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Mystery Mansion Escape Rooms presents...
"CUT-THROAT"
(AUDIO LED)
✧ Played In Jun 2020 • Team of 1 Player • Success! ✧
► VENUE & GAME FACT SHEET ◄
🏢 COMPANY: Mystery Mansion Escape Rooms
💻 WEBSITE: Company | Online Rooms
🏘️ ADDRESS: 2333 Albert St, Regina, SK S4P 2V8 | Google Map
🗾 COUNTRY: Canada
🕒 TIME ZONE: To Check Time Zone
🕹️ GAME: Cut-Throat (Audio Led)
💻 WEBSITE: Game Info | To Book This Game
⏲️ TIME LIMIT: 60 Minutes 💬 DIFFICULTY: 4/10 (Official) | Easy (Mattster)
👨👩👧👦 CAPACITY: Maximum of 10 Players Recommended
🔐 GAME TYPE: Private
💰 PRICING: $65 (CAD) Per Game
► FORMAT & SPECIFICATIONS ◄
🖱️ DISTRIBUTION ROUTE: Online, By Appointment
🎧 PRODUCT TYPE: Audio Led Escape Room
► PREMISE & OBJECTIVES ◄
Official Premise (from Mystery Mansion): Your police captain has gone missing and you know this is the work of the notorious "Handcuff Killer". You received one final message from your captain, which included a strange address. Equipped with a live-streaming head-cam, you send the last able-bodied detective to the address to investigate. Can you save your captain?
► "GAME AT A GLANCE" SUMMARY ◄
📚 NARRATIVE: Handcuff Killer terrorizing his next meal--your police team's captain
👀 VISUAL: Exactly the same room presented via photographs rather than a live Zoom feed
🧩 PUZZLE: Same puzzles as prior, mostly gen 1 padlocks, with a few "gadgets" mixed in
🧠 IMMERSION: Improved, largely thanks to the avatar's committed and humorous acting
🎮 REMOTE INTERFACE: Virtually all presented by interface Telescape Live, smooth experience
💁♂️ STAFF: Mitch continues to impress, never a dull moment with this guy
💭 OVERALL: An enhanced version from previous remote version, a solid audio led game
🎟️ BEST FIT FOR: Beginner to medium experienced; appreciate dark, mildly dirty, adult humor
🎫 IDEAL TEAM SIZE: 3 seems about just right, up to 4 if you feel unsure
► CUT-THROAT: REBORN & NAUGHTIER ◄
And... we are back!
I've very recently written about "Cut-Throat" the remote escape room experience prior to its closing, only to find out soon after that it wasn't exactly dead and buried.
In fact, it's pretty much still alive and kicking, and in some ways, better than ever.
While the physical location that once housed Handcuff Killer's hideout is being renovated for, well, another slayer's torture chamber (see "Seen"), the legend of "Cut-Throat" lives on with a game master hosted, audio led online experience.
If you didn't get the privilege of meeting the Handcuff Killer (HCK) the first time around, good news, the game is still 95% identical, with only minor puzzle changes; even better news, many of the weaknesses I've discussed previously have now been remedied.
Treat this new review as an updated look at "Cut-Throat", if you will. (If you have yet to read the first entry, I highly encourage you to do so right here.)
The beginning of this audio led version began similarly with a backstory intro, though this time, it was narrated via a pre-recorded sound file, done by professional voice acting, complete with menacing score and effects. Though the contents was 100% same, this improved delivery set the foreboding tone much more so effectively.
My game avatar, Mitch, who remained to be the last able-bodied officer of the most unfortunate (and/or incompetent) police task force ever, with all team members sustaining crippling injuries but one, set out to save their captured captain.
We, who are part of the bedridden backup, continue to command the clueless on-site officer via voice command from home (while praying for a speedy recovery).
Then the enhancements for this new version kicked in!
One of the biggest changes implemented was inventory system utilization with an interface called Telescape Live by Buzzshot.
Whereas Zoom was absolutely required to broadcast a live video and audio feed for the previous remote room experience, it's now essentially taking a backseat and just casually providing a voice over from your host.
Instead, Telescape took over, and the entire "room" was presented with still photographs transmitted by your investigating officer on location, all displayed within the inventory site.
Certain key areas with a photo can be zoomed in and examined for a closer look.
In addition, a password field was available at all times for inputting puzzle solution. For example, if you think the answer to the 5-letter combo lock at the locker is "DUMMY", then you can actually punch that in to check if the answer is correct. (If not, then you're dummy.)
Though not exactly the same sensation, that's still one way to imitate padlock unlocking.
If the solution is indeed legitimate, more photos will be granted, and the game progresses in this overall format. (Items that are used will also automatically disappear from inventory.)
In addition, from time to time, HCK would grace the players with a cameo appearance in the form of audio recordings, providing some of those promised "dark humor" moments.
This semi-automated inventory was a welcoming change due to 1) I no longer risk missing an important clue due to camera angle or occasional blurry visuals, and 2) our avatar, who's no longer preoccupied with broadcasting a live feed via a body cam, is now free to perform!
Well, more accurately speaking, voice acting and improv. And jokes. Lots of jokes.
What really made me enjoy this updated audio led version 2.0 was the avatar's commitment to make this online experience more immersive by becoming the plot's character, and more entertaining by being outlandishly strange and wackily humorous.
Having done a good amount of remote escape experience to date, I assure you, an enthusiastic, charismatic, or funny avatar can help elevate a game to "memorable" status.
For every chance that he can conveniently insert a double entendre, Mitch did it. And for every instance I could invoke an emotional response from my goofy avatar, I took a shot.
Playing off each other's dynamics was a highlight for quarantine gaming, and I genuinely invite everyone to try the same if the staff is also gamed--it could be very fun and rewarding.
Admittedly, some of the humor borderlines on being really out there, a little immature, and some may even call it lewd; but damn it, this is all up my alley, and I actually really ate up every little risque jokes and naughty moments!
And perhaps the host has a talent of feeling out who their audience may be, and tailor made some custom jokes that would resonate with specific customers/groups.
Now, I am not sure how Mitch looked at Escape Mattster's angelic, innocent face and concluded "dirty puns!", but hey, he most certainly wasn't wrong.
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