RATING: 4 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 25:41
Another day, another apocalypse-inducing virus to stop. It’s difficult to be us sometimes.
Underground lies a serum that can cure a deadly virus that has decimated our world as we know it. Your search party comes across what appears to be a secret vault – little do you know, entering this passage means you’ll be taking on a mission that could save the human race. Please don’t come out empty handed.
The end of the world is at hand; luckily we’ve stopped countless outbreaks before, and we just happen to have time for one more. 60out takes a common industry trope and gives it an industrial / post-apocalyptic spin. What results is a somewhat unique approach to a storyworld we would have otherwise visited many times before.
As with other 60out games, Outbreak sticks to its story from start to finish, with players ultimately finding a cure to the aforementioned deadly virus that’s driven us underground. Working towards a goal, rather than simply “escaping the room” is always far more fulfilling – and that’s something 60out has become very qualified in providing, with Outbreak being no exception.
We often find 60out truly excels in the scenic department, with grand, detailed sets that truly draw the player in. Outbreak does not entirely fit that mold. A really cool entry statement through a circular vault door portal set our expectations high, but in truth, what followed was just a tad bit lackluster when compared to 60out’s usual trend-setting standards.
Perhaps one could argue that taking the minimalist approach actually makes a lot of sense in a game set in an underground bunker designed to avoid a biological apocalypse. One probably should expect the bare minimum needed for survival in a space such as this.
At the end of the day, these are not empty office rooms by a long shot. Each room has its fare share of industrial gadgets and do-dads, plus a flourish of story through its minimalist decor to help bring the world to life: for example, the underground greenhouse meant to keep certain plants from going extinct when survival on the surface is no longer an option. Outbreak’s scenic is by no means bad. It’s only con is that it sits in the company of other 60out games, which, in many cases, have some of the *strongest* scenic value in town.
Though a bit on the easier side for our very experienced group, Outbreak’s puzzles are solidly in line with what we’ve come to expect from 60out. Each task along the journey connects well to its storyworld, making everything we do feel like a logical, organic extension of the scenario itself. Nothing here feels like a puzzle for puzzle’s sake; everything furthers the mood of “we need to save the world!”
Outbreak features some original puzzles, as well as some we’ve seen before re-imagined in whole new ways. It should come as no surprise, given 60out’s track record, that this game has more than its fair share of cool technology integrated flawlessly into its puzzle steps, making their outcomes feel like something out of a futuristic movie instead of just a game.
Outbreak stands out from other 60out games with its much lower team capacity size: no more than four. The spaces are smaller, and at times that would have impacted the tasks available for a larger-sized group. We really commend 60out for capping this one at a smaller group size, as it’s a much more solid product because of it.
Don’t let the score fool you; we really enjoyed Outbreak. Frankly, the fact that it received 4 Keys is as much a testament to the quality of the rest of the brand as any other factor. Outbreak’s biggest “flaw” is, perhaps, the lofty company it keeps with other incredible games like Titanic, Grandma’s Master Plan and Alice in Wonderland, among countless others. So many 60out games are so far ahead of the curve. In our experience thus far, there’s just no such thing as a bad 60out game.
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Venue: 60out
Location: Marina del Rey, California
Number of Games: 4
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 4 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $40 per person (a minimum of two people are required for booking, then prices vary for each additional player.)
We thank 60out for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.