Review: The Box Escape Room Experience - Predestined

RATING: 4 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 4:27

You CAN change the past- but we don’t recommend it.

Story

A traitor has been uncovered amongst the time organization. Help us capture him and retrieve all the missing artifacts. Case Files:

[File 1]
Is the organization worth the sacrifices we make? Do the ends truly justify the means? I’m losing faith in what we do here. I must make this right.

[File 2]
All items displaced from the timeline contain the element Xyfrax, the key component to time travel. In its raw form it presents itself as a crystalline structure. When shaved down and refined, the powder can be applied to different elements. Over usage of the material can cause delirium, anger, frustration and loss of empathy. A case of overdose can be seen with The Ventriloquist

[File 3]
We here at the organization have one mission: maintain the delicate order of time. Everything has its place. Everything that is meant to happen, must happen. Everything is predestined.

With the noble goal of returning several “artifacts” back to their rightful point in time, a team of adventurers endeavors to preserve human history as we know it. To avoid the catastrophic ripple effects of altering past events, the group must return these items and uncover the traitor within the organization before it is too late- which (shockingly) is in one hour!

Further details are revealed as one progresses through the temporal mission. Though story elements are delivered primarily via text, the plot is compelling enough to keep this light load of reading from seeming too laborious. The plot of Predestined ties in with the Ventriloquist and Cold Case Killer, creating the feeling of a deeper storyworld that begs to be explored further.

Scenic

The name “The Box”, which seems to be referencing the box office, is a venue themed to look like a movie theater – complete with cinematic posters of their three adventures as well as a candy counter (decorative only, unfortunately). This overall theming is the backdrop as guests are carried off by an eccentric usher to become the characters in their “feature presentation.”

The temporal adventure begins with a clear transition into the universe of Predestined via well-implemented lighting effects. However, this initial transition leads to a more quotidian environment for the remainder of the game. Though time travel is the central theme of the game, the team unfortunately does not get to experience anything beyond the present. In the sense of the overall mission, this does make sense, as the goal is to avoid any devastating ripple effects to the timeline.

Much of the hour is spent in a single room. Though there is plenty to be accomplished within this space, Predestined is missing the “wow” that comes from discovering a new and unexpected environment.

The props and design elements within the game have a home-made flavor to them, but are generally of high-quality. As the focal point of the game, these scenic pieces appear as though they originate from different times and locations throughout human history and provide additional depth to the story.

Puzzles

This is where Predestined shines. The props and puzzles encountered throughout the game simultaneously appear as if they are hand-crafted and authentic.

Furthermore, they never seem out of place in the universe created by Predestined. The puzzling is varied and provides enough challenges to keep the neurons of multiple people aggressively firing for the duration of the game.

The necessary interactions were logical and relied primarily on making connections. One puzzle in particular requires the use of several props spanning the entire room, which results in a very satisfying “solve”. The final mission of the room provides a thrilling climax to the adventure.

Overall

Though the story of Predestined is expansive, the gamespace certainly is not. The footprint of Predestined is fairly small and most of the game is spent in a single space. Though square footage alone does not make a game “good” or “bad”, Predestined does not create a strong sense of discovery and exploration of new settings that one might hope from a time travel theme.

However, Predestined makes up for this lack of exploration excitement with novel, well-integrated puzzles and props that provide for great game flow with several fun moments. The overall theming of the The Box venue as well as the intricate story of Predestined, tying into the narratives of The Box’s other two offerings, provides an immersive experience within the intended storyworld.

Though the old-fashioned box office (in a world dominated by online ticket sales) is becoming increasingly irrelevant, The Box Escape Room Experience is not. Predestined, their newest “featured presentation”, may be worth a visit to the theater.