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Everyone has that dangerous, wild side to them that they may or may not show to others. There are few avenues better for exploring this than Roblox. The endless stream of experiences there means you can explore even being a prisoner and breaking out of jail. From the early days of playing Roblox around five years ago, games like Jailbreak were a weekly engagement for my family and me. There is even enough quality prison break Roblox games to make this Jailbreak vs Mad City guide.
Despite there being so many prison break Roblox games, Jailbreak, and Mad City stand at the top. Sorry, Prison Life, but these are the cream of the crop. One of the contentious points in the community is figuring out which game is the best around. Hence this Jailbreak vs Mad City guide where you will find out my answer to the definitive best experience after spending countless hours in both over the last five years.
Bottom Line Up Front
Roblox is full of prison-breaking games that you can enjoy that are all about the prisoners versus the police. The genre of Roblox games began with Prison Life, but the best examples of this idea are Jailbreak and Mad City. I have played both for an embarrassing amount of hours since their releases in 2017. They are very similar, with only a few key differences. At the end of the day, though, the edge has to go to Mad City as the clear winner between the two games.
Main Differences Between Jailbreak and Mad City
There is nothing like hanging out with your friends and family and laughing together as you do some whack stuff in a video game. Both Jailbreak and Mad City offered that to me over the last five years. Still, the reality is that there are as many differences between the two as there are similarities.
For starters, there is the fact that Jailbreak and Mad City put more emphasis on different aspects of their gameplay experiences. I would say that both games have the prison break aspect that ties the two together and makes them similar to their predecessor, Prison Life. Here are the main differences you need to know about:
- The executions of this prison break aspect are handled differently in each game. I would say that breaking out of prison is an afterthought for a game like Mad City. It is a tiny portion of the overall experience since the main idea is to break out as soon as possible so you can experience the real game.
- I would almost say that if you are spending too much time in prison in Mad City, you’re kinda playing the game wrong. While you are free to play however you like in a Roblox title, you are missing out on everything that makes the gameplay loop so fun if you stay in prison for too long.
- When it comes to Jailbreak, on the other hand, half the fun, in my opinion, is the prison break aspect. Being on the prisoner side is extraordinarily fun as there are several ways to break out. There are times that I have spent hours just hanging out in the prison and helping others break out rather than engaging in the other parts of the city.
- The other significant difference between these two games is that Mad City arguably handles the progression system a lot better. It is more RPG in aspects, having clear goals and the ability to progress and unlock more intriguing stuff compared to the relatively straightforward Jailbreak.
- In my opinion, there are some slight graphical differences, too, with Mad City looking a little bit better visually. The city is a bit more defined in its artstyle, with the skyscrapers and level of detail looking a lot better. This could be because it came only a few months later.
- Furthermore, Mad City has better seasonal content and content updates that improve it over time.
- The gameplay was improved, too, over what Jailbreak offered it before. The driving is a little bit tighter, and the gunplay is slightly easier to use.
- Last but not least, though, there is the single most important difference between Jailbreak and Mad City. Both are clearly about prisoners breaking out and the endless war between the criminals and the police. However, Mad City throws a wrench in the matter that expands this idea and makes it more interesting.
- Mad City, unlike Jailbreak, has superpowers that are included as one of the most important features of the gameplay. There are superheroes and supervillains on both sides of the equation, allowing for more bombastic and frenetic action than you would ever find in Jailbreak.
- It isn’t just about guns and cars here in Mad City, as you have flying, laser beams, super speed, and all of the other expected superpowers you can expect to find. This is a huge reason why a lot of players pick playing Mad City since it offers something quite unique in Roblox compared to the rather standard Jailbreak.
If you want a Roblox game with one of the best examples of superpowers, Mad City is for you. Jailbreak has no answer to that since it is focused solely on the realistic gunplay between the criminals and the police.
General Gameplay
Jailbreak
There is no greater prison-breaking experience in all of Roblox than Jailbreak. Sorry, Prison Life fans, but the original just can’t compare to what came after and learned from what it did. It is right there in the name itself: Jailbreak. If you couldn’t tell from that name alone, it is clear that this is all about breaking out of jail.
And that is the primary focus of Jailbreak, with the idea of breaking out of jail fully realized here. It is the perfect marriage of Prison Life and Mad City, finding the right balance between the two when it comes to being a prisoner.
It has a nice balance of not being too wild with its schedule like Prison Life is but still offering a more engaging prison break experience than Mad City. There are so many various methods of breaking out of jail in Jailbreak, from going through the sewers to sneaking under the fence and so on.
Mad City
On the other hand, we have Mad City. Slightly newer than Jailbreak (but seriously barely by a few months), it is a fantastic experience because it learned so much from what came before it. Mad City doesn’t settle for simply being a clone of the other prison games in Roblox, and that is its best asset.
Mad City simply could have been yet another prison break game that cashes in on the success of Jailbreak and Prison Life before it. However, it chose to revolutionize the gameplay aspects of the genre, and, quite frankly, it is the most successful in this regard.
Mad City has the best gameplay out of all of the games in its genre by a long shot. What you can do in this game exceeds the other similar titles in terms of options and choices. It also is the most fun to engage in when it comes to gunplay and driving around in the city.
Handling guns and cars have never been more exciting than in Mad City, which is more of a testament to the overall criminal and police experience. The developer really dived into this area and made sure that it was fun to not just break out of prison but be the bad guy, too.
The same goes for the police, where it is far more interesting and fun to be a police officer in Mad City. You won’t catch me as police in Jailbreak, but you certainly will in Mad City. This is also in large part because of the superpowers that exist in the Roblox game.
Playing Together with Others
Jailbreak
It is a large enough prison, too, that you can run around, hide from the cops, and plan your escape with the other players. There isn’t a more fun jail-breaking experience in Roblox, and I have found so much joy in just hanging out at the prison with my friends and family.
I have so many countless stories of hiding around a corner and waiting for the police to open up their area for me to sneak in and steal their equipment. And then using that equipment to break out the other prisoners, equip them, and take the fight to the police.
There are other times when I stole a helicopter, landed it on top of the prison, and broke out a bunch of people at once. I could go on and on, and this is just the prison experience. There is still the criminal life of breaking into stores and stealing their treasures for my own.
There is a lot of fun to be had here, too, with some great platforming puzzles and gunfights to be had against the police. I adore waiting for my friends, getting a huge group together, and overwhelming the police. At the same time, we complete a heist where they simply can’t take down all of us.
Plus, the escape section is the most fun with trying to get away with the cash without being caught and sent back to prison. And even if we are caught, we’re back to the exciting prison with its myriad ways of escaping. The gameplay loop is so strong in Jailbreak.
Mad City
Mad City is so much more than just a prison break Roblox title since you can become a superpowered criminal or police officer. Both sides are extremely fun to play, and I don’t mind switching between the two. I can’t say the same for the other games out there that are similar to Mad City.
It is part of why you will find a typically even number of people on both sides of the equation. The battles and general format are so fair in Mad City, which I appreciate when I want to see an actual war happen on the streets. Since they will be usually one-sided battles, you don’t generally find that in other games.
This helps since it means that you can enjoy playing together with friends no matter which side of the equation you’re on. My family and I have had a fantastic time on both sides in Mad City whereas that isn’t the case in something like Jailbreak. We only enjoyed being criminals and prisoners in Jailbreak.
It helps that Mad City is so much more than just a prison break experience, too. While it may not have the prison break experience Jailbreak has, it is genuinely a GTA or Saints Row-like vibe that I love in Roblox. The progression system and everything it has going for it add so many layers beyond the expected elements of a multiplayer prison-break experience.
Pros and Cons
Jailbreak Pros
Here are all of the pros that you need to know about when it comes to Jailbreak:
- The gameplay loop in Jailbreak is consistently engaging and exhilarating
- The very best prison break experience that you will find in all of Roblox
- The heists are all universally quite intense and fun with the platforming sections and escape scenarios
Jailbreak Cons
Unfortunately, Jailbreak isn’t perfect — no Roblox game is — so there are some negatives that you should know about. Here are the negatives that slightly water down the Jailbreak experience:
- There is almost too much focus on the prison break gameplay in Jailbreak. This does make the other aspects of the game suffer some from not being as deep as they could be
- Unlike the prisoners and criminals, the police side is rarely fun to play. It’s too bad that there aren’t more elements to this side as there are for the others.
- Jailbreak is hard to enjoy on your own. There is some solo fun to be had, but you are missing out if you aren’t hanging out with someone else and planning out your moves together.
Mad City Pros
Here are the positives of what I like about Mad City:
- The best gunplay and driving gameplay in all of the prison break games
- The city aspect is so deep and engaging, unlike other titles
- The police side is actually worth checking out
- Superpowers ensure that it is so much more than just a jail break experience
Mad City Cons
Here are the few negatives that exist for Mad City:
- Heists aren’t nearly as fun as in Jailbreak in my experience
- Still not the best for solo players
- The prison break segments feel less deep and almost like a tutorial at best rather than its own exciting aspect.
Which Is the Better Roblox Experience?
The tough part about all of this is the ultimate question of Jailbreak vs Mad City: which is the better overall video game you should play? I love both games and play them regularly, but I won’t cheap out here. The answer is relatively clear: the better game is certainly Mad City.
This is for a number of reasons, including the fact that Mad City just offers the player so much more in terms of what you can do. Jailbreak is a far more traditional experience that only sticks to a limited gameplay style. In contrast, Mad City offers the player so much to engage with.
You have the fantastic progression system, all of the various items that you can collect, the superpowers you can use in battle, and a better balance between the two main sides. This helps to create an overall more enjoyable experience that is fun for everyone. Plus, it is possible to enjoy it alone, unlike something like Jailbreak, which emphasizes working together.
If you’re looking for the prime example of what Roblox has to offer in terms of GTA and Saints Row-like open-world games, look no further than Mad City. That said, I would like to take a second and advocate for Jailbreak. While I admit that Mad City is the better game by a long shot, I actually play Jailbreak a lot more.
This is because I play with family and friends, and I appreciate the jail-breaking aspect of Jailbreak more. However, if you don’t care about that part, no worries, as Mad City will absolutely be the better pick for you. But if you want to break out of prison and focus on that, I recommend Jailbreak.
Other Prison Break Alternatives to Consider
But Jailbreak and Mad City aren’t the only prison break-themed games that you can find in Roblox. They dominate the genre as the two kings of the style, but they are far from the only ones out there that exist. Here are some other alternatives that I recommend for players to check out:
- Prison Life: The original prison break game, Prison Life, is a different breed. This is all about literally staying in the prison pretty much 24/7. There is nothing to the outside world revolving almost 100% on the prison experience. The daily schedule and intense guards mean that this is all for the role players out there.
- Barry’s Prison Run: This game and Prison Break Obby are pretty different from the other titles on this list. Sure, you are trying to escape prison here, too, but through the use of platforming and solving puzzles. It might not be for everyone, but I appreciate the relaxed nature of this carefree obstacle course experience.
- County Jail Roleplay: Otherwise known as Prison Life 2.0, this is the modern version of the classic. The gameplay is more fun, the roleplaying is more in-depth with the intriguing systems at play, and there are lots of exciting updates over the horizon. Civilians and more are coming soon, offering a deeper experience than Prison Life for roleplayers.
FAQs – Jailbreak vs Mad City
Question: Is Mad City a copy of Jailbreak?
Answer: That is the ultimate question. I think that Mad City is a copy of Jailbreak. It conveniently came out nearly a year after Jailbreak with some insanely similar elements to it. I think Mad City was more of a copycat of Jailbreak than it was of even Prison Life. But this doesn’t matter too much, in my opinion.
Question: Is Mad City pay to win?
Answer: I don’t think that Mad City is pay to win. However, there are definitely some valid claims otherwise. The general idea is that you want the game passes if you want to be the most successful player. You can play the game and enjoy it without paying a penny, but you need game passes to be the best around.
Question: How do you escape Mad City on Roblox?
Answer: There are many ways to escape the prison in Mad City, most of which use items. You can cut the wires on the fence, blow up a wall, pick a door, and much more. Alternatively, you can use the gates if you have none of those items. It is easy to escape.
Where to Break the Law in Roblox Next
Ready to take your prison break to the next level? There is nothing that you could play that is better than Jailbreak or Mad City. They are the prime examples of the multiplayer offerings that Roblox has, and there are few games out there that are better than them. Admittedly, though, they only attempted to capitalize on the success of one of the older Roblox titles.
Prison Life is one of the original games in Roblox that catered to the entire prison break idea. It was not only great for setting up your prison fantasies but for the roleplayers out there. Suppose you’ve wanted to know where this entire genre started in Roblox. In that case, you will want to look at the unfortunate story surrounding the beloved but sadly outdated and declining Prison Life.
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