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Escape from Hell is a 1990 computer role-playing game. Published by Electronic Arts, it was the second attempt by EA to capitalize on Wasteland nostalgia, following on the release of Fountain of Dreams. After sales fizzled, any subsequent attempts at wringing more money out of the series fizzled.

Summary[]

The official story in the manual is as follows:

You thought hell would be a cool setting for an adventure game. You would romp across the unforgiving terrain of the underworld & meet some of the nastiest characters in history. Sort of like Dante, only with UZI’s. You imagined ghouls & demons tending the flames of eternal damnation. You imagine politicians & lawyers begging for mercy at the hands of devils & taxpayers. You would sprinkle in facts about Lucifer himself to give the game realism. Alan would do the art & research, you would do the programming. This would be a fun project & you looked forward to your design meetings.

But Alan disappears and your girlfriend vanished almost before your very eyes. If you can believe that voice on the telephone, Alan is in Hell, your girlfriend is in hell, and this dreadful place you are in right now is hell.

It's hot. But what did you expect? The telephone receiver becomes slippery in your hand as you sweat the cold sweat of fear. It's almost refreshing, but it warms quickly. You stand for a moment to gather your wits. If you aren't lucky, you'll feel the hot sweat of panic. Hell no longer seems like the place for an adventure. You resolve to be virtuous for the rest of your life, & you hope that it doesn't end here. You look for a way to protect yourself, & you find some help in a chest nearby. A parting gift from your guardian angel. Now you know you really are alone in this. Is there anyone down here you can trust? You'll have to choose the best of the bad & work with them. You have to find Alan and Allison without getting killed in the process.

You can see that you'll have to go deeper before you'll get out, so you gather your wits & head for the gate. Your guts say you'll be meeting the Big Man of Hades before this is all over. You hope all those horror films you've been watching lately have prepared you for this.

Gameplay[]

Escape from Hell relies on an even more simplified recreation of the Wasteland engine originally created for Fountain of Dreams, with the party limited to just Richard and two followers, no ammunition management, and a very limited set of interactions (though somehow more robust than the original game). It is best thought of as an expanded adventure game, with Richard shambling from one situation to the other, trying to find his girlfriend. Notably, the game is much more humorous ( or "humorous", mileage may vary), routinely breaking the fourth wall and using noted historical and fictional figures for comedic relief.

For more details, see:

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