Lockbusters – Pirate Adventure (Review)

Location: Orlando, FL

Players:  2-8 (We recommend 2-8)

Price: $32 per person

Time to Escape: 60 minutes

Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Theme:

You’ve made your way onto the ship of the legendary pirate, Captain Bonefish, who unfortunately didn’t have any burgers and sushi on his ship. Armed with a lust for gold, and the knowledge that the Captain left clues to the location of his vast fortune somewhere on board, you set off on an adventure that could end in fame and glory, or a watery grave!

First Impressions:

We arrived in Orlando a bit earlier than we initially expected, and after lunch, we were just wandering about, waiting for our Airbnb to be ready. Obviously a quick search for nearby escape rooms was in order, and we found that Lockbusters, a spot we wanted to try out but were unable to fit into our schedule at first, was less than a mile away! I called to see if they might be able to fit us in on short notice, and were excited that Gabe, an awesome GM we had a lot of fun with in previous rooms, was now at Lockbusters and was able to squeeze us in to the three rooms we hadn’t done yet!

High Points:

This room was huge! It was an excellent surprise when we found that the room just kept opening up more and more, taking us through a complete pirate adventure. The storyline itself was simple, a usual find the pirate’s treasure affair, but the ever evolving room really elevated the experience beyond being just that. The story being told is yours, and is reminiscent of The Goonies, with somewhat less actual mortal peril. Each room is distinct, and full of puzzles, with the experience bouncing us back and forth as we frantically solved each enigma. The room absolutely kept both of us engaged, but it was definitely manageable. A larger group would still have a lot of fun, as the experience is non linear, and there are many opportunities for teamwork during the larger scale puzzles.

The game flow was extremely intuitive, with each riddle clued excellently. Those points at which there were fewer explicit clues were still environmentally intuitive, and the sense of satisfaction we received from these interactions was substantial. There are not too many locks in the room, and most puzzles rely on some very well hidden tech, giving the game a magical feel throughout. Each time a puzzle was successfully solved, it was obvious that something had opened, as the appearance of a newly revealed item would sound out clearly, preventing any confusion from silently opening doors or boxes. The whole experience is wonderfully inventive, with a Hollywood style set design and dynamic lighting and sound effects being utilized throughout. The room is also fantastically tactile, with some of the most original puzzles being solved via manipulation of some well themed set pieces. The immersion of this pirate adventure is really second to none.

Low Points:

There were quite a few moments where we stalled out because there was a lot of scavenging to do. Though hidden objects are ok, it’s always much more fun when there’s a clue or puzzle involved with finding them. A couple times, one puzzle type was repeated, and not being huge fans of them, it did get a bit old. Both versions, however were set up in such a way as to be more directed, so it was more enjoyable than usual.

Verdict:

Pirate Adventure isn’t just another pirate themed escape room! Lockbusters has definitely created a great room here that floats above the run of the mill, and does an excellent job immersing players within their own treasure hunting story. With a great game flow, inventive puzzles, and a superb staff, I can absolutely recommend giving this room a go. Book your time hunting for Bonefish’s treasure here!

8.5/10 (Great)

Full Disclosure: Lockbusters provided our team with comped tickets.