Review of “Taken” at KW Escape

“There is a serial killer on the loose. The KW Psycho is abducting groups of people from local entertainment facilities and they are never seen again. Hundreds have gone missing and body parts have been found around the city. Do you dare step foot in our entertainment facility? If you’re TAKEN, will you escape?”

KW Escapes is a great location. We’ve done almost all of their rooms over a few visits and really enjoy it there. This is a next-level experience where you can tell that they’ve taken this business seriously. It’s enormous – 15,000 square feet – and the staff here are virtually unmatched for their enthusiasm, customer service, and charm.

We were worried a bit about the experience with Taken because most of the rooms here have an open high ceiling and are lit with fluorescents from above. They have a great reason for doing it this way and for most of the rooms it works. With taken, they were able to solve that problem and present a low and dark ceiling which was a relief. It also seems to be further away from other rooms and so the noise from other areas wasn’t a problem. Add to that the everpresent ambient sounds of a murderer’s cabin, and you end up with a very well-made and immersive environment.

We chose to incorporate the live actor because we wanted to really get a sense of the room at its fullest. We were not disappointed. He was amazing. It’s really hard to make a scary character when you know they’re not going to kill you. I’m not going to ruin the amazing touches that the actor added while in the room, but it’s just right. I’m a 6′ 1″ 230lbs guy, and I’m pretty sure I heard him snickering behind his mask when I almost fell over getting away. The hint system was also delivered in character for a perfectly rounded immersive experience.

It’s hard to make hyperrealistic body parts for these rooms but they did a great job with the props. Very few signs of ware and repairs though we were told of a repair that happened just before we arrived. We certainly didn’t notice it. Their attention to detail is great. P.S. Please don’t break things in escape rooms.

The storyline was well integrated and the puzzles were appropriate and logical. I only had one hiccup with a lock not opening with the correct code so make sure you line up the numbers well once you’re sure you have the combo.

This room was a ton of fun and makes our Most Immersive Escape Rooms list. Give it a try!