RATING: 2 Keys RESULT: Loss REMAINING: X:XX
We really wanted to play a game, but Jigsaw had other plans.
Guests enter the historic Egan & Co. Meat Packing Plant for an after hours tour, only to find they are players in an elaborate game devised by the infamous Jigsaw killer and his disciples. By working together to combat their fears, venture far out of their comfort zones, and solve intricate puzzles, guests will have the opportunity to win their freedom as they traverse the twists and turns of an entire factory of Jigsaw’s games.
On a typical day in Vegas, a group of unsuspecting guests decide to take a tour of the Egan & Co. Meat Packing Plant. Sounds like a bit of a tame trip doesn’t it? Well it is, until we realize there is much more to this tour than expected.
In an unexpected twist, we are in fact trapped inside the meat packaging plant and forced to play a game to survive. All we know is that the Jigsaw killer has us exactly where he wants us, in his killing grounds.
Starting from the arrival to the venue, the scenic value kicks in immediately. Instead of an escape room company logo on a building, we approach a large warehouse area branded as Egan & Co. Meat Packing Plant.
Our tour of the plant moves through six distinct parts, each with their own unique set designs. Guests start out in the break room of sorts, filled with half eaten food and trash all over. This is just the beginning to the twisted world we are about to enter.
Moving through the break room into the locker room, things start to take a dark tone very quickly. Lockers are busted up, belongings scattered all around, it can be hard to figure out what’s part of the game or part of the background. All of this foreshadows what lies ahead.
The meat processing room is where we first encounter our host of the tour, Jigsaw. After setting up a creepy monologue about our peril, the game begins in a dark, dirty, bloody, and disturbing pig processing room. Hogs hanging from the ceiling on large metal hooks, meat grinders filled with various parts leading in to assembly lines, and a big freezer round out the large space. This room in itself could pass off as the floor space for a small escape game, but there is more to come.
Moving from room to room, the scenic quality maintains expectations throughout. Fans of the movie series will recognize certain rooms and set features along the way. In total there are six separate zones, each as disturbing and creepy as the rest. From the furnace, to the bathroom, to the underground tunnel system, each room pushes the limit of set design in this twisted game.
One major issue with the scenic though is the immersion break on the NUMEROUS, and I can’t emphasize this enough, amount of random padlocks on electrical boxes throughout the rooms. At times looking at all of these locked boxes, no one was sure if it was part of the puzzles, or an off-limits item. With just the raw amount of these, it breaks the flow of the game constantly seeing wall sockets, light switches, and panels locked in clear view rather than being cleverly hidden away in the set.
We said we wanted to play a game with Jigsaw right? Unfortunately, this is the biggest downfall of Saw Escape. The puzzles are lackluster to say the least. With such a high value of set design, one would expect the puzzles to follow suit. Simply put, they don’t.
It’s a good thing Jigsaw makes extensive use of black lights, because a vast majority of your game will include finding a way to turn on said black light, and simply reading a number off a surface in the room. Find number, input in to lock, repeat, repeat, repeat.
For the rest of the puzzles, they are split in to simple follow the directions and input code fare. A few laser puzzles with extremely wonky controls can get frustrating quickly, as the direction you need to move the laser chooses to work rarely.
Which leads us to another major issue with the room. Use of tech that may or may not work. We are no stranger to tech driven puzzles with use of tools in the room. However when those items simply don’t work as expected, it’s extremely frustrating to be in a time crunch and be lost at what to do.
Not only did we have issues with lasers, movement controls, connections of wires, an over one hundred year old safe that is finicky at best, but also locks refusing to open with the right code. It is disheartening to have the right code, but have your time run out and be pushed through to the next room due to a stuck lock.
We previously mentioned the amount of immersion breaking locks on the walls for electrical boxes. This is a serious issue when it comes to puzzle management. It’s hard to figure out what is locked for safety sake, and what is locked as an actual puzzle. The overwhelming number of red herring type locks detracts from the puzzle flow as it seems there are always locks that have to be skipped over.
Another thing to note is the lack of a true hint system. Early in the game an actor is freed and acts as a guide/hint system providing nudges along the way. However it can be tough to coerce a hint in the small amount of time allocated to each individual room. A good hint to remember is that JIGSAW is the one running this game.
The experience of the Saw Escape is just that, an experience. The scenic quality is a great touch to the overall feel of the room, but aside from that it’s a mediocre game throughout. What could be a truly great room fell short of expectations, with little thought put in to the puzzles throughout the experience.
Due to the layout of the complete game, you will have somewhere between seven minutes and ten minutes to escape each individual area. If you complete one area faster than allotted, you do not get that time back, you just simply move to the next room and keep going on a new timer. Think of it as six mini escape games back to back to back. If you do fail one of the rooms, you are pushed through the experience to the next room.
Also due to the layout, some spaces are an EXTREMELY tight fit for the group. With a capacity of ten players, and public booking options, this can outright lead to a traffic jam of bodies in a small space. It’s easy to overlook things, or never be able to experience things due to the high number of players allowed in the game. Maneuvering around your teammates while trying to communicate and work together leads to a hectic experience at best.
The game is also set up in a way that unless you book the private event, more and more people will be added on to your game until it’s at capacity. We started as two of us in the lobby, and were warned the game would be extremely difficult, but we are up for the challenge. Fifteen minutes passed our start time, and four more show up, then another two. We ended up with eight total players in a game that should be capped out lower than the ten maximum.
To top off everything, upon finishing the game, the exit is exactly through where you expected. The gift shop.
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Venue: Saw Escape Room
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Number of Games: 1
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 10 people
Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.
Cost: $49.99 per person(Sunday – Thursday) / $59.99 per person (Friday – Saturday)