The Hungry Games
As we sat at the main gates awaiting the start of our experience, we quietly contemplated what laid ahead of us. Sure the minds behind Combat Ops have great experience in laser tag and airsoft events, but with this being their first stab in the world of scare, how would they fare? Especially in such an amazing venue.
For those who aren't aware, the Hungry Games is held at Longmoor in Hampshire - a genuine Ministry of Defence training compound which is like a small village in the middle of nowhere. With empty houses, a train line and so many other exciting features, the venue is perfect for a zombie survival experience. In fact, we were nervous from the moment we got there!
Within a matter of minutes, a large white van covered in the bloodied hand prints of the infected and heavily loaded with military personal pulled up and ordered us to follow them into the infected area. As we drove deeper and deeper into the site the sheer scale of the area began to overwhelm us. Arriving in an already busy car park we were soon surrounded by armed guards who were there to get us into the safe zone so we could sign in. No sooner had we locked the car doors, then the screeching and roaring sound of zombies filled the air! Gun fire followed and before we knew it we were being whisked away whilst the soldiers stayed back to protect us. A great adrenalin filled start!
Once safely inside the concrete walls of the safe zone we were quickly put into our teams and given our survival packs, before receiving a short but substantial briefing setting out the game plan and survival tips. In essence the site was split into 10 distinct areas each containing a set of locked boxes with each team’s number on. Our mission was to collect the contents of each box without getting infected. Before the briefing had even finished, a harrowing barrage of screams and groans interrupted us and then that was it, the game was on! The armed guards did their best to hold them back but it was hopeless, and as 140 contestants scattered for their lives it was very obvious that this was going to be a high adrenalin event.
Throughout the evening, the zombies were relentless. There were a number of different zombie styles and the actors were incredibly physical and stayed in character, while we were hunted for a full 3 hours. The end of the event was signalled by an air raid siren and we were given the impossible task of making it to the extraction point within just 6 minutes. As we reached the brow of the hill with the safety of the armed guards in sight we were met with a sea of zombies! They had also heard the alarm and knew where to get their final feast. We stopped for a while, silently considered what we could do and with a giant collective scream we went for it - running, falling, dodging and getting attacked from every angle by over 40 zombies! An incredible final to an incredible evening.
Of course not everything was over and before we could enjoy a well earned beer we needed to be checked for infection. Lets just say that this reviewer shone up like a Christmas tree under closer inspection, and was quickly bundled through a door, emerging ten minutes later with Zombie make up clearing indicating I was one of them. Everyone involved then convened in the safe area and the night time festivities began.
With the sun setting and the BBQ roaring, Zombies and contestants alike relived their stories from the day and eagerly spoke of their favourite elements. The winners were announced and awarded their prizes before the DJ took over and the party kicked into top gear. With many people staying over, the beer flowed and the atmosphere was ecstatic. We wished we could have participated in the party more but had to leave early.
All in all this was a great event in an amazing location. We identified a few snags, especially when some of the boxes proved to be too hard to find and a few padlocks didn't work once we had found the box. But the team at Combat Ops dealt with any such issues quickly and took on board all feedback given. The Zombies did a great job in the sweltering heat of the hottest day of the year so far and probably deserved their cold beer at the end as much as we did!
The event returns on the 16th August to unleash the zombies once more, So if you fancy some zombie survival in a challenging and unique environment then we would thoroughly recommend The Hungry Games!
For those who aren't aware, the Hungry Games is held at Longmoor in Hampshire - a genuine Ministry of Defence training compound which is like a small village in the middle of nowhere. With empty houses, a train line and so many other exciting features, the venue is perfect for a zombie survival experience. In fact, we were nervous from the moment we got there!
Within a matter of minutes, a large white van covered in the bloodied hand prints of the infected and heavily loaded with military personal pulled up and ordered us to follow them into the infected area. As we drove deeper and deeper into the site the sheer scale of the area began to overwhelm us. Arriving in an already busy car park we were soon surrounded by armed guards who were there to get us into the safe zone so we could sign in. No sooner had we locked the car doors, then the screeching and roaring sound of zombies filled the air! Gun fire followed and before we knew it we were being whisked away whilst the soldiers stayed back to protect us. A great adrenalin filled start!
Once safely inside the concrete walls of the safe zone we were quickly put into our teams and given our survival packs, before receiving a short but substantial briefing setting out the game plan and survival tips. In essence the site was split into 10 distinct areas each containing a set of locked boxes with each team’s number on. Our mission was to collect the contents of each box without getting infected. Before the briefing had even finished, a harrowing barrage of screams and groans interrupted us and then that was it, the game was on! The armed guards did their best to hold them back but it was hopeless, and as 140 contestants scattered for their lives it was very obvious that this was going to be a high adrenalin event.
Throughout the evening, the zombies were relentless. There were a number of different zombie styles and the actors were incredibly physical and stayed in character, while we were hunted for a full 3 hours. The end of the event was signalled by an air raid siren and we were given the impossible task of making it to the extraction point within just 6 minutes. As we reached the brow of the hill with the safety of the armed guards in sight we were met with a sea of zombies! They had also heard the alarm and knew where to get their final feast. We stopped for a while, silently considered what we could do and with a giant collective scream we went for it - running, falling, dodging and getting attacked from every angle by over 40 zombies! An incredible final to an incredible evening.
Of course not everything was over and before we could enjoy a well earned beer we needed to be checked for infection. Lets just say that this reviewer shone up like a Christmas tree under closer inspection, and was quickly bundled through a door, emerging ten minutes later with Zombie make up clearing indicating I was one of them. Everyone involved then convened in the safe area and the night time festivities began.
With the sun setting and the BBQ roaring, Zombies and contestants alike relived their stories from the day and eagerly spoke of their favourite elements. The winners were announced and awarded their prizes before the DJ took over and the party kicked into top gear. With many people staying over, the beer flowed and the atmosphere was ecstatic. We wished we could have participated in the party more but had to leave early.
All in all this was a great event in an amazing location. We identified a few snags, especially when some of the boxes proved to be too hard to find and a few padlocks didn't work once we had found the box. But the team at Combat Ops dealt with any such issues quickly and took on board all feedback given. The Zombies did a great job in the sweltering heat of the hottest day of the year so far and probably deserved their cold beer at the end as much as we did!
The event returns on the 16th August to unleash the zombies once more, So if you fancy some zombie survival in a challenging and unique environment then we would thoroughly recommend The Hungry Games!
For further details about The Hungry Games - please visit their website
Have you also visited this show or any other attractions recently? - tell us what you thought here
Very scary
From the start it was an action packed day. The zombies were amazing, with great attention to detail and amazing actors that never gave up trying to infect us. A couple of small first time glitches with the weapons and padlocks. But I have total faith in the combat ops team in correcting this. Me and my friends are already planning the next hungry games in August and can't wait. This was a stag do and it will be one we will never forget. Thomas
From the start it was an action packed day. The zombies were amazing, with great attention to detail and amazing actors that never gave up trying to infect us. A couple of small first time glitches with the weapons and padlocks. But I have total faith in the combat ops team in correcting this. Me and my friends are already planning the next hungry games in August and can't wait. This was a stag do and it will be one we will never forget. Thomas
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