Escape from Hell (video game)
| Industry | Video game development and publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 28, 1982 in San Mateo, California, United States |
Key people | Trip Hawkins, Bing Gordon, Dave Albert (executives overseeing Escape from Hell) |
| Products | Escape from Hell (1990), Prophecy: The Fall of Trinadon, Wasteland |
| Website | www |
Escape from Hell is a role-playing video game set in an open world, created and released by Electronic Arts in 1990 for the MS-DOS platform.
Gameplay
Presented from a top-down viewpoint, players assume control of Richard and have the ability to enlist up to two companions, while managing a variety of inventory items. The combat system operates on a turn-based mechanic. Throughout the game, players encounter tridents that modify Hell’s environment by altering terrain features or disabling firearm technology.
The title is compatible with CGA, EGA, and VGA display modes.
Plot
After reading aloud an enigmatic message, Richard’s girlfriend Alison is condemned to Hell. Subsequently, Richard receives a call from the "Divine Phone Company," admonishing him for invoking a potent spell. When he unintentionally repeats the incantation, he too is transported to Hell.
His mission involves locating Alison and escaping back to Earth. Along the way, he gains allies that include rebellious demons, notable historical figures such as Josef Stalin and Genghis Khan, as well as fictional personalities like Prince Hamlet.
Development
Following his work on Prophecy: The Fall of Trinadon, Richard L. Seaborne proposed Escape from Hell to Electronic Arts. Initially designed as a conventional RPG, the project transformed into a modern black comedy drawing inspiration from Dante’s Inferno, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s Inferno, the comic strip Stig's Inferno, and movies such as Beetlejuice and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Development was overseen by EA executives including Trip Hawkins, Bing Gordon, and Dave Albert. The production cycle spanned twelve months, with six dedicated to pre-production focused on creating a new game engine distinct from that used in Wasteland, despite similarities in gameplay mechanics and artistic style.
To accommodate release on both 5¼” and 3½” floppy disks, the scope was reduced: the original plan for nine Hell levels was scaled down to three. Additional elements such as extra character and monster artwork, dynamic environmental changes, and alternate endings—including one where another woman is rescued instead of Alison—were eliminated.
Reception
The Games Machine awarded the game a score of 78%, remarking that it "features a fair amount of puzzles alongside some thoughtful design elements within an engaging scenario." In June 1990, PC Leisure gave it an 80% rating. The New Straits Times praised it as "one of the finest titles in its category," emphasizing appreciation for its quality notwithstanding its age.
The packaging included a cautionary label stating: "Contains nudity, violence and controversial images," intended both to prevent negative reactions and to intrigue potential players. Nevertheless, certain retailers and regions declined to carry the game, which contributed to its limited commercial performance.