with such touchy controls. Made it impossible to enjoy for me as I felt I couldn't control my character at all.
what made this game 5 shrooms for me was the multiplayer mode. however, a level editor would have made it amazing.
awesome game. Really fun
I was able to beat uniplayer, at over 20 minutes...
At least multiplayer seems a lot easier now.
Cooney is a master level designer, though here as elsewhere he walks a very thin line between satisfyingly-difficult and turn-off-the-game-and-go-do-something-else. I generally bail on a game without too much conscience if I encounter a level whose difficulty is a clear flaw instead of a challenge. I don't have time in my casual-gaming-day to try the same jump 99 times before I make it.
but I kept coming back to this one.
Still, when you walk the above-mentioned line, you're bound to veer too far into TOO DIFFICULT from time to time, and that's the error you encounter here, I think. but only occasionally
Still, masterful platformer.
The Latin text can be easily translated by searching "Lorem Ipsum" on Wikipedia. It adds a bit of humor to the game as well.
Smooth sailing until level 24. Then I quit.
i can't seem to find the last caution sign in the last level.. the one where you run through the turnstile to get your final ranking.. any help?
unbelievable! great story! i love this game! favorited!
I just hate armorgames site! There are many great games, which are mostly dark, and this site is so ooo white...
Am I the only ono who see problem in it? When I'm playing mostly black game, and have white background around, it's rather hard for my eyes to catch contrast. And everything in game looks darker, and this white backgroung - even brighter.
Often I'm searching for these games on other sites, because this white background makes them unplayable.
I completed the game... well, I got to the end of stage 30 and then it froze... :( Any ideas?
I have never had a problem with these flash games, or armor's site before, but this game lagged so incredibly bad that I couldn't get past level 16. Completely unplayable, which is too bad b/c I really like the authors games.
Has anyone else gotten level 41 in multiplayer yet? I have seen only one other lv 41, but I know there are several more.
First time poster. I didn't see one here, so I figured I'd post one.
Sign locations
Stage 1
Above the bed.
Stage 2
Just before the narrow path where you slide, up in the air.
Stage 3
Jump off the top of the staircase to the left.
Stage 4
After the big jump, at the bottom of the small dip.
Stage 5
To the right of the buzzsaw. Just before you finish the stage, jump on the ledge and run to your left.
Stage 6
After the flag, jump off the floating platform to your right.
Stage 7
Bounce off the trampoline high to the left.
Stage 8
Above the trampolines.
Stage 9
Above the laser. Take the teleporter up, then run to the left.
Stage 10
Above the 1st teleporter. Go back through the 2nd and jump.
Stage 11
Just after the turnstile. Partially covered.
Stage 12
Above the start position. Go left off the trampoline.
Stage 13
On the block supporting the 1st guillotine. Use the trampoline to get on the 3rd and make your way left.
Stage 14
Drop left after taking the teleporter.
Stage 15
After the 2nd laser, jump off the short wall to the floating platform. You'll probably die.
Stage 16
Just above the start position. Easy to miss. (It's the one I missed.)
Stage 17
On the bottom left of the large sign.
Stage 18
Right of the last strobe light.
Stage 19
Bounce off the trampoline a little left of the wall.
Stage 20
Below start position. Walk off the left side of the screen, then hold right. Grab it as you die.
Stage 21
At the bottom step. Partially concealed.
Stage 22
Above start position.
Stage 23
After the narrow passage, before the teeth.
Stage 24
Between the last pair of swinging guillotines. Jump from the teleporter.
Stage 25
Left of the sing. Mostly concealed.
Stage 26
Left of the trampolines, above the left facing spikes.
Stage 27
Above start position, bottom left of the sign. Completely concealed by the platform.
Stage 28
Same deal as 27. Just above start, Completely concealed by the platform and sign.
Stage 29
After the 1st laser, jump to the top left corner.
Stage 30
Above start position. Go high and left off the 2nd trampoline.
Normally, I do not do these sorts of games well, or quickly. I usually give up pretty soon. But I finished this without too much problems. However, I got a rude wake-up call when I tried the multiplayer. I epic failed!
Honestly people, This game is EASY. My third try I got 7:31. I had all the signs by second try.
Level 27:
Just jump to the side of the falling spike wait till it starts upward past you, then jump down
level 27 isnt impossible. Just use the second jumper thing and the flow to jump over everything, and by second i mean the top one. you get to it by clearing it way to the right then pulling back to the left on top of it then just jump all the way to the right and use flow....its actually really simple
I managed to get 4.58 as my finish time. it no that hard once you run through it a couple times.
YAY!!!
I finished the game for my first time but gee some parts were really hard. I almost lost it with frustration. oh well. here a tip fot the last stage that took me like 10 attempts until i passed. Don't stop when the spikes are coming down just keep running and jumping and wehen you come to yourself just fitting between the floor and spikes do that super speed thing.
Good Luck
Hey does anyone know how to finish level 24? Cause I keep dieing
Wow...I made it to 29 before I realized the game was almost over. The levels were so easy, I thought that was just the beginning of the game. Only reason I'm here is trying to translate the latin lol.
Here's how to beat level 27:
Don't try to jump straight up; USE FLOW! You go 2 squares to the left of the checkpoint, start running, then jump once you hit the trampoline, and when you're a bit to the right of the platform that you were trying to get to, use FLOW and go leftwards, so you are now on that platform.
Finally played a multiplayer game with 5 grandmasters. They need to set up rooms just for new guys and just for grandmasters, otherwise it gets boring quickly for some.
DUDE can anyone get past level 24! cuz i cant get past the second group of those swinging axes or whatever they are called!
I love this game. I've gone back and played uniplayer several times, which is really unusual for me on a platformer.
I really, really like the multi, too, but I have two issues:
First, it would be nice to allow some sort of a sort function, so a n00b isn't playing against someone who's achieved a very high level. It's great that they're that skilled at it, but we're not all hardcore fans (nor do we have the time to play for hours on end) -- and it sort of rips the fun out of things when somebody finishes in 14 seconds and you know you're not going to make it to the end. Kind of a "why bother" scenario.
This is really, really compounded by the lag in the multiplayer version. When the controls aren't reacting immediately, it ends up looking like I'm playing for the sole purpose of seeing how many times I can fling my character into a saw blade...
Awesome game, but the multi version needs some help before it's fun for the casual player.
How to get past the lasers at level 29??? That seems impossible!?
Frustrating but extremely addicting.
Please help!!
translation to lorem ipsum thingy
Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?
It basically means he went through pain in order to gain pleasure. Like u must endure hard work in order to gain relaxation
On the level 29 lasers:
From the teleporter, start running and use flow to speed up. Then just jump across the gap. You'll make it and avoid the laser. Repeat for each laser.
I think somethings wrong with the page the game is hosted on.
Not the site,it's fine,just the game page.
It shows up as everything apart from the game,& author name+details.
I checked & I have got the latest flash player,& have tried in chrome,IE,& firefox.(I even got firefox just so that I could (hopefully)play the game!)
Help,anyone?
Grr, I made it all the way to the last few levels and then my internet died so I had to restart!
More kudos (heehee) -- I don't remember the last game I played over and over again like I've played this one.
Alternate Hint for Level 29:
When you come out of the transporter, just run. When you get to the edge, jump and THEN hit flow -- just for a second or so. You'll zoom across the gap just in front of the lasers.
Multi-player has been refined, I think -- dropping the quality doesn't eliminate the lag, but it does allow me to play a few rounds at a time before it becomes unmanageable.
This was the only game I gave 10/10 on Armor.
The controls seem to be somewhat difficult, yet they are just very sensitive, and need time to get mastered. However, once you do that, there is a lot of fun to be had, and multiplayer is brilliant, except for a number of lag-related issues (controls getting stuck, certain people running slower than others, especially on the conveyor belt level, unsynchronised game clocks, i.e. one player not appearing on your PC where he really is, but where he was some time ago, but the obstacles are right on your PC, hence you see them running through axes, etc).
I wish there was a level editor and a friend invite system, I would even pay for them, as I like the game so much...
I don't think you can do much about matchmaking when you only have a limited amount of players, though. As a grandmaster, I tend to leave noobs to their own circles after 1-2 races.
Have fun with it, everyone!
does anyone know how to get the unlockables flairs on multiplayer?
flairs are available on the net, just google (: they're in order, meaning the achievement you unlock corresponds to the flair.
i hate level 30 but it turns out quite easy after like 1 death :)
To those who are saying lvl 27 is impossible, you are wrong. The jump you are talking about is first of all not impossible, I've done it many times, you just have to keep your momentum up in order to go forwards enough to clear the platform and then go back, it's quite simple actually. Also, that jump isn't even necessary to beat the level, all the speedrunners skip it by using the first launcher to go directly to that platform by jumping over the saws instead of going under the saws to get there.
Completed! Blocked on stage 27 but that's actually rather simple.
On 24,
the second axe's, wait until the 2 that come closest to you come towards you, then run underneath of them and jump NOT TO THE FLAG POLE but to the next axe's, where you can walk left a smidget and you will hit the safe point.
It takes a while to get used to, but thats how I get past it.
On 27,
after you drop down onto the speed ramp with the trampoline at the end, speed up as fast as you can w/o flow, and jump as high as you can. You should land upon the teleporter if you have done it right.
This is the BEST flash mulitplayer game I have ever played, no question. My best time on Uniplayer is 8:01, but the multiplayer is SO amazing I can't even describe it. SO MUCH REPLAY VALUE!!!!!
My froze at the end of 30 too :|
In multiplayer, everyone is going super fast w/o building up flow, while I'm going super slow!!
How do u go so fast?
the game at first was easy then it got harder and harder but at the end it was pretty easy. I BEAT THE GAME!!!!!
-
I haven't replayed a game so much for while..
My only grudge is that sometimes, on multiplayer, a win to you goes to someone else, and I'm not mistaken. Has anyone else faced this?
Its really irritating, and its happened at least four times to me.
how do you do the FINAL jump in stage 27???
It looks John got the story from an old movie called logans run. The two stories are just about the same, and i think its cool that I can run around in one of my favorite games
For anyone having problems with Stage 24:
You can jump over the swinging axe things - the 'strings' that the pendulums are on don't kill you. I found that much easier than trying to get the timing right running under them!
:)
im stuck on lvl. 29... cant get past the lasers! can someone help?
I can't figure out how to get or where to find the sign on level 29. It's the only one I have yet to find and it's really bugging me.
@Leopardmask
DAM posted a location guide for the signs in this forum. Hopefully you can find it helpful.
I looked at that, it didn't help. It has a vague location but I can't figure out the specifics. It's confusing.
Top left corner WHERE? How do I get anywhere other than the normal path?
@Leopardmask
Okay, I found it. I had to find a site where I haven't played this game. I used to be addicted to it to the point I knew most of the double jump shortcuts and whatnot. :p The sign on level 29 can be found
In the second section containing lasers. So go past the swinging axes and under the part where you have to slide. The sign is located to the left of the first laser you'll encounter in the little maze. You can get it by jumping off of the platform directly to the right of the buzz saw. If you miss, just kill yourself with the next laser.
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