THE GAME PASS GUYS REVIEW
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School — critic roundup for Game Pass
By Game Pass Guys editorial · November 9, 2026
Explore Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School →
Critic roundup · Original synthesis of attributed reviews. The score averages the selected critics; GPG has not conducted hands-on testing.
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School
- Developer
- Coin Crew Games
- Publisher
- iam8bit Presents
- Platforms
- Genre
Escape Academy 2 joined Game Pass on November 5, giving Xbox puzzle fans a fresh reason to arrange a co-op evening. This roundup brings together three published reviews, with their scores shown below.
What the critics found
Video Chums is enthusiastic about the expanded campus, side quests and progression alongside the traditional escape rooms. Its reservations concern dated presentation and moments when direction could be clearer.
AltChar likes the balance of puzzle difficulty and the option to disable timers, but finds extended puzzle sessions tiring. Its PS5 review also reports crashes and frame-rate drops.
Insider Gaming is much less persuaded by the open-world execution. It praises the room-based challenges while describing serious interruptions during outdoor exploration on PS5. The spread in scores reflects disagreement about the experience around the puzzles.
The case for playing on Xbox
The Xbox listing confirms two-player local and online co-op, split-screen, Xbox cross-platform co-op and Series X|S optimization. For an existing Game Pass Ultimate member, inclusion in the library makes it easy to try a shared puzzle session without buying the game separately.
The technical complaints above come from PS5 reviews. They are not evidence that the Xbox version has those problems, or that it avoids them. Xbox’s verified features and subscription access are the positive case here; we have not benchmarked either console version.
Source check: November 9, 2026. Metacritic’s accessible search-indexed entry was older than these reviews, so this roundup verifies its selected scores against the original outlets. It does not reproduce a Metascore.
Critic consensus
The selected critics agree that the escape-room puzzles are the attraction. Xbox’s couch co-op, online co-op and Game Pass Ultimate availability make this an appealing puzzle-night option; the sample does not establish Xbox performance.
(8.3 + 8 + 6) ÷ 3 = 7.43 / 10 before rounding.
Equal-weight mean of the selected critic scores, converted to /10 and rounded to the nearest 0.25. This small sample is not Metacritic’s Metascore.
| Critic | Platform | Original score |
|---|---|---|
| Video Chums ↗ | PS5 | 8.3 / 10 |
| AltChar ↗ | PS5 | 8 / 10 |
| Insider Gaming ↗ | PS5 | 6 / 10 |
Review disclosure: Critic roundup compiled November 9, 2026. Original synthesis of three attributed reviews; GPG did not play or benchmark the game for this article. The rating is our selected-critic mean, converted to /10 and rounded to 0.25. Reviewed platforms are identified individually; this is not Metacritic’s Metascore.
Which version should you play?
Xbox first, with the platform differences that matter. Checked 2026-11-09. Listed capabilities and attributed review findings are distinguished below.
Xbox
- Included with Game Pass Ultimate: a convenient first stop for existing members. Source ↗
- Two-player couch and online co-op, cross-platform co-op and Xbox cloud saves are listed. Source ↗
- Series X|S optimization and 4K support are advertised; no Xbox performance comparison was tested here. Source ↗
- Online console co-op still needs an eligible multiplayer membership; Ultimate includes that access. Source ↗
PS5
Steam
- Online co-op, split-screen co-op and Remote Play Together are listed. Source: Steam listing
- Steam Cloud and achievements suit players already invested in that PC library. Source: Steam listing
- This is a separate Steam entitlement; use the PC requirements to judge hardware suitability. Source: Steam listing
The guide highlights verified Xbox benefits without assuming a performance advantage. Subscription availability and features can change. Critic scores above retain their original reviewed platforms.