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"What about video games?" I ask, before explaining the premise of The Escapists. Given the nature of our last conversation, David remarks that I appear "obsessed with relating everything to computer games." He's absolutely right, but he nicely decides to entertain me nonetheless as I show him three successful escape videos depicting various levels in The Escapists, before asking his opinion as to their credibility in reality.Escape from Center Perks (courtesy of YouTube user DaStormBringa)Plausibility: "This reminds me of open prison, in that the inmates are given a lot of space," David says. "I'm not so sure about cutting a hole in the fence, given that it'd probably be just as easy to walk straight out the front door, but if you had time to do it out of sight of the guards you might get away with this one. Again, as it's an open prison I reckon getting someone to drop off a wee pair of wire cutters would sort you out—going through with plastic knives would take forever."Watch on VICE News: Inside El Chapo's Escape Tunnel
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"I was offered more drugs in there than I've ever been in my life, particularly in the open prison," David says. "One day I was lying in my cell during rec hours, minding my own business, and some idiot asked me if I wanted a couple of eccies. Eccies were this new thing back then but, 'What the fuck would I want with a couple of eccies if I'm in here?' I told him. Think he was planning to break out and head straight to the dancing!""Na, all joking aside, I did see a few guys who were as clean as a whistle drug-wise going in, and coming out the other end more or less junkies. These days there's AA and drug counseling and whatnot in there, but not back then. It's rife."Altogether, The Escapists never tries to be an ultra-realistic interpretation of prison life—a fact reflected in its pixel characters and funny one-liners. It's a video game mirroring Hollywood's depiction of an institution, which just so happens to include elements that resonate with a former inmate—most likely down to Chris Davis's extensive research. From what David's shared—and as you'd probably imagine—prison sounds brutal. He assures me he regrets the decisions that led him there and that I should behave and seize any opportunities in life that'll keep me from following his path.Which is no doubt good advice. But the thought of an impending fifth season of Prison Break makes me wonder if I'd benefit from some time away.The Escapists is out now for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.Follow Joe Donnelly on Twitter.From VICE News: Going Inside a Maximum-Security Prison That's Rehabilitating Criminals