The Great Escape describes a live-action game making its way from Spain to the US:
Next stop: Times Square. Will Négone’s planned 30,000-square-foot game center at 49th and Broadway appeal to US gamers? Today’s videogame graphics and story lines are so sophisticated that aspects of La Fuga seem a bit canned and low-budget by comparison. La Fuga may be shooting for Halo’s apocalyptic look, but the emphasis on discovery and puzzle-solving makes the experience flow more like Myst. The overwrought video clips smack of a bad telenovella. On top of that, the game’s most compelling aspect — its physicality — could be too much for gamers used to moving only their thumbs.But climbing ropes, tunneling through a roomful of plastic spheres, and squeezing through air ducts (just like in Aliens) can be pretty damn exciting — even without the rocket launchers, railguns, and frag grenades you get in the typical RPG. Maybe Négone’s games will appeal to parents trying to get their Gen Y progeny out of the living room for a bit of exercise.
Even though I’ve never seen anything like it, the game somehow seems familiar. Then, on the flight home, it hits me: Eight years ago I went on a hardcore Doom jag for a few months and started having dreams that took place inside the game. That’s what playing La Fuga feels like. It’s a fully realized dream sequence. One thing I’m painfully aware of during my 13-hour plane ride: Falling down in a real-world game definitely leaves a real-world bruise.