RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 26:45
We’ve stopped our fair share of missile launches, but even we’ve never had so much fun taking down the Russians before!
The last dictator of the world is relinquished of his powers but he won’t go down that easily. In a last ditch effort, he initiated a nuclear missile sequence that could decimate the civilization. Stop the countdown to save our planet.
On paper this game, at its core, falls under the cliché of a defuse the bomb trope. At its core. However take it from me when when I tell you nothing about Red Alert feels cliché.
This is an incredibly clever, incredibly fun, and equally incredible immersive experience taking us into the heart of of Cold War Russia. It truly worked on every level.
Red Alert’s storyworld unfolds within a two room space clearly frozen in time to trap us in the heyday of the Cold War. Russian propaganda posters decorate the walls. Shelves overflow with objects that bring the flavor of Russia to life – from nesting dolls and war paraphernalia to, of course, lots of Vodka.
We are clearly within the bunker of a great Russian leader – decked to the nines with comforts including classic Russian music and even his own golden throne to make his time riding out a nuclear war a comfortable and pleasant one.
If you’ve read a 60out review before, you’ll be no stranger to the following statement, but puzzles are where Red Alert truly shines. Each step is a logical and intuitive one. Several “ah ha!” moments accentuate puzzle victories – and those puzzles themselves all strongly connect to the Cold War story world in a way we always hope to see but rarely ever find.
An even bigger surprise to us was the use of some incredibly clever puzzle tech even we have not seen before. Red Alert simply packed surprises around even turn, and every single step we did was fun.
We’d love to share some of the specifics with you, but we simply cannot bear to spoil these surprises. You’ll just have to sniff them out on your own!
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of more unique themes, and as such I wasn’t sure how I would react to Red Alert. Clearly there is an abundance of defuse the bomb / stop the missile launch games out there -and in fact several of similar flavor and theme exist within the LA market itself. On its own, it’s not typically what would draw me in to a new game.
It should come as no surprise that 60out delivered a product that shatters preconceived notions, instantly making it a standard bearer for a theme found all around the country. I’m certain that I’ll play countless more defuse the bomb style games in my future, and I highly doubt any of them will surpass Red Alert on its bar-raising levels of story and clever, tech-driven puzzleflow.
I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but Red Alert is another incredibly solid product from 60out. They continue to impress us by pushing the envelope and raising the bar that at this point they’re really starting to set for themselves. There’s just not much competition that can deliver on the level that 60out can and consistently does time after time after time.
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Venue: 60out
Location: Los Angeles, California
Number of Games: 2
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 6 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.