Review: 5 Wits - Espionage

RATING: 6 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: *Not timed

Consistently among the very best interactive game attractions you’ll ever find, 5 Wit’s Espionage delivers – and excels – on every possible level.

Story

Espionage is a classic spy story with all sorts of high tech twists and turns.

Your mission? Break into enemy headquarters, dodge security lasers, hack the computer system, unravel the clues, diffuse the threat, and get out alive! Every challenge you conquer and mistake you make will change the outcome, so stay sharp, move fast and don’t get caught!

Easy, right?

Every second of this adventure is fully story driven on a highly immersive level. A live performer acts as your handler, communicating with HQ as well as offering puzzle guidance when needed. Ours was a fantastic example of how an actor can truly enhance an experience like this – completely believable, conversational, great improv skills and never came across as over-acting. He also pulled off a great Scottish accent before revealing his true identity!

Scenic

Every 5 Wits attraction showcases arguably Disney-quality scenic, and Espionage is no different. This company truly deserves the title of best scenic quality in any given escape room, period.

I was a bit concerned walking into Espionage that a spy theme – stark and plain by its very nature – might be a bit less than I’d come to expect from 5 Wits. Boy could I not have been any more wrong. They absolutely nail it from start to finish – from the rug shop front to hide the operation, the service elevator that has seen better days, breaking into the hide-out, to the bomb shelter and subsequent devastation left in its wake – every second inside Espionage is true scenic beauty at its finest.

Puzzles

5 Wits games do tend to focus on being a bit more family friendly – and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. For seasoned players, the puzzles themselves might sometimes be a bit on the easier side – but the total package experience is without a doubt one of the best you’ll find.

There were a several really great puzzle moments that I enjoyed quite a bit here – including disabling a bugged room, attempting to disarm a bomb, gaining security access to a lab and the most clever safe cracking gag I’ve ever encountered.

Overall

There’s often just not enough praise one can give 5 Wits. Their operation is so top notch. Storytelling is key to their strategy – and every step of the game fits within that story world, enforces and enhances it and always leads to a more than satisfying finale payoff.

5 Wits is without a doubt the solid industry leader when it comes to scenic presentation – and they’re never afraid to spend extra money on some great effects and surprises. There’s some in Espionage that will have even the most jaded of players picking their jaws up from the floor.

These attractions are a blast for our well-traveled group, but still perfect for a family with younger puzzle-solvers. 5 Wits really does stand out as one of the most innovative escape game-style attractions you’ll ever encounter!