RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 4:53

Prepare to play your part in a mythological clash of epic proportions!

A hot air balloon ride takes an unexpected turn and you find yourself in Ancient Greece in a war between Greek Gods and Titans. Do you have what it takes to wield the power of the Gods and save Olympus?

A mighty wind-storm has blown the hot air balloon off course. The voyagers onboard start to lose sense of exactly where they are. When the dust finally clears, and the course has been “corrected,” the aeronauts find themselves at the foot of the previously assumed mythical Mount Olympus.

The adventurers have arrived at quite the convenient moment as well. Zeus and his companions have called upon the travelers to aid in a monumental bout. A clash of power has begun between the gods and titans, and this fortunate group has a special opportunity to tip the scales in favor of the gods once again – to save Olympus.

The quest begins aboard an out-of-control hot air balloon. Lightning flashes, thunder claps, and the ropes of the balloon sway and pull in the storm. The design of the balloon is spectacular, down to the details of the “heating” apparatus in the center of the basket. Upon landing in the mythical past, the basket opens and the explorers gaze upon a beautiful Greek temple and the tower of a mountain nearby.

Maze Rooms presents an absolutely gorgeous tableau of Greek lore with this latest escape adventure. Elegant columns adorn the face of the temple, while stone busts of various gods assist in facilitating the story. Beautifully decorated vases and tablets can also be found throughout the area. Each set piece and prop feels as authentic as possible in the context of the story.

Sky Odyssey uses the various levels of the space in an incredibly one-of-a-kind way through the implementation of platforms, staircases, tunnels, and caves. At any given point, the hero’s can occupy three or four different horizontal planes within the same escape experience. Maze Rooms has done more with a limited amount of space in this experience than many companies have with twice the square footage. This is not to say that Sky Odyssey was crafted in a small room by any means, but it looms even larger than its measurements.

The puzzles displayed throughout Sky Odyssey are well immersed and truly bring the explorers further into the storyworld. Puzzles range from interaction with specific gods, to analyzing musical genres on a harp, and even harnessing the powers of Zeus himself. Each piece of this big Greek puzzle is more unique than the one that came before it. Several of the gods take on their own fascinating personality as well, drawing the voyagers further into the story.

While the entirety of the escape game is entertaining, and the amount of puzzles available genuinely impresses, some of those puzzles fall just shy in a few categories. There are a few occasions where simply following directions is all that is needed to complete a set of puzzles, while others are composed of simply too few clues to effectively solve the riddle at hand.

The one main drawback with the puzzles in this experience probably lies with how the layout appears versus how it actually plays. With a game of this magnitude, one would assume it would take a non-linear structure to work through. Unfortunately such is not the case, as a “map,” delineating the order in which to proceed through the puzzles, is provided to the heroes as they embark on their quest. While this method does assist in organizing the large space, it also creates a less interesting, more linear structure. This makes for some bottle-necking while waiting on others to complete their tasks. Since the order of events is practically drawn out for each team, it limits some of the excitement of exploration.

Sky Odyssey certainly shines in the puzzle creativity category however, executing brain teasers of all shapes and sizes. With such a large puzzle count, there’s practically one on every surface of the space. This game also includes a secondary quest, to be completed once the first is finished, adding to the enjoyment of the experience as well as the grandness of the adventure.

Despite a few slight imperfections, Sky Odyssey does a wonderful job at delivering on a mystical, magical adventure. The first few minutes of the experience are some of the most memorable executed in any escape game. With so much to do and see in this game, it is certainly one not to be missed. It should also be noted that while the capacity for this game is ten people, it would be recommended not to bring more than six.

Maze Rooms remain one of the largest escape companies in Los Angeles, and this location continues their run of quality experiences with Sky Odyssey.

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Venue: Maze Rooms

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Number of Games: 5

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 70 minutes

Capacity: 10 people

Group Type: Private  / You will not be paired with strangers.

Cost: $99 for two to three people (prices vary depending on group size)

We thank Maze Rooms for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.