RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 4:07
Gather the gang to take down your group of friends… uh flip that, reverse it.
The Don Vito Investigation is an existing, physical escape game at the the venue’s brick and mortar location – retrofitted to be offered as a live, online experience. Although altered slightly to better flow in this new medium, the game is, at it’s core, essentially the same as what guests will find should they visit Harz Escape in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.
New York, 1932. Organized crime is at its peak. You are agents and have been assigned to the case of Vito Genovese. While working on the case, the phone rings. A soft voice whispers: “They know about the photos. They are coming!” You know that your boss, Joe Petrosino, possesses incriminating material against Don Vito which he keeps well hidden in his office. Can you find and secure the documents before the mafia arrives?
Taking down the infamous mob boss is no easy task. Knowing that his goons are hot on the trail in an attempt to stop your investigation makes it even more difficult. Unfortunately, the lead detective, Joe Petrosino, is (rightfully) a bit paranoid, which has led him to hide the incriminating documents in a secret safe.
Find the safe, enter the code, run for your life. That would be pretty straightforward, so of course that’s not what Joe has in store for his employee and her remote team of agents. His paranoia means that the code for the safe is undecipherable without working through a series of puzzles he has crafted in his office. Let’s just hope sixty minutes is enough time to solve his extra layers of security so that an escape – with the incriminating evidence – can be made before the mafia show up.
The Don Vito Investigation takes place is Joe Petrosino’s home base for detective work. It’s not the world’s smallest workspace, but it certainly isn’t the sprawling corner office many aspire to one day call their own. A simple, sparsely furnished room houses his desk, a pin-up evidence board for him to keep track of his investigation, a large bookcase, and some wall decorations to keep him from totally losing his mind.
Small scenic touches take this from a boring office to the wholly believable world of Joe. His stereotypical detective’s coat and hat hang in one corner, crumpled notes pile up in the trash bin, his still warm pipe sits on the desk, and his investigative prowess is on full display via his detailed evidence board.
When playing a game remotely, a big part of how the scenic translates comes down to the game hosts ability to share what they are experiencing first hand. Joe’s assistant, Julia, excelled in this regard. From detailing textures, temperatures, sights, smells, and even tastes, she managed to bring Joe’s office clearly into our homes. This elevates the otherwise rather basic scenic to a much more relatable and realistic level.
Joe Petrosino is a humble man, and as such the puzzles he created to hide the passcode to his secret safe are nothing too extravagant. There is no fancy technology or magical hidden compartments to be discovered. However, what he has come up with is an absolutely fantastic flow of entirely logical, in-world, intuitive challenges that his assistant could realistically solve in an emergency.
Throughout the multi-step process to deciphering the code, there are multiple satisfying “ah ha!” moments for detectives to enjoy. Diving into the world of Don Vito and his criminal enterprise will bring investigators face-to-face with many items associated with the mafia: bullets, booze, and back room poker games to name a few. These items are all perfectly woven into both the storyworld and the puzzles, leading to a well paced race to retrieve the evidence.
Joe’s office doesn’t have any fancy technology, so investigators will need to resort to real life detective work to crack the code. Keys, padlocks, and hidden messages all fit the location and time era very appropriately making for an immersive experience. Not once are detectives brought out of the storyworld, be it by the game play or the hosts very strong acting skills.
Remote play games are a very new experience for both players and venues, and as such we are all still learning what works well and what doesn’t. Those answers seem to change every day and are different depending on the individual experience. The Don Vito Investigation is played over a simple video chat with no accompanying website or inventory system, but for this game that works phenomenally well. The game is so completely logical and fluid that it is easy to keep track of what items have or have not been used yet, and the game host does an excellent job of allowing for scavenging without blatantly drawing attention to what needs to be examined.
We’ve mentioned in previous remote play reviews that the game host plays a big part in bringing the experience to life. Julia nailed this role as both an actor and a game master. Starting the video chat in character and never breaking from the role, she truly helped the game convey a sense of urgency and realism. From her simple improved quips, to her detailed descriptions of what she was seeing, feeling, and even tasting, she made it possible to imagine we were right there in Joe’s office alongside her. Those factors go a long way in making a remote play experience highly enjoyable and memorable.
*Montu, Escape Authority’s VP, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondent endorses the opinions found within this review.
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Venue: Harz Escape
Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from Wernigerode, Germany
Number of Games: 5 (1 currently available via remote play)
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 4 connections (large groups upon request)
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: 45€ for 1 device / 54€ for 2 / 63€ for 3 / 72€ for 4
We thank Harz Escape for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary access was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.