2.8 Hours Later: Asylum (Manchester)
We have experienced 2.8 Hours Later in a number of different cities (see reviews below) and with the promise of a new version - Asylum - we sent our latest reviewer Lucy Bridge along to experience the show in Manchester:
Last night the world ended! Outbreaks were reported of a highly contagious disease that killed all who came into contact with it and reanimated them into savage killers. Victims lurched through the deserted streets, dead-eyed and dripping gore.
Thankfully, on closer inspection it turned out to be stage makeup. Undead volunteers in perhaps the coolest game of 'tag' ever created- a citywide game called '2.8 Hours Later'. The aim of the game is to make it through the city to a safehouse, whilst avoiding contamination from the infected. A group of friends and I decided to take on the challenge this week.
We started our journey on the 17th floor of a carpark on the outskirts of Manchester. After queueing for ten minutes or so we gave in our tickets, were handed straight-talking guides to the game ('the bus does not care if zombies are chasing you'), and ushered through some plastic sheeting to begin our game.
At first, I found the start of the game a little gimmicky. People in scrubs sprayed us with something that smelled like Dettol and a guy with a clipboard handed us a map and welcomed us to our "new, safe Manchester.' We were steered out of the car park holding our maps feeling a little like a scout group. It was 8pm and still bright daylight out in familiar surroundings, with no sign of any zombies.
This self conciousness continued for the first couple of checkpoints. The groups were staggered at 10 minute intervals, but we still ended up queueing behind the group ahead of us for the first few points, listing to screaming at regular intervals. However, having a vague idea of what was going to happen heightened the tension and got the adrenaline running rather nicely.
We were soon guided out of the centre of the city, into the quieter outskirts. Before this, there had been no real threat from zombies, but as soon as we were ushered into a closed off estate half an hour into the game, the atmosphere changed completely. We crept round corners, scuttled past shamblers and sprinted through larger groups of the lurching, screaming undead. One of our group managed to lose a shoe, which was kindly recovered by one of the subtly present zombie-proof marshalls. Along the way, as well as amazingly authentic zombies we met a varied collection of interesting characters, all with their own stories to tell and information to give. Although they must have delivered the same 5 minute monologue to hundreds of people before us, none of the performances felt in any way stale, and at no point did I have trouble believing in the game. By the time we made it to the 'safe house' at the end, we had really bonded as a team as the course is designed to test your ability to look out for each other. We were rewarded with a big boozy gathering of both survivors and those that had been 'bitten' along the way. The best part about it is if you do get bitten during the game, you get to keep on playing!.
For us, the game lasted about 2 hours and we covered about 6 kilometres. The course is long enough for you to be fully immersed in the game, but not long enough for you to become overly tired, or bored of being chased by the undead. I also felt that the organisers made extremely good use of the facilities available to them; the course runs mainly through car parks and pedestrian walkways, minimizing the amount of contact we had with the 'real world'. Apart from some bemused people picking their way through zombie infested underpasses, we didn't see any non-players for most of the game. And although the game was played in daylight, the use of tunnels and the quality of the costumes and acting made 2.8 Hours Later terrifyingly realistic. I'll definitely be back soon!
Some tips for future 2.8 Hours Later players:
Choose your shoes wisely. Although a pair of heavy steel toe capped boots are bite-proof and reassuring, bear in mind that the game consists of an awful lot of running and walking around. I ran the course in a pair of running shoes and avoided the blisters that my boot-wearing teammates ended up with.
Try the game in a different city. Although playing the game in the city I lived in was convenient, the familiar surroundings detracted slightly from the atmosphere. It's hard to stay in character when you can see your mate's mum giggling at you from across the street.
Drink a pint of water at the Zombie Disco. At the end of the course you get to celebrate with a bit of a disco, and a beer or a cocktail. The reason you're so pleased to see them is because you're almost definately really dehydrated, so go easy on the alcohol, or, like me, you'll regret it in the morning!
2.8 Hours later is designed, organized and run by Slingshot, a young and vibrant company who make wide games for public and private sectors. Although 2.8 Hours Later is currently their most popular game, keep your eyes peeled for new offerings from the Bristol based company.
Last night the world ended! Outbreaks were reported of a highly contagious disease that killed all who came into contact with it and reanimated them into savage killers. Victims lurched through the deserted streets, dead-eyed and dripping gore.
Thankfully, on closer inspection it turned out to be stage makeup. Undead volunteers in perhaps the coolest game of 'tag' ever created- a citywide game called '2.8 Hours Later'. The aim of the game is to make it through the city to a safehouse, whilst avoiding contamination from the infected. A group of friends and I decided to take on the challenge this week.
We started our journey on the 17th floor of a carpark on the outskirts of Manchester. After queueing for ten minutes or so we gave in our tickets, were handed straight-talking guides to the game ('the bus does not care if zombies are chasing you'), and ushered through some plastic sheeting to begin our game.
At first, I found the start of the game a little gimmicky. People in scrubs sprayed us with something that smelled like Dettol and a guy with a clipboard handed us a map and welcomed us to our "new, safe Manchester.' We were steered out of the car park holding our maps feeling a little like a scout group. It was 8pm and still bright daylight out in familiar surroundings, with no sign of any zombies.
This self conciousness continued for the first couple of checkpoints. The groups were staggered at 10 minute intervals, but we still ended up queueing behind the group ahead of us for the first few points, listing to screaming at regular intervals. However, having a vague idea of what was going to happen heightened the tension and got the adrenaline running rather nicely.
We were soon guided out of the centre of the city, into the quieter outskirts. Before this, there had been no real threat from zombies, but as soon as we were ushered into a closed off estate half an hour into the game, the atmosphere changed completely. We crept round corners, scuttled past shamblers and sprinted through larger groups of the lurching, screaming undead. One of our group managed to lose a shoe, which was kindly recovered by one of the subtly present zombie-proof marshalls. Along the way, as well as amazingly authentic zombies we met a varied collection of interesting characters, all with their own stories to tell and information to give. Although they must have delivered the same 5 minute monologue to hundreds of people before us, none of the performances felt in any way stale, and at no point did I have trouble believing in the game. By the time we made it to the 'safe house' at the end, we had really bonded as a team as the course is designed to test your ability to look out for each other. We were rewarded with a big boozy gathering of both survivors and those that had been 'bitten' along the way. The best part about it is if you do get bitten during the game, you get to keep on playing!.
For us, the game lasted about 2 hours and we covered about 6 kilometres. The course is long enough for you to be fully immersed in the game, but not long enough for you to become overly tired, or bored of being chased by the undead. I also felt that the organisers made extremely good use of the facilities available to them; the course runs mainly through car parks and pedestrian walkways, minimizing the amount of contact we had with the 'real world'. Apart from some bemused people picking their way through zombie infested underpasses, we didn't see any non-players for most of the game. And although the game was played in daylight, the use of tunnels and the quality of the costumes and acting made 2.8 Hours Later terrifyingly realistic. I'll definitely be back soon!
Some tips for future 2.8 Hours Later players:
Choose your shoes wisely. Although a pair of heavy steel toe capped boots are bite-proof and reassuring, bear in mind that the game consists of an awful lot of running and walking around. I ran the course in a pair of running shoes and avoided the blisters that my boot-wearing teammates ended up with.
Try the game in a different city. Although playing the game in the city I lived in was convenient, the familiar surroundings detracted slightly from the atmosphere. It's hard to stay in character when you can see your mate's mum giggling at you from across the street.
Drink a pint of water at the Zombie Disco. At the end of the course you get to celebrate with a bit of a disco, and a beer or a cocktail. The reason you're so pleased to see them is because you're almost definately really dehydrated, so go easy on the alcohol, or, like me, you'll regret it in the morning!
2.8 Hours later is designed, organized and run by Slingshot, a young and vibrant company who make wide games for public and private sectors. Although 2.8 Hours Later is currently their most popular game, keep your eyes peeled for new offerings from the Bristol based company.
The next cities to receive the 2.8 Hours treatment will be Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol then Edinburgh
For more information check out their website http://2.8hourslater.com/
For more information check out their website http://2.8hourslater.com/
Previous Reviews:
You Review
Have you experienced this or any other attractions recently? Why not send us a You Review. Every one submitted entry will be entered into a prize draw to win a Merlin annual pass.
For more information about all our attractions and reviews:
|
All the latest news, stories, review and gossip can be found on the ScareTOUR social media pages - the hottest Facebook and Twitter presence in the UK for Scare Attractions!
For the latest offers, exclusive discounts and more - Join the group! |
|