Escape Road 2
Table of Contents
Summary
The top-down GTA-style police chase returns, and it’s now even more intense than ever. Escape Road 2 brings back everything that made the original a fan favorite and cranks it up with one game-changing addition – the ability to bail out of your car. You can now sprint through the streets on foot and hijack any vehicle you see. If it has wheels and it’s on the road, it’s yours for the taking.
Rob the bank, floor it through the low-poly city, and do your best to outrun an ever-escalating army of cops (now armed with guns), armored trucks, tanks, and helicopters that get bigger and crazier the longer you survive.
You’ll still collect cash piles scattered around the city and spend them on fruit machine spins to unlock rides from a massive roster. But the ability to jump behind the wheel of anything on the road means you get to experience a huge selection of vehicles without needing to grind for them.
One minute you’re in a blocky Cybertruck look-alike, the next you’ve stolen a police cruiser and you’re using their own ride against them. It’s chaotic, addictive, and one of the best police games you can play in your browser.
Escape Road 2 features
- Release date – November 25, 2024
- Difficulty – Beginner/Intermediate
- Levels/environments – 1 (endless city)
- Number of vehicles – 90+
- Vehicle customization/upgrades – No
- Multiplayer – No (leaderboards only)
- Mobile – Yes (iOS and Android)
- Developer – AZ Games
Physics
The arcade-style handling from the original returns, with a subtly refined version of the slidey, responsive feel that works perfectly for drifting through sharp turns and quick direction changes. Just like the OG game, your car auto-accelerates (the pedal is permanently jammed to the floor), so steering and braking are all you need to worry about.
Vehicles still have their own unique handling characteristics depending on their size, weight, shape, and number of wheels. Smaller cars are nimble and can weave through tight gaps. Quirky rides like the tuk-tuk will have a tendency to roll over, and heavier vehicles like buses and armored trucks take much more punishment (but turn like a shopping cart with a dodgy wheel!)
Graphics
As you probably guessed, they’ve retained the satisfying blocky, low-poly 3D city from the original, along with some minor visual refinements. However, the two games look almost identical side-by-side. The top-down camera keeps everything clean and readable, even when things get frantic, which they will before you know it.
Admittedly, it’s not a game that looks that good in screenshots, and you’ll need to give it a try to appreciate why it’s so popular.
It runs smoothly on just about any device, and the simple styling means you’ll never lose track of what’s happening, even when things get a little bonkers.
What’s new in Escape Road 2
If you’ve played the original Escape Road game, you’ll undoubtedly feel right at home from the start, but this sequel builds on it with some really fun additions that transform the game.
You can now exit your car and hijack (just about) anything
This is the headline feature. Press the space bar (or the on-screen button on mobile devices) to bail out of your vehicle at any time. Your character flies out, and you can now navigate on foot with a line pointing toward the nearest vehicle you’re able to enter. Sprint over, jump in, and drive off.
You get three lives while on foot. Bullets from cops and getting knocked down by passing traffic or the cops will each cost one life, so you’ll want to be quick about finding your next ride. The vehicles you can steal include anything on the road, from civilian traffic to armored police 4x4s (it’s super fun drifting the stolen SWAT van through the streets). Unfortunately, you still can’t steal helicopters or planes, so don’t get too hopeful if you get to the airport.
Getting cornered used to mean game over, but now it allows you to abandon your wrecked ride, dodge bullets, and sprint for the nearest vehicle to continue the madness. You’ll last far longer per run, and you’ll get the opportunity to go behind the wheel of cars you’ve not yet unlocked.
The wanted level goes even further this time
The original topped out at 5 stars. This time, I managed to reach level 9, and the escalation makes it super hard to survive at that point. See if you can push things even further and see just how chaotic things can get.
The cops get an IQ boost, and guns
Unlike the cops in the original who had their dumb moments, the po-po are noticeably smarter and more aggressive this time around.
On top of the usual vehicle pursuits, you’ll now need to contend with cops on foot firing bullets at you. You can run them over (hello GTA) to boost your wanted level, and they’re a genuine threat whenever you’re outside your car trying to find a new ride, so try not to spend too long on foot. If you’d rather be the one doing the door-kicking, Time Shooter 3: SWAT puts you on the other side of the action.
You can now pull off parachute saves mid-air
After huge crashes or collisions with tankers, your car can launch into the air. If you exit mid-flight, your character deploys a parachute and floats safely back down. It’s a fun addition, and it gives you another chance to land near a vehicle and keep going instead of an instant game over.
Keep your eyes peeled for unique vehicles hidden around the map
Keep an eye out for in-game arrows pointing to special cars tucked away in themed locations. I found a Halloween-themed pumpkin car sitting in a graveyard, and a pickup truck at the funfair that dropped exploding gifts from its bed every few seconds (great for blowing up cops behind you).
There’s also a racetrack with F1 cars waiting on the starting grid, making a fun bonus for any racing game fans. Keep your eyes peeled for luxury houses dotted around with some awesome cars parked on their driveways, too.
Menu and UI improvements
The fruit machine is now accessible from the main menu (you had to earn a spin in-game first in the original). Also, the pause menu now displays the in-game controls and lets you return to the main menu.
Escape Road 2 controls
Your vehicle auto-accelerates immediately after you steer left or right at the start of each run, so you only need to focus on steering and braking.
PC/laptop/Chromebook
- A/Left arrow – Steer left
- D/Right arrow – Steer right
- S/Down arrow – Brake/reverse
- Space – Exit/enter vehicle
- Esc – Pause menu
Mobile/tablet (iOS/Android)
- Turn left – Press left side of the screen
- Turn right – Press right side of the screen
- Brake/reverse – Two-finger/thumb press
- Exit/enter vehicle – On-screen button (bottom right)
Like all the games in our free mobile-friendly browser games catalog, Escape Road 2 runs perfectly in any modern phone browser without needing to download anything.
How to play Escape Road 2
Initial setup
You start outside the bank you’ve just robbed, and you’ll hop into your getaway car (which starts with an Audi look-alike this time around). The bank staff raised the alarm, and the cops are nearby and ready to pounce. But, before you drive off, take a look at what’s on screen.
Top left – ‘Pause’ button and sound toggle.
Top right – Your current cash balance and score.
Bottom left – Browse your owned vehicles. You’ll start with the Audi, but you’ll soon get to add more with cash and spins.
Bottom center – A text box where you can enter a custom username for the public leaderboards.
Getting started
The moment you press either steering key, the chase gets underway, and the cops immediately start closing in.
Your goal is (seemingly) simple – avoid the police, collect the cash piles scattered around the city, survive as long as possible, and try to rack up your highest score. Every $500 earns you a spin on the fruit machine to unlock a random vehicle for your garage.
Everything from the original carries over here, from smashable lampposts and fences that crumble, but watch out for the buildings and larger objects that are rock solid.
Vehicle transporter trucks with ramps on the back are perfect for launching yourself over roadblocks. Going off-road slows you down slightly, and falling into the water is an instant game over (despite what some other sites claim about being able to swim – we tested it, and no, you still can’t).
As your wanted level climbs, expect to be confronted by roadblocks, armored trucks, tanks with missiles, and helicopters. White smoke from your hood means your car is taking a beating. Black smoke means just one more hard hit will likely end your run, so you’ll need to either drive carefully at this point or bail out and find a fresh ride. However, if limping a wrecked car to survival is your idea of fun, Deadly Descent builds an entire game around exactly that.
If the constant pressure starts getting to you, Slow Roads offers the complete opposite, where you get to test a handful of unique vehicles while cruising through the British countryside with zero police, scoring, and stress.
Game modes
The general game is identical to the original – a single endless mode where you evade cops, collect cash, unlock cars, and chase leaderboard spots (daily, weekly, monthly, and all-time).
Leaderboard competition is perfect for proving your abilities. Your score reflects how long you survive and how much chaos you create, and the hijacking mechanic means skilled players get to keep their runs going way longer than before.
If you’re craving more structured driving game modes, Charger City Driver offers an open-world city with multiple game modes, including police chases. Or if you’d prefer online multiplayer chaos where the arena literally collapses beneath your wheels, Survival Race throws you onto a unique hexagonal platform with tiles that crumble when you drive over them. You’ll need to jump onto the remaining solid tiles while using power-ups and ramming your online opponents into the abyss.
Car list
The roster offers 90 vehicles, all of which can be unlocked via fruit machine spins ($500 per spin).
The original also featured the same amount, but you’ll notice plenty of new models lurking in the collection, like the blocky (of course) Tesla Cybertruck and Ferrari F40 look-alikes alongside returning favorites.
They’re once again broken down by ‘Common’, ‘Rare’, ‘Epic’, and ‘Legendary’.
Some Legendary vehicles come with special perks (shown in the top right on the selection screen), including ‘Earn cash 5x faster’, ‘Double lives’, ‘Drops oil’ (which slows cops behind you), and even ‘Can travel time’ on the DeLorean (because of course!)
Variety-wise, it’s ridiculous. Expect everything from iconic drift cars and supercars to tractors, go-karts, limousines, London double-decker buses, tanks, and just about every weird and wonderful blocky creation you can think of. Drive Mad fans will appreciate this aspect, where you never know what bonkers vehicle you’ll end up behind the wheel of next.
Each vehicle has unique speed, handling, and durability characteristics, and some bizarrely shaped ones are actually more useful than they look – cone-fronted designs plow through traffic, and wider vehicles are harder for cops to flip.
Since you can now jump into anything on the road during a run, you’ll end up driving far more vehicles, including the cars that you can’t own. Spend a single run hopping between a taxi, a police cruiser, and a firetruck without unlocking any of them. It makes the grinding feel way less necessary than it did in the original, where your owned car was all you had. Here, you’ll probably blow up your current ride soon enough anyway, so the next steal is never far away.
If the randomized unlock system frustrates you and you’d rather have everything available from the start, Madalin Stunt Cars 3 gives you over 60 supercars, all unlocked the moment you load in, along with massive stunt maps and online multiplayer.
Tuning, customization, and upgrades
While we’d love to tell you there’s a full garage with coilovers, wheel fitment options, and forced induction upgrades, we’d be lying. You’re stuck with stock vehicles across the board.
For a full-blown tuning experience alongside incredible drifting physics, Drift Hunters MAX offers the most realistic grip and weight transfer of any browser drifter, along with unique game modes including judged runs and street drifting with AI traffic. Or for a lighter alternative that runs on just about any device, Drift Hunters offers plenty of tuning and upgrades across 26 JDM legends and a selection of awesome tracks.
Advanced tips & tricks
Be sure to bail out before your car explodes
Once you see black smoke, don’t wait for the final hit. Jump out early while you can (preferably as close as possible to the nearest vehicle), even if it potentially leaves you exposed to flying bullets temporarily. You get three lives on foot, but only one when you’re driving.
Steal the best cop vehicles for maximum irony
The armored police 4x4s and SWAT vans are some of the toughest vehicles in the game. When your car is falling apart, bail out and make it your own. There’s something satisfying about using the police’s own weaponry against them!
Explore the map for hidden special vehicles
Follow the in-game arrows that occasionally appear when you’re driving, as they’ll point you toward unique rides hidden in themed locations. The funfair pickup that drops exploding gifts is an absolute game-changer for clearing cops off your tail, and F1 cars at the track give you a fun speed advantage. Make sure you also check out the driveways outside luxury houses for fancy rides to make your own.
Use the back roads and building gaps to shake off pursuers
The cops are smarter this time, but their larger vehicles, like tanks and armored trucks, still can’t fit through narrow alleyways. Squeeze through tight gaps if you have a smaller car, and let the bigger threats get jammed behind you. If you’ve enjoyed outsmarting them in this one, Police Chase is another fun game that offers a similar top-down vibe with the added bonus of missiles you can fire back at the cops.
Don’t forget you’ve got three lives when you’re on foot
Getting hit by a car or shot by a cop on foot only costs one life, but you’ll still have two left. On the other hand, if you commit to staying in a smoking vehicle, it’ll be game over when it explodes. So, don’t hesitate to bail when you’ve got a fresh(er) alternative nearby.
Escape Road 2 FAQ
What’s the main goal in Escape Road 2?
Flee the bank heist, dodge the ever-growing police and military forces for as long as you can, grab the cash piles scattered around the city, and use your earnings to spin the fruit machine for new vehicles. Eventually, your ultimate aim is to rack up a score worthy of the global leaderboards.
How is Escape Road 2 different from the original?
The biggest change is the ability to leave your vehicle and steal any car on the road, including emergency vehicles. There’s also a parachute for midair escapes, cops on foot with guns, a higher wanted level, unique hidden vehicles in themed locations, and a fresh car roster.
How do I unlock new vehicles in Escape Road 2?
Collect $500 worth of cash, then spin the fruit machine. Each spin awards a random vehicle, though duplicates are possible (and annoying!)
Can I play Escape Road 2 on my phone?
Yes, it works perfectly in mobile browsers on both iOS and Android devices. The on-screen button in the bottom right replaces the space bar for entering and exiting vehicles.
What happens when I exit my car?
A line appears from your character pointing to the nearest vehicle. You have three lives while on foot, and taking a bullet or getting clipped by a passing car costs one. Sprint to any nearby vehicle and press space to jump in and continue the getaway.
Can I steal police cars and military vehicles in Escape Road 2?
Absolutely. Anything with wheels on the road is fair game, from basic cop cars to armored SWAT vans. Aircraft are off-limits, though.
What are the legendary vehicle perks?
Legendary (top-tier) unlocks come with special abilities like earning cash five times faster, gaining extra lives, dropping oil slicks behind you, or (in the DeLorean’s case) traveling through time. The perks are displayed in the top-right corner of the vehicle selection screen.
Does Escape Road 2 have multiplayer?
There are no real-time online modes, but the daily, weekly, monthly, and all-time leaderboards give you something to compete for against other players across the globe.
Written by:
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Bill is a writer and photographer who has been part of the Drifted team since 2015. His work extends to various print and online publications, including Wangan Warriors.
As part of the King of Nations team, he traveled extensively for several years, capturing top-tier international drift events worldwide. His hands-on experience, including rebuilding his own Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, gives him unique insights into drift car building and global drift culture.
When not behind the lens or keyboard, Bill can be found browsing classifieds for his next JDM project or shredding virtual tires on popular simulators like Assetto Corsa, CarX, and Forza.
You can learn more about Bill’s story here or follow his socials on X (formerly Twitter), Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
