RATING: 6 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: +5:00

In 1300 AD, a ‘Hero from the Sky’ was prophesied to have destroyed the Evil. Unfortunately, he wasn’t available today, so they called in the next best thing: us. (Hey – we run a website; the internet is on the cloud… same thing, right?) Groovy.

The Official Evil Dead 2™ Live Video Escape Room is a slightly modified version of the existing, physical escape game at the the venue’s brick and mortar location – retrofitted to be offered as a live, online remote play experience. Although altered slightly to better flow in this new medium, the game is, at its core, essentially the same as what guests will find should they visit Hourglass Escapes to play The Official Evil Dead 2™ Escape Room in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

You and your fellow paranormal investigators have been sent on a mission to the Knowby Cabin, which has materialized within the walls of the Archaeological Society. With Ash Williams guiding you, you will have to find a way return the evil dead to their realm and escape before the cabin is sucked into the time-space vortex forever.

The Official Evil Dead 2™ Live Video Escape Room exists within the same storyworld universe as the cult classic horror film of the same name – but once boarded up in the Knowby Cabin, it sends paranormal investigators down their own unique path. Along the way, the action brilliantly intertwines with iconic moments from the film, but still manages to stand tall as its own unique narrative.

The experience begins, appropriately, with the old audio reel player sparking to life, only to recite forbidden passages from the Necronomicon to bring the damned back to life. Here’s hoping that works out better for our team than it did for Ash and his girlfriend.

On site in an official capacity representing G.R.O.O.V.Y., investigators are paired with (or, perhaps saddled with) Shemp, a lovable – albeit bumbling – doofus who’s really just there to help set up the equipment. But, as these things often do pan out when entering notoriously cursed cabins in the middle of nowhere at night, all the demons of hell get released and now we need to rely on Shemp, through our guidance, to break the spell.

Shemp has an answer for everything – even if they’re rarely correct. He’s as quick-witted a he is dumb, and as funny as he is, well, probably damned to never make it out of that cabin alive. Thankfully, he did just get new glasses, which, as he pointed out to us, helped with his hearing.

What follows pans out as a completely unplanned, impromptu ghost hunting TV show where everything that can go wrong absolutely will. As the only remotely qualified experts (See what we did there?), and with Ash no where to be found, the fate of the universe relies on our ability to exercise this evil spirit and banish it back to the netherworld. Surely Shemp’s thick Brooklyn accent won’t impede his ability to translate from the Necronomicon, right?

Fans of Evil Dead 2™ – the film – will find themselves instantly at home within Hourglass Escape’s recreation of the Knowby Cabin. Rich in intricate detail, the sets found within this escape game could become easily interchangeable with the ones used while filming the movie. Many props are exact replicas – right down to the plans used to duplicate the clock hanging on the wall.

In the center of the room, the iconic Necronomicon ominously rests atop a pedestal, commanding attention while fostering a clear and omnipresent sense of the foreboding. A trophy-mounted deer’s head hangs high above the fireplace, almost as though it’s looking down upon investigators, judging them, laughing. Doors and windows are crudely boarded up using any means available – but is that keeping the Evil out, or in?

The rest of the cabin is no less detailed, from a kitchen stocked with Campbell’s Soup cans – one of countless easter eggs hidden throughout the attraction – right down to the the workshed and its missing chainsaw.

With so much clearly evident effort put into bringing this storyworld to life, it should come as no surprise that puzzle tasks throughout the Knowby Cabin each play their part to add authenticity to The Official Evil Dead 2™ Live Video Escape Room. Every challenge is logical and intuitive, making them appealing to both fans of the escape game genre, while also still attainable for lesser experienced players who may be visiting solely for their connection to the intellectual property.

Throughout G.R.O.O.V.Y.’s paranormal investigation of the Knowby Cabin, several tools of the trade will be put to good use. Using an actual spectral scanner to verify the presence of supernatural activity in an environment so rich with its recognizable horror roots is equal parts chilling and satisfying.

Other tasks connect directly to the film, like shutting up the mocking deer head or conjuring haunting memories of Henrietta’s favorite song. A particularly brilliant puzzle affords investigators the first hand experience of battling, well, Ash’s own hand. Set within the storyworld in such an organic way, this puzzle is one of the most clever and authentic translations of IP-to-game we’ve ever seen.

Naturally, all good things (or, you know, evil things) must come to an end. It’s probably not much of a spoiler for any who have seen the film to know everything will culminate with speaking the spell aloud and destroying the ancient Book of the Dead. Even for those unfamiliar with the IP, this is an epic climatic moment sure to give goosebumps.

We’ve long said that the sign of a good attraction is one that can stand on its own, with no prior knowledge or emotional connection to its IP required. The Official Evil Dead 2™ Live Video Escape Room is one of the best possible examples of that design rule. Let me pull back the curtain just a bit to explain; Barely two hours before Remote Playing this game, I sat down to watch Evil Dead 2™, the movie, for the very first time. I did not enjoy it. Not even a little bit. I certainly recognize there are many who might disagree – and I appreciate and respect your opinions – but this film, simply put, was not for me.

A testament to why one should always enter an attraction with an open mind, I shared this experience with the rest of our team, but stressed that we mustn’t let any preconceived notions I personally had impact our opinion before playing. Minutes in, I quickly realized we were experiencing something incredibly cool. Some 75 minutes later, after freshly banishing the Kandarian Demon, I had a new escape game attraction to add to my list of personal favorites.

As a site, we often try to keep our reviews free of “I-emotion” language. We’ve long believed that each review should tell a story of the experience a guest is likely to receive, and should not be “about us.” That not withstanding, this moment feels like one of those rare exceptions. Evil Dead 2™ – the film – is unquestionably a horror cult classic – but for people, like myself, who didn’t enjoy it — or, perhaps, for those who have simply not seen it at all, the notion of going to an officially licensed attraction based entirely on it might not seem the most appealing. We’re here to tell you – when it comes to The Official Evil Dead 2™ Live Video Escape Room, you need to leave those preconceived notions at the door. This attraction requires neither a familiarity or emotional connection to the movie. It’s that good, all on its own. But for those who are die-hard fans of the IP, there’s no question this will become an iconic experience of a lifetime – rich in easter eggs, hidden references and jokes – allowing investigators to finally enter Ash’s world of darkness and experience it first hand.

And then there’s the added bonus layer of the Shemp character hosting the Remote Play version of this game. There’s no doubt that The Official Evil Dead 2™ Escape Room, if played in person at the venue, would still measure up as one of the best games around – but the immersive theater-caliber interactions and perfectly timed humor infused into this experience by Shemp bring the whole experience to another level entirely. This is one of those rare instances where The Official Evil Dead 2™ Live Video Escape Room, when played over the internet, might actually be even better than getting to experience it in person.

Fan of the film or not – there’s just one world to sum up the experience of The Official Evil Dead 2™ Live Video Escape Room: Groovy!

*Montu, Escape Authority’s VP, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondent endorses the opinions found within this review.

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Venue: Hourglass Escapes

Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from Seattle, WA

Number of Remote Play Games: 1

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 70 minutes

Capacity: 6 people

Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.

Cost: $33.33 per person

We thank Hourglass Escapes for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary access was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.