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Remote Play Review: The Submarine

RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 28:48

The ocean runs deep, but the mysteries it holds run deeper…

 

The Submarine is a remote play version of an existing, physical escape game at the 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 Locked Amsterdam in person. To read our Pro-Tips on how to best enjoy this new Remote Play genre, click here.

 

Story

The submarine: The Russian submarine K-129 has mysteriously disappeared 20 years ago. It was last seen in the North Pacific Ocean. The vessel has a dangerous nuclear load on board and to this day has not been located. It is crucial that this submarine is found before it falls into the wrong hands.

The controversial journalist Hugo Laanen has been interested in this mystery for a long time. He has kept files with all his findings. However, it seems he has gotten cold feet now. Some even suggest he ran from the Russian secret service. His study room in the Amsterdam Houthaven is still left untouched…

This escape room starts in his abandoned office. From there you are taken to the great depths of the North Pacific Ocean. In this exciting and technically advanced escape room nothing is what it seems.

Can you solve the mystery in time?

Investigators are introduced to Hugo Laanen through a gripping video presentation that journals his attempts at bringing awareness to the missing submarine. The urgency of the matter is clearly understood. Was Hugo getting too close to uncovering the truth? Are there nefarious plans to unleash the long lost nuclear weapons that were on board the boat? The only way to answer these vital questions is to trace his last steps in an attempt to find the submarine itself.

After years of his investigative journalism, he has now mysteriously vanished. Investigators hope to uncover something that leads to Hugo’s whereabouts when they scour his office. Did he voluntarily run away, was he taken, or did he succumb to the depths of the ocean in his efforts to locate the K-129 submarine? Dive in head first and help bring Hugo – and the missing ship – back home!

Scenic

The Submarine covers a very large footprint, containing three distinct sets. Investigators begin in Hugo Laanen’s office – the most likely location to find evidence that could lead to tracking down his whereabouts.

This workspace is littered with artifacts of a busy man on a never ending treasure hunt. Maps, photographs, and oceanic charts cover the walls. Nods to the nautical lifestyle adorn Hugo’s desk and shelves. Each item uncovered authentically belongs in the space and helps to deepen the scenic immersion.

If they are worthy of the hunt, searchers will eventually decipher the location of Hugo’s ship. Once boarding the vessel, the spacious office becomes a distant memory. Gone are the plaster walls and carpet space to pace in thought – replaced by steel and old wood, cargo netting, and a functions ships helm.

The game culminates with its most immersive, detailed environment – and its namesake – The Submarine. Entered through a heavy metal bulkhead door with a large rotating wheel, the stakes are quickly raised once inside. Cold steel walls curving towards a relatively low apex, a dark and ominous atmosphere, and of course a periscope to peer above the surface make this unmistakably the K-129 vessel.

Puzzles

The Submarine’s very strong scenic is matched by an equally impressive puzzle flow. A long series of logical, intuitive, and in-world tasks lead investigators to locate Hugo Laanen’s ship and eventually the missing Sub.

With each task being in some way connected to the storyworld, it becomes easy to forget that they are in fact puzzles. Every step fits very naturally into the course of actions that investigators would take.

A highlight of this action packed game comes in the form of locating the nuclear device using a giegometer, and the ensuing attempt to disarm it.

Overall

Locked Amsterdam is clearly a venue that understands the value of a well-rounded game. A rich storyworld and professionally produced video set the scene before the experience begins. Beautifully authentic scenery sells the world as soon as investigators step foot in Hugo’s office, and only improves the further into the adventure they get. Intuitive puzzles bring it all together perfectly.

The Submarine remote play experience is played using Skype for the audio connection and a YouTube livestream for the video feeds. The multiple platform setup can cause some issues getting set up, and the livestream inherently has some lag, but this does allow Locked Amsterdam to offer some unique gameplay enhancements to the experience. Side by side video feeds allow players to both watch the live avatar as well as explore a 360 degree view of the room they are currently in. The game host is able to overlay graphics onto their video feed, and Locked Amsterdam has put this to excellent use. Most notable, a small Inventory bar is always visible at the bottom of the screen. This allows for easy tracking of what items and keys have been found. At certain times throughout the game, a video or digital graphic version of a puzzle will overlay the actual live feed, making it easier to interpret the necessary information.

The current situation has forced venues to adapt and create new ways for guests to experience their games. This silver lining has made it possible for enthusiasts from all over the world to play games they may not otherwise have ever seen. Although the EA team all agreed that this is a game we would have loved to play in person, we are grateful that the remote play experience allowed us to see the game from the comfort of our own homes.


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

 

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Venue Details

Venue: Locked Amsterdam

Location: Remote online play at home, broadcast live from Amsterdam, Netherlands

Number of Games: 2 (1 currently available via remote play)

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 90 minutes

Capacity: 6 connections

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

Cost: From €80 for 2 players / € 96 for 3 / € 108 for 4 / € 120 for 5 / € 132 for 6

EAR Disclaimer

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

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