Ah, Scriptwelder.
Well known in the flash-gaming community for his simple yet cleverly designed games that incorporate various interesting twists and turns. In the sea of mediocre products and sub-par works within the gaming industry, he remains one of the few developers who I actively follow. With a dreadful atmosphere, engaging story, and interesting mechanics, he has welded his finest Don't Escape yet.
The game, however, is far from perfect, perhaps due to the developer's greater focus on the main plot. The noticeable change to a more linear, story-oriented gameplay has excised the challenge of branching paths and time management present within the previous title. The time limit's effect on gameplay is barely noticeable, to the point where it may as well not even be in the game.
The lack of basic character development diminished the impact of the shock-horror-scenes. Moreover, even the theme of "The Thing"-esque crystals may well have been unecessary due to the lacking personal investment in what happens *after* the events of the game; a few minutes of further exploration into the crew members, setting, and the protagonist would have been a small but significant improvement. Perhaps the main character may have been a researcher, sacrificing his life for the principles of truth and knowledge, leading to immediate stakes with him dedicated to finding out the truth behind the murders and preserving knowledge of the crystal.
Outside the ship exists a pointless area with a spare crystal with no impact on the experience. A missed opportunity, I do wonder what he would have done with it.
I hope he has not disappeared for long. I actively await for the new Don't Escape 4 to improve on previous iterations, and I doubt I will be dissapointed.
Overall, I'm giving Don't Escape 3 an 8/10 — Very Good.