Zombies. Squid Game. Pirates. Fantasy. More Zombies! Sounds like your kind of fun? Well, welcome to Sandbox VR, Orlando’s newest gaming centre and a real powerhouse of virtual excitement in the heart of International Drive. Full-body VR is currently the high-tech entertainment colossus in live action games, and this first-of-its kind venue at the rapidly transforming Pointe Orlando aims to deliver the very latest in high-tech fun and games. And then some!
Sandbox was the creation of a Hong Kong-based company back in 2016, and has since evolved to offer a wide variety of role-playing opportunities, including the smash hit South Korean TV series Squid Game, with its in-built survival challenge. At this new Orlando venue, it is one of nine exclusive experiences created by the company’s in-house development studio, each designed to make guests feel like they are the stars of their own action movie.
There are already another 50-plus Sandbox locations around the world, with two in other parts of Florida (St Petersburg and Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast respectively), but this is one of their biggest, with fully seven of what they call their ‘Holodecks’ (yes, in a major nod to Star Trek!), which act as the virtual arenas for groups of four to six for any of their nine game selections. Here’s how it works:
- Allow a full 65-70 minutes for a single-game Sandbox experience, starting with a 10-15 minute sign-in process that requires a bit of paperwork (on an iPad)
- Now you are on to the exciting bit – getting kitted up! This is quite an elaborate procedure as you need a fairly hefty combat vest to start with, followed by sensors that clip on to your wrists and ankles. Then there is a serious-looking headset (that totally surrounds you with the sights of the game, once activated), and finally a set of headphones so you can hear what’s going on, as well as your fellow team members.
- Choose your own avatar/character for the tests ahead.
Once you are completely settled and comfortable with all the gear, it’s time to switch on the zombies, er, we mean, start the game. Each of the various scenarios that you can select from lasts about 30 minutes, and then there is a 10-minute debrief and de-gear session to ensure everyone is back in the real world!
While each game is markedly different, the basic idea is the same – interacting with a variety of challenges, some physical, some mental, to navigate this vivid VR world. The range of exciting game-playing offers the chance to fend off the zombie hordes, enter a world of swashbuckling pirate adventures, soar into the clouds in a space elevator or compete against one another in the hit TV series Squid Game and its ultra-futuristic combat arena. All in all, this is billed as the future of immersive entertainment, and it’s hard to argue with that description.
Choosing your game is probably the hardest part of all, as there is a LOT to recommend in all of them. We saw a sample selection of each one and got to try two ourselves. Here’s what to choose from:
| VR Experience | Description |
Deadwood Phobia Deadwood Mansion Deadwood Valley | A trio of classic zombie shoot-em-up situations, three contrasting settings for fighting off the monstrous hordes and completing a pre-set mission |
| Rebel Moon – The Descent | Created in partnership with Netflix, this is a descent into the world of Daggus, through towering skyscrapers, gritty urban streets and a subterranean mine as you battle enemy soldiers, spaceships and more |
| Amber Sky 2088 | Introduces more sci-fi drama, as your group needs to fight off an invading alien menace |
| Seekers of the Shard, Dragonfire | A fantasy world where you journey through a ruined fortress, an underground river, a haunted tomb and the dragon’s tower to become Seekers of the Shard |
| The Curse of Davy Jones | Join a pirate crew to battle on the high seas against a variety of spooky supernatural creatures |
| UFL (Unbound Fighting League) | Turns players into futuristic Gladiators to put your skills to the test with an amazing arsenal of weapons, such as tridents, laser swords and claws |
| Squid Game Virtuals | Based on the iconic South Korean Netflix sensation that took the world by storm in 2021, featuring a dystopian survival thriller that becomes a battle of individual skill through a series of bizarre tests |
We got the full effect of Squid Game and Deadwood Mansion, and, while both were a challenge – and quite a physical work-out – they were completely different in their game-playing intensity, with the former a distinctly personal contest to get to the top of the leaderboard from a series of quickfire games, while the zombie-filled mission was everything you’d expect from an intense team battle to rescue a dire situation in the face of the undead’s relentless onslaught!
In all honesty, as non-game-players, we found it a real challenge to keep up with the game, but our younger team-mates had no such difficulty and really revelled in the different scenarios, with one in particular coming out top in both games.
We definitely needed a sit-down afterwards (!), and fortunately there was the wacky new Dick’s Last Resort bar and grill right next door to soothe away our battle scars with some tasty burgers, wings, tacos, ribs and more, plus some fun cocktails and beers. It’s part of a nationwide chain that promises “Food and drinks served with a side of sarcasm,” and it definitely lives up to its billing.
Sandbox VR is open from 10am to 10pm Monday to Thursday, and 10am to midnight Friday to Sunday (online reservations recommended), and each game costs $50 per person. Want more virtual fun? Check out their full list of locations, including London and Birmingham, and game previews, on this link: https://sandboxvr.com/about-us.
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