During EA's E3 2017 press conference, we saw the debut of a new game from Hazelight, the studio from the creators of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Teased back at The Game Awards in 2014, A Way Out is a co-op-only action/adventure game focusing on the exploits of two escaped cons who have to work in tandem to evade the police and other criminals.

The developers of A Way Out have kept the focus on the parallel gameplay mechanics from Brothers, but they've upped the ante for this one--including a grittier, more realistic story as well as 3D environments and characters. Set in what looks like the '70s, A Way Out focuses on the story of two convicts who are on the run after a prison escape. After a getaway chase, the story transitions to follow these two characters as they come to grips with their past, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the law.

Unlike Brothers, A Way Out is only playable in co-op with another player. Either through local splitscreen or online co-op, players will always need another person to experience the game with. One player might have to drive a getaway vehicle while another stays in the back to shoot at oncoming vehicles. It's a pretty clever take on the style of gameplay that was present in Brothers, controlling two unique characters with different perspectives, but considerably expanded .

Here are some other things we learned about A Way Out during the livestream:

One player can be controlled while the other is seeing a cutscene

There are different ways to approach a scenario--either character can potentially be the one to deal with a situation.

Hazelight is the studio of film director Josef Fares, who directed Brothers.

"They are a small and very talented group with a vision and passion for a game that is truly unique in the video game industry," EA executive Patrick Soderlund said in a statement. "A Way Out is going to surprise people with its innovative co-op gameplay and the way it tells an emotional story solely through these two characters."

Fares himself added: "The idea for A Way Out came when me and a friend tried to find a story driven co-op game that wasn't a drop-in/drop-out experience. We simply could not find a game like that. We're also bringing an innovative look into how to tell the story of both these characters. Players will be immersed in the game with the way we change the display from a full screen experience seamlessly to different cinematic split-screen formats. By focusing on the two characters in different ways, it opens up a huge variety of gameplay, as we really wanted to avoid repetitions so they will get to know the characters through very different situations."

Slated to arrive in early 2018 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, A Way Out looks to be an exciting and original debut from Hazelight.

We'll report back with more details on A Way Out in the days ahead.