RATING: 4 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 5:59

Never trust a One-Eyed Monster who can change their voice at will!

Atlantis! is a remote play version of an existing, physical escape game at the venue’s brick and mortar location – retrofitted to be offered as a live, online experience. Although altered slightly to better flow in this new medium, the game is, at it’s core, essentially the same as what guests will find should they visit Escape One Algarve in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

Modern drones are a marvellous thing, and some kid has managed to detect a massive energy pulse whilst playing with his birthday present off a cruise ship!

The powers-that-be are ALL over this and it’s remarkable how quickly they have set up a deep sea expedition to try to pinpoint the energy source. Experts have linked it to a possible location for the fabled city of Atlantis.

This unique opportunity will take explorers to the sea bed aboard a quickly descending submarine. Once contact with the ground has been made, the real adventure can begin. As they explore in an attempt to locate the source of the powerful energy pulse, the E1A team may come face to face with some of the deep sea’s most mysterious creatures.

The long lost city of Atlantis awaits only the most intrepid searchers. With limited time before oxygen supplies run low, a quick exploration is a must if evidence of the rumored location has any hope of surfacing once again.

The adventure begins aboard the world’s most state-of-the-art submersible vessel. Greeted by the captain – in full seaworthy uniform of course – guests joining via Mission Control’s remote guidance system get a glimpse at the wonder of modern ship technology. Flashing lights, overly active gauges and dials, and alarms that clearly alert to something amiss quickly set the scene. The submarine is a detailed and believable start to this dangerous mission as it’s cramped ceiling, curved walls, and heavy steel door sell it’s authenticity perfectly.

A dark abyss awaits once the crew has reached the depths of the ocean. With the help of a flashlight and a giant glowing clam shell, enough detail can be seen to know the team has likely found the correct location. Peculiar designs cover one section of coral, seaweed grows up the wall of an adjacent rock formation, and ropes hang – protruding through a stone wall…

A stone WHAT?! This far under water? This must be the outskirts of the legendary Atlantis! With some successful problem solving, the E1A submarine crew can gain access to the ancient temple – a brightly lit space that holds several artifacts from a bygone era.

Glowing figures arranged on a central pedestal are surrounded by intricately designed boxes. A large stone pillar sits opposite two menacing jellyfish sculptures. Although the temple portion of Atlantis! seems a bit out of place and ‘cartoony’ in contrast to the underwater area, this otherworldly environment is uniquely intriguing in it’s sense of mystery and wonder.

The long gone but not forgotten inhabitants of Atlantis left a series of challenges preventing anyone from easily gaining access to their hidden temples. In order to locate the source of the strange energy pulse, the E1A exploration team must dive in head first to solve the puzzles and uncover the legendary secrets.

The first roadblocks come on the sea floor as the team interacts with the surrounding rock formations in an attempt to find an entrance to the Atlantian structure. An ocean creature lends a helping hand in cracking open the temple wall, whereupon the crew is met with a wide array of varying tasks.

Several custom built lock boxes evoke the sense of strange engineering one might expect to find from an ancient civilization. The secret of the aforementioned large stone column must be deciphered in order to access valuable weaponry that was once used to protect Atlantis. All of the tasks flow intuitively from one step to the next, however some do veer a bit outside of the storyworld.

The most memorable aspect of the game came in the form of an interaction with a monstrous one-eyed sea creature. This sequence of tasks brought forth both a moment of levity and an ominous sense of danger that is inherent in the deep blue.

Atlantis! transports remote teams right into the heart of the action when Mission Control connects them with the submarine Captain aboard the E1A expedition. The experience proves to be an exciting and immersive adventure from that moment until the team is back safely above the surface of the ocean. Escape One Algarve has crafted a world that is both whimsical and somehow believable – a unique setting that evokes a sense of wonder and mystery.

Presented as a remote guidance mission, there is an in-world reason for teams to be on a video call with the crew. The Captain remains in character for the duration of the adventure, providing a fun and at times theatrical experience. Escape One Algarve utilizes an online inventory system that allows all members of the team to see what their colleagues are viewing. This makes it possible for one person to draw the team’s attention to a particular item or area. This feature of the inventory system takes what could be a cumbersome add-on and turns it into a valuable resource. The finished product is a memorable game that will excite guests regardless of their level of experience in deep sea diving or puzzle solving.

*Montu, Escape Authority’s VP, Dog Business™ and lead home game correspondent endorses the opinions found within this review.

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

Venue: Escape One Algarve

Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from Portimão, Portugal

Number of Remote Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 6 Devices

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

Cost: 50€

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