Can A Way Out be played offline?

Yes, A Way Out fully supports offline couch co-op play. You can play through the entire co-op campaign split-screen with a friend using two controllers connected locally, with no internet required.

What is A Way Out?

For those unfamiliar, A Way Out is story-driven, narrative-focused action-adventure game developed by Hazelight Studios and published under EA‘s indie program EA Originals.

The game is exclusively co-op – it forces you to play with another person, either online or next to you on the couch. There is no single player mode, as the whole experience is built around cooperation between the two main characters.

You and your co-op partner control Leo and Vincent, two very different prisoners who must work together to escape prison and survive on the run from authorities. It‘s up to you and your partner to progress through each scenario, often by combining your unique skills.

With an enthralling cinematic presentation, intriguing characters, and innovative co-op only mechanics, A Way Out provides an experience quite unlike anything else out there.

According to Metacritic, A Way Out has a Metascore of 79 on PC and 74 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, indicating generally favorable reviews.

Playing A Way Out Offline

A Way Out supports full offline local co-op play through the "Local Co-Op" option in the main menu. As long as you have two controllers connected to your PC or console, you and a friend can play on the couch together without an internet connection.

The entire co-op story experience is available in offline local co-op:

• All of the story chapters featuring both Leo and Vincent
• Complete narrative with cinematic cutscenes
• Stealth, hand-to-hand combat, shooting sequences
• Cooperative and competitive mini-games
• Player choice moments that impact the ending

With offline co-op, each player gets their own half of the screen as you work together to control Leo and Vincent simultaneously. The split-screen format lets you experience every tense escape sequence, emotional storyline beat, and high-stakes decision side-by-side.

Based on my experience playing in offline co-op, it was just as entertaining and impactful as the online mode. My friend and I felt fully immersed in the story despite playing right next to each other on the couch. We had a blast cooperating through missions, competing in mini-games, and debating pivotal choices.

Game Length

According to HowLongToBeat, players report that the A Way Out story takes around 6-7 hours to complete. This makes it fairly short for a narrative action-adventure title.

However, creative director Josef Fares justified the 6 hour length as appropriate for the constantly evolving scenario and gameplay concepts they wanted to include. I tend to agree – A Way Out introduces something new around every corner, keeping it feeling fresh and well-paced at 6 tight hours.

Here‘s how A Way Out‘s game length compares to other story action-adventure titles on PS4/Xbox One:

So it is on the shorter side, but that compact playtime makes it easy to finish in just a couple couch co-op sessions.

Why Play Offline?

Playing offline opens A Way Out up for more gamers to experience it:

• Don‘t have reliable internet or play on a laptop while traveling? No problem, offline co-op has you covered.
• Want to play alongside a friend or family member who doesn‘t game often? Couch co-op is perfect.
• Prefer the nostalgic fun of split-screen multiplayer? It delivers that classic feeling.

The always-online requirement unfortunately locks some interested players out of unique co-op only games. Providing offline support eliminates that barrier to entry for A Way Out, and I wish more modern co-op games would follow its lead.

In my opinion, the style of emergent gameplay stories that arise from direct couch co-op is also more interesting than playing silently with some random online. Sitting next to your co-op buddy lets you communicate organically, celebrate triumphs, and get frustrated when they botch a stealth sequence. That social energy makes for good gaming memories.

Verdict: Play It However You Can

At the end of the day, A Way Out is best played however is most accessible for you and a friend. But the good news its that the offline local co-op support enables options. With full split-screen functionality, the offline mode offers the same memorable game for up to 2 players without needing constant internet.

So whether you know someone online to play with or have family visiting for the holidays, A Way Out‘s offline co-op capability makes this one-of-a-kind co-op adventure possible for more gamers to experience. And that accessibility should be applauded.

I highly recommend trying A Way Out if you haven‘t – just make sure you have a friend (online or off) to embark on the journey with you!