Zombie Shopping Mall
Having recently experienced Zombie Manor House, Zed Events invited us down to the mall to see for ourselves what all the fuss is about. We were not disappointed!
Zombie Shopping Mall is a sell out attraction that has been running in an abandoned shopping mall in Reading since late 2011. Tickets for the experience are like gold-dust and pre-bookings are already running into next year, which proves difficult as the location is a shopping centre that is due to be torn down in the near future!
The entrance to the venue is pretty insignificant and we were led into an old dusty corridor for our first briefing. As with any physical activity, certain disclaimers were required of us but it wasn’t long before the zombie violence started. From here on out – it was zombie apocalypse time – and we were on the menu!
Kitted out by a local swat team, we were instructed on the safe use of our Airsoft rifles and given brief training before heading into the depths of the building. We walked down dark corridors, searching doors and empty rooms and it all seemed quite quiet. Although clearly a real building – the corridors were small and non-descript and could be from any basement in any building anywhere.
And then it happened – we emerged from the darkened tunnels into what appeared to be an empty shop. We walked through the remains of display units and the jaw dropping realisation hit us. We really were in an abandoned shopping mall. This wasn’t a set or something that has been designed, but something very real that was once a bustling metropolis of shoppers. The escalators are closed down, the shops are standing open inviting us in and silence rings out all around. It all seemed so peaceful – until we heard the shuffling of feet!
It didn’t take long for our awe and wonder at the setting to be ripped away as the zombie horde started making their way towards us. There was nothing for it – we needed to get out, and we needed to shoot zombie ass!
The next hour became a massive chase game around all segments of the mall including the basement, the empty shops and the back stage areas, Our route alternated between open mall areas and tight corridors and at all times we were kept at a heightened stated of awareness wondering what was coming next.
At one point during the experience we ended up in a control booth surrounded by CCTV screens and a mix of live images and pre-recorded footage, created a real sense of fear and excitement about what was waiting for us outside. We must also mention the amazing retractable shutter scene but don’t want to give anything away. That scene alone was a moment of sheer chaos and beauty that will live in our memories for a long time!
Fortunately, during this opening game the zombies were quite slow moving and could quite easily be taken down by 2 or 3 shots. How quickly this would change in the upcoming games…
The entrance to the venue is pretty insignificant and we were led into an old dusty corridor for our first briefing. As with any physical activity, certain disclaimers were required of us but it wasn’t long before the zombie violence started. From here on out – it was zombie apocalypse time – and we were on the menu!
Kitted out by a local swat team, we were instructed on the safe use of our Airsoft rifles and given brief training before heading into the depths of the building. We walked down dark corridors, searching doors and empty rooms and it all seemed quite quiet. Although clearly a real building – the corridors were small and non-descript and could be from any basement in any building anywhere.
And then it happened – we emerged from the darkened tunnels into what appeared to be an empty shop. We walked through the remains of display units and the jaw dropping realisation hit us. We really were in an abandoned shopping mall. This wasn’t a set or something that has been designed, but something very real that was once a bustling metropolis of shoppers. The escalators are closed down, the shops are standing open inviting us in and silence rings out all around. It all seemed so peaceful – until we heard the shuffling of feet!
It didn’t take long for our awe and wonder at the setting to be ripped away as the zombie horde started making their way towards us. There was nothing for it – we needed to get out, and we needed to shoot zombie ass!
The next hour became a massive chase game around all segments of the mall including the basement, the empty shops and the back stage areas, Our route alternated between open mall areas and tight corridors and at all times we were kept at a heightened stated of awareness wondering what was coming next.
At one point during the experience we ended up in a control booth surrounded by CCTV screens and a mix of live images and pre-recorded footage, created a real sense of fear and excitement about what was waiting for us outside. We must also mention the amazing retractable shutter scene but don’t want to give anything away. That scene alone was a moment of sheer chaos and beauty that will live in our memories for a long time!
Fortunately, during this opening game the zombies were quite slow moving and could quite easily be taken down by 2 or 3 shots. How quickly this would change in the upcoming games…
After a well deserved break (we were all sweating by this point) it was time to go back into the mall but this time with a big difference. There would be no police or marines around – we would be on our own!
Split into small groups we set off on our missions and slowly but surely our teams got picked off one by one. It was hard to know whether to take shelter and hide or just run around gung ho and go for it. The action was fast and frantic and in places terrifying – we knew the zombies were actors but they had great hiding places and knew how to shock us while patrolling the building. With the whole mall, backstage areas and dark tunnels to explore it was amazing that the zombies seemed to be everywhere. At some point most of us were left on our own in the dark with a fading supply of ammo and zombies closing in from every angle!
With one last small break it was time for the final mission, and here the stakes were raised even higher. The zombies were far more powerful and faster than previously and more shots were required to take one down. The game became a combination of survival, scavenger hunt and memory game (as we tried to remember how much ammo we had left!). The final game concluded in a full scale zombie rampage that was both impressive and terrifying in equal measures. Even though we knew the ammo was out we continued to try and pump the undead with bullets in an attempt to survive!
One thing that many people asked us is what happens when a zombie attacks you? Well the beauty of Zombie Shopping mall is you can ‘die’ how you want. If you’re happy to just be tagged and told “you’re out” then you can do that, but for the full zombie experience it’s worth falling to the floor screaming. At this point the zombies will play along for a while and several times we were able to escape as the zombies would huddle over a victim pretending to eat them while we ran away, their screams ringing in our ears!
After a final debrief and a chance to wind down we were given the chance to meet our zombies for the day which was a fun but surreal experience. Seeing the actors we’ve just been shooting in a relaxed atmosphere was quite interesting and we all compared stories about different attacks and how we survived. It was interesting up close how intricate the zombie make up is – during the game you spend too much time running to really notice it – but it is detailed, gory and very bloody as these pictures show!
Finally – after about 4 hours in the darkened hyper – realistic setting we left the mall and returned to the normal world. Although the sun was shining, the local neighbourhood left a lot to be desired and the abandoned buildings and old office blocks around us just helped to perpetuate the story. Maybe what we had just experienced wasn’t just a game? Maybe it was training for a real apocalypse? Either way – it was some of the most exhilarating 4 hours we have ever experienced!
There are a lot of zombie events out there but Zombie Shopping Mall has to be one of the most believable due to the very nature of its setting. Every time we ran through the empty pedestrian areas of the mall a raw excitement filled us (and that was before the zombies started chasing us!). The stories and the game play alongside the setting make this an un-missable experience that will leave you laughing, screaming (and panting and sweating) in equal measures. Congratulations should go to the talented and brave zombie actors who are prepared to be shot over and over in the name of our entertainment, and they along with the setting make this a zombie event not to forget!
So if you want to save the world from the zombie apocalypse, and take one of the final few places at the mall before it closes, check out their website here or book via www.wish.co.uk
Split into small groups we set off on our missions and slowly but surely our teams got picked off one by one. It was hard to know whether to take shelter and hide or just run around gung ho and go for it. The action was fast and frantic and in places terrifying – we knew the zombies were actors but they had great hiding places and knew how to shock us while patrolling the building. With the whole mall, backstage areas and dark tunnels to explore it was amazing that the zombies seemed to be everywhere. At some point most of us were left on our own in the dark with a fading supply of ammo and zombies closing in from every angle!
With one last small break it was time for the final mission, and here the stakes were raised even higher. The zombies were far more powerful and faster than previously and more shots were required to take one down. The game became a combination of survival, scavenger hunt and memory game (as we tried to remember how much ammo we had left!). The final game concluded in a full scale zombie rampage that was both impressive and terrifying in equal measures. Even though we knew the ammo was out we continued to try and pump the undead with bullets in an attempt to survive!
One thing that many people asked us is what happens when a zombie attacks you? Well the beauty of Zombie Shopping mall is you can ‘die’ how you want. If you’re happy to just be tagged and told “you’re out” then you can do that, but for the full zombie experience it’s worth falling to the floor screaming. At this point the zombies will play along for a while and several times we were able to escape as the zombies would huddle over a victim pretending to eat them while we ran away, their screams ringing in our ears!
After a final debrief and a chance to wind down we were given the chance to meet our zombies for the day which was a fun but surreal experience. Seeing the actors we’ve just been shooting in a relaxed atmosphere was quite interesting and we all compared stories about different attacks and how we survived. It was interesting up close how intricate the zombie make up is – during the game you spend too much time running to really notice it – but it is detailed, gory and very bloody as these pictures show!
Finally – after about 4 hours in the darkened hyper – realistic setting we left the mall and returned to the normal world. Although the sun was shining, the local neighbourhood left a lot to be desired and the abandoned buildings and old office blocks around us just helped to perpetuate the story. Maybe what we had just experienced wasn’t just a game? Maybe it was training for a real apocalypse? Either way – it was some of the most exhilarating 4 hours we have ever experienced!
There are a lot of zombie events out there but Zombie Shopping Mall has to be one of the most believable due to the very nature of its setting. Every time we ran through the empty pedestrian areas of the mall a raw excitement filled us (and that was before the zombies started chasing us!). The stories and the game play alongside the setting make this an un-missable experience that will leave you laughing, screaming (and panting and sweating) in equal measures. Congratulations should go to the talented and brave zombie actors who are prepared to be shot over and over in the name of our entertainment, and they along with the setting make this a zombie event not to forget!
So if you want to save the world from the zombie apocalypse, and take one of the final few places at the mall before it closes, check out their website here or book via www.wish.co.uk
You Review
Having been to a lot of scare events I was very excited to experience the zombie mall by zed events. With high hopes I arrived at the location, and after struggling to find a place to park I rushed to the door... Only to stand in the cold for the good part of 40 minutes. Finally shepherded inside and sitting down my excitement built again as a policeman chatted to us and delivered some great banter. This was unfortunately where the acting peaked, as everyone else we met was unconvincing and almost seemed as bored as I was. Trudging through a story that they seemed to have done to death, no irony there, the actors delivered muddled performances, struggling to hold the attention of a group of 21 shotgun eager people. With a twist written on a wall that lead to nothing, and a guy with a bomb that made no sense I felt like I was in a B-movie dress rehearsal. On the plus side, the zombies had great make-up and my hat goes off to them taking the plastic pain from 20 frustrated survivors shotguns all night long.
After the most uneventful ending possible, trudging back to base to start part 2 had me thinking now I was in charge it would be more fun. And it was. For 5 minutes. Shooting the same zombies, with a 'no head shot' rule over and over again made the whole venture feel very pointless. The rock music playing over the speakers did nothing but spoil the atmosphere. For the same price as a weekend away in Europe you would think I would leave excited and full of adrenaline, but if the zombie apocalypse does ever get here, and it is as boring as zombie mall, Ill be the first one to turn a shotgun on myself.
After the most uneventful ending possible, trudging back to base to start part 2 had me thinking now I was in charge it would be more fun. And it was. For 5 minutes. Shooting the same zombies, with a 'no head shot' rule over and over again made the whole venture feel very pointless. The rock music playing over the speakers did nothing but spoil the atmosphere. For the same price as a weekend away in Europe you would think I would leave excited and full of adrenaline, but if the zombie apocalypse does ever get here, and it is as boring as zombie mall, Ill be the first one to turn a shotgun on myself.
Mildly scary - Having visited last weekend, I have to say I agree with the previous review. First off, 21 of us spent about 2 hours going through 'training' and 'briefing' along with some pointless storyline. Then in 'part 2' we were let loose on our own, however 21 of us trying to kill 7 zombies that just came back life after a few minutes of being down quickly became tedious.
On the plus side, it builds tension through expectation and a great place for the event (the Mall). The Zombie actors should get double pay for stumbling around taking plastic shot from 21 over eager Zombie hunters.
In in the end, it sadly all falls a bit flat. 7 self resurrecting Zombies with a poor storyline, poor actors and far too many people doing the event. It feels like maximising profit at the cost of a truly brilliant experience.
On the plus side, it builds tension through expectation and a great place for the event (the Mall). The Zombie actors should get double pay for stumbling around taking plastic shot from 21 over eager Zombie hunters.
In in the end, it sadly all falls a bit flat. 7 self resurrecting Zombies with a poor storyline, poor actors and far too many people doing the event. It feels like maximising profit at the cost of a truly brilliant experience.
Such a brilliant adrenalin pumping scary day out! Although Steve is a moany B*****d! 1 of the zombies was chasing me and we both fell over witch was pretty funny she did help me up and we both had a giggle! Definataly recommend
You Review
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