RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 8:00
“If you’re nothing without this suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” – Tony Stark on Escape Authority, probably.
Iron Man 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 Claustrophobia in person.
Depending on the game chosen, Claustrophobia offers several different styles for Remote Play experiences, from “Avatar Quests” to “Multimedia Quests” and “Audio Quests.” To be clear, Iron Man is one of their “Multimedia Quests,” wherein a host guides players through a digital game comprised of pictures and video clips taken inside the physical brick and mortar gamespace. The venue recommends booking your game more than 24 hours in advance to ensure the availability of an English-speaking avatar host.
To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.
Who is he? Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and just a good guy. Unfortunately, even this hero could not save the secret prototype of the new super suit. Now the high-tech combat exoskeleton is in the hands of terrorists.
If the villains understand its design and establish mass production, they will not be able to cope with an army of armored flying fighters. There is only one way out: try to get to the terrorist base, get into the laboratory and steal the heart of the super suit. The fate of civilization is in your hands!
The Iron Man suits, including Tony Stark’s original prototype, have gone missing. It’s believed they may have been stolen by a supervillain crime syndicate who plans to use the powerful proprietary technology for world domination. But, Stark himself is conveniently unavailable. In fact, the entire Avengers team hasn’t assembled to save the day. You know what that means: Escape Authority to the rescue! (Listen, if you’ve got a better option right now, we’d love to hear it!)
Finding a way into the bad guys’ hideout won’t be easy; that’s why they pay us the big bucks. Wait, what? We’re being told that heroes aren’t paid. Really? Are you sure? Why would they put themselves in such danger then? Oh. I see. Because it’s the right thing to do. Well, we’re already here. Escape Authority, ASSEMBLE!
Intelligence points to a fairly non-descript warehouse just outside of town. It is believed that this is where criminals are harboring the Iron Man tech while preparing to auction it off to the highest bidder. Beginning in a simplistic back office, heroes must gain access into the warehouse space itself without drawing attention from the many armed guards present. Luckily, security camera feeds clearly pinpoint their current locations.
In the warehouse, everything appears to be business as usual. Large packing crates line the walls, stacked from floor to ceiling, some looming well beyond reach. The crates themselves, though massive, seem too small to hold an entire Iron Man suit; but perhaps it’s not what’s in the crates that matters.
Hidden behind a well-guarded secret passage, an unlisted room is full of tech worthy of Hydra itself. (HAIL! What? Does it really surprise you that we’d side with the bad guys?) Multiple Iron Man suits stand ready for battle like silent sentinels turned against their intended purpose. This third space is a Stark (get it?) departure from the tone of the rest of the warehouse, creating a distinct picture of the clear and present danger the world is in.
Claustrophobia brings the storyworld of Iron Man to life through its authentic, engaging puzzles. Each intuitive step equally furthers both progress and the narrative, embracing Tony Stark’s scientific background to infuse a bit of chemistry with crime solving heroics. Don’t worry, PhDs are not required.
Like true super heroes, the mission will require breaking in without a trace, all while taking out a few bad guys along the way. Even when it seems like backs are against the wall, creative problem-solving will slide things along smoothly, no matter how big of a challenge they may pose. Some of Stark’s own gadgets may come in handy to resolve tasks in otherwise impossible ways.
But like the powerful proprietary tech within them, this game truly shines brightest when interacting with the Iron Man suits. Serving as the perfect storyworld climax, heroes will not only find themselves hacking and accessing Stark’s most brilliant technology, but also quite literally battling it in full animatronic fashion to save the world.
Of course we need to acknowledge that, yes, Iron Man is very much making use of a certain Marvel intellectual property we shall not name. The reality is, this is a game that likely could never come to the United States, but copyright law is a bit more flexible in Russia.
That being said, this new Remote Play genre has granted us an ability to see a very unique game halfway across the world. Unlike Stir in Springfield – an Avatar-controlled game that takes place live within one of Claustrophobia’s brick and mortar rooms – Iron Man is classified as a “Multimedia Quest,” one we’d call a Digital Game. Although controlled by a live host, at no point is the game actually inside the physical space. Instead, pre-filmed action sequences play out as teams solve their way through a series of images and room maps.
We realize that by now you’re probably thinking, “a game run through pre-taped video doesn’t sound nearly as fun;” We were right there with you – and in fact, prior experience we had elsewhere reinforced that position. However, it probably should come as no surprise that if any venue could execute it well, it’s Claustrophobia. And boy did they ever.
Another question you’re probably wondering is can this game be played in English? Thankfully, the answer is yes. Iron Man has very little vocal dialogue throughout the adventure, and what little written text is found throughout its puzzles is presented in both Russian and English. The one small speed bump could be coordinating a booking time with a day there is an English-speaking staff member to act as your avatar. After all, it’s not easy to guide someone on what to do if you are unable to speak to them directly. Claustrophobia requests English-speaking bookings be made more than 24 hours in advance, to give them enough time to adjust staffing schedules to accommodate. Our host spoke fluent English, however, as a backup we invited some US-based Russian friends to play with us, and they kindly acted as our personal translators to ease things along.
A testament to the quality of the experience – by the time our team was barely half-way through our mission, I actually completely forgot this was not live. Iron Man flows so solidly, and carries such compelling narrative action that it’s just as good as the real thing. Claustrophobia is only offering these quests remotely for a limited time – so gather your own team and assemble before you miss out on one of the most unique escape game themes anywhere to be found!
*Montu, Escape Authority’s VP, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondent endorses the opinions found within this review, and is disrespectful to dirt.
Show your support for Escape Authority and get social with us:
Venue: Claustrophobia
Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from Moscow, Russia
Number of Remote Play Games: 22
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 6 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: 700 ₽ per person (minimum 2)
We thank Claustrophobia for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary access was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.