Disclaimer!
This review, like all our other reviews, reflects the subjective opinion of the Extrareality team. To form your own opinion about the escape room, we recommend trying it yourself.
Enjoy reading! :)
A new escape room in Riga — and Stas Davydov also had a hand in creating it! You definitely have to check it out — you don't come across a combination like this very often!
The company “Side Quests” announced plans to build two escape rooms at once: “The Hobbit” and “Narnia”. Initially, the plan was to launch both games simultaneously and add a lounge area as well! However, in reality, the team decided to start their escape room journey with “The Hobbit”, while dealing with “Narnia” as their resources, budget, and time allow.
And then, at the end of July, the team announced the opening of their first game!
A few weeks after the opening, we finally made our way there to see what they had created.
Story. Deep beneath the treacherous peaks of the Lonely Mountain, the last treasures of the dwarves are still gleaming. Your party must solve the puzzles, escape the echoes of Smaug’s fury, and recover the priceless Arkenstone before the shadows close in.
From the description alone, it is clear that the team has placed an emphasis on adventure and fantasy. As always, we'd like to point out that you don't need to watch all the movies or read the books to enjoy the escape room. Knowing the universe will simply be a bonus, as the game contains several references and Easter eggs.
Overall, the story is as simple and straightforward as it gets: you have a clear goal that you need to accomplish.
Atmosphere. It is clear that the team put a lot of effort into making everything look beautiful, and in many ways, they succeeded. The downside of beauty is fragility, though, and in our opinion, this is where the game's weakest point lies. Many objects are not reinforced enough, some would be better made from more durable materials, while others would be better hidden.
Another slight downside is that the room is quite dark, while, especially at the beginning, only a couple of team members have access to light sources. This means everyone else has to follow them closely and not stray even a step. It's not necessarily a bad thing — it's just not particularly convenient.
Overall, the decorations and atmosphere look good, and fans of the universe will get an additional reward in the form of various Easter eggs.
Puzzles. There aren't too many puzzles in the game, but all of them feel realistic and are reasonably challenging. Sometimes you understand what you need to do, but figuring out exactly how to do it isn't always obvious :)
All the puzzles are integrated into the story and atmosphere. There is nothing illogical or disconnected from what is happening in the game.
Overall: we would recommend this escape room to beginners, children's teams, and families looking for something to do together. Fans of the universe will certainly enjoy the game, but even casual players are unlikely to be left indifferent.
