This Was Not A Game

04 Sep 2011

The Resistance 3 event near Waterloo.

It's clear quickly that this isn't a game. This is a standard 'scare ride': a linear path followed by small groups in the dark, with actors who'll jump out and scare them.

It's very, very well done. The problem is not the format. The problem is that I can't stop noticing the format. Eyes wide open, torch scanning the corners, looking for exits, I'm assessing the threat. And once I realise that there isn't one, it stops being interesting.

I'm aware even as I do it that I'm Doing It Wrong; I'm often slightly out of position, seeking cover to stop Them seeing me which also means that I can't see Them. But theatre needs a consistent, meaningful plot. Games need game mechanics. This has neither.

Everyone else I talked to about this show - including some experienced Fire Hazard crew - really enjoyed it. That can only mean that the market for these kinds of things is still young, that most people still have low expectations of interactivity.

Maybe that's the natural progression: when you can no longer enjoy being part of these experiences, you're ready to make them. Or perhaps you just have to, because that's all that's left.