RATING: 2 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 1:53

Less is more, right? Mmmmmm… maybe not always.

Your team is recruited to save the world by recovering a top secret anti-virus hidden deep inside an underground laboratory. Escape before the facility self-destructs!

The world needs saving, and walk-ins are welcome! Without knowing our backgrounds or even if we’re qualified for the job, our team has been recruited to recover a cure for an unknown virus and are responsible for the fate of the entire planet. Better hope we ate our Wheaties!

Amazing Escape did a good job overall making sure the theme and game play along the way sticks to the story. Because it is a very small room – especially for eight people – there really isn’t an opportunity for the setting to change much, so going off-topic isn’t a cause for concern in Virus.

The scenery is pretty much a blank canvas like you would expect a sterile lab environment to be. There is nothing particularly unique that stands out in the decor. White, nondescript counter tops take up a good bit of space in the small room, which is a challenge when playing with a full roster. Cabinets line the wall above the counter, presenting a fairly obvious and singular location for everyone to make a bee line for when the game starts.

Crisp, white lab coats hang in a row on hooks by the door, just where the scientists last left them. Metal lockers provide an area for various personal items and/or important formulas and medicines that must be secured from prying eyes and thieving hands. The space is very long and narrow, more like an oversized storage closet than a full-sized room. At the far end of the escape closet is what appears to be a small jail cell containing items needed later in the experience.

The gameplay of Virus is fairly basic, consisting mainly of the search-and-find variety. The beginning of the experience had us searching the few scenic elements and props that were available to us in order to access the lockers and containers which required special access codes.

We then had to work our way to the secured jail cell area, which contained a few additional challenges and ultimately the antidote to the virus. Given that the most memorable takeaway from the setting of Virus is that it is a considerably small space, it was next to impossible to move freely with a room full of players. We found ourselves spending a great deal of the time on the outskirts of a cramped huddle looking over shoulders and trying to contribute however we could manage.

One thing definitely worth noting in regards to puzzles is that if you are a fan of the Resident Evil games, then you should pick up on various Easter eggs throughout the gameplay.

It is not a good sign when the thing players remember most about your escape game is the size and cramped nature of the setting. Don’t get us wrong, we’ve played tiny rooms before, but the number of players were limited accordingly which truly improved the whole experience and made the size of the space irrelevant. While we recognize that venues want to maximize sales and have as many people play in each slot as possible, there is a point when having too many hurts the overall impression of the game.

We feel this offering should see a maximum of four people at most playing at one time.  Otherwise, not everyone will be able to participate in solving clues and completing challenges due to the limitations inherit to the size of the space. And that may lead to patrons feeling as though they placed their money too close to the Bunsen burner and set fire to it.

NOTE: This venue was formerly Rush Escape Game, as it was called when we played it.

Show your support for Escape Authority and get social with us:

Venue: Amazing Escape

Location: Norcross, GA

Number of Games: 4

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 45 minutes

Capacity: 8 people

Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.

Cost: $25 per person