Hey everyone, Blake here again with another review for The Virtual Reviewer! Well, on our recent family vacation to Houston, Texas, we decided to check out a really cool virtual reality and laser tag arena called Battlefield Houston. As soon as I heard about this place, I knew we had to go! My wife Patty and kids John and Jenette were totally on board too.
In this blog, I wanted to give you my full review and recount of our experience at Battlefield Houston. I’ll go over what it’s all about, what we played, the good and the bad, and whether it’s worth a visit if you’re ever in Houston. With state-of-the-art virtual reality games and the biggest laser tag arena in the country, this place looked pretty epic! But did it live up to the hype? Read on to find out!
A Bit About Battlefield Houston
First off, Battlefield Houston is located in a business park on the northwest side of town at 11755 W Little York Rd Ste 202. As I mentioned, they specialize in virtual reality games and experiences along with laser tag battles in realistic indoor urban combat arenas.
According to their website, Battlefield Houston is the largest indoor tactical laser tag battlefield in the United States! Over 11,000 square feet of multi-level arena with city streets, alleys, and burnt-out buildings – basically like you’re in a warzone! The laser tag gear itself is super high end too – used by military and law enforcement for training simulations.
In addition to laser tag, they also have a big area dedicated to virtual reality games and experiences. This includes multi-player social VR, escape rooms, and over 100 single-player VR titles spanning various genres from shooter to exploration games. Sounded right up my alley!
Booking Our Experience
Since I was so pumped to check this place out, I went ahead and booked our experience a few weeks in advance online through the Battlefield Houston website.
They have a bunch of different combo package options to choose from. I went with the “Ultimate VR & Laser Tag Package,” which included 30 minutes of laser tag and 30 minutes of virtual reality for each person. It was $32 per person, so $128 total for the four of us.
After completing the booking, I received a confirmation email with all the details – location, arrival time, what to bring, etc. The email mentioned comfy athletic clothes and closed-toe shoes as the attire. No outside food or drinks are allowed, but they have vending machines and a lounge area if you need a snack or water.
The minimum age for both VR and laser tag is 8 years old, and you need to be at least 4’7″ tall. So John and Jenette were old enough, phew! Alright, with our visit booked, we were locked and loaded for an epic day of futuristic fun at Battlefield Houston!
Arriving at Battlefield Houston
On the day of our reservation, we left our hotel mid-morning and took about a 20-minute drive over to Battlefield Houston. The place itself was very modern and sleek looking from the outside – almost like a military bunker type of vibe.
When we walked inside, I have to say the check-in area was really impressive. The staff at the front desk were very friendly. After checking our reservation, they gave each of us a waiver form to sign. This basically stated that we understand laser tag and VR come with risks of injury, and we wouldn’t hold them liable.
Beyond the front desk and lobby area was the massive arena – I could see multiple levels of platforms and tunneled corridors with neon lights. Several games were already going on, and let me tell you – that laser tag gunfire is LOUD! Occasionally they would also pipe in loud rock music over the speakers to amp up the intensity.
To the left side of the lobby was the VR zone. This area was sectioned off by a half wall, with about 20 different VR stations equipped with top-of-the-line headsets, controllers, and PCs. I spotted a few people already immersed in their VR world – spinning around and flailing their arms to smash zombies or cast fireballs. So cool!
Once we finished the waiver paperwork, the staff took our photo (guess it was for security monitoring reasons). We were each given a badge with our name, admission ticket, and locker key. After locking up our stuff, the staff brought us inside the staging area to gear up! This is when the fun began.
Strapping on Our Laser Tag Gear
Inside the staging room, we were greeted by the Battlefield Houston laser tag attendant. He went over all the rules and mechanics of the gear we’d be using in the arena.
Each of us got to pick out a cool-looking laser tag vest and a replica firearm from their massive armory rack. The guns were surprisingly heavy-duty – not cheap plastic toys at all. John grabbed an M16-looking assault rifle, Jenette snagged herself a shotgun, and Patty chose a sleek pistol.
I went straight for the sci-fi-looking plasma rifle decked out with accessories like scopes and grenade launchers. It reminded me of the guns from one of my favorite games, Halo!
After helping us get strapped into our laser tag vests, the attendant ran us through all the settings – how to reload, change firing modes, trigger the health pack, etc. Our guns were linked up to the vest sensors and had built-in speakers and microphones so we could communicate as a team.
He told us there were touchscreen stations located inside the arena that would assign us mission objectives for each game. It would then track our objective’s progress and kills automatically through our vests and guns. Pretty sweet that they gamified the whole laser tag experience!
Once we were locked and loaded, the attendant handed us color-coded armbands. This identified what team we’d be on. He said games allow free-for-all deathmatches or coordinated team battles ranging from 2v2 to 10v10 player games!
Alright, with our laser tag player prep complete, it was time to dive into that expansive battlefield arena and let the games begin! No more training – this was about to get real.
Entering the Laser Tag Arena
As we stepped through the doors into the dimly lit Battlefield Houston arena, I’ll admit my heart started racing a bit. Man this place was HUGE and full of twists, turns, ramps, and towering platforms! The rock music was booming over the sound system too, so it felt like we just got dropped into an epic dystopian action movie scene.
Our attendant led us over to the central computer terminal. After scanning our badges, he assigned us a 20-minute 4 vs 4 Team Deathmatch mission. The goal was simple – get more kills than the opposing team. We joined up with the four green team members already waiting to play.
Looking at their laser tag gear, I could totally see the military sim inspiration. In fact, one guy on our team looked EXACTLY like Master Chief from Halo with his orange visor helmet and bulky armored vest! Too awesome.
After going over the basics again for any new players, our attendant counted down to start the game timer. As soon as he hit GO, our entire green squad took off in attack formation. My kids sprinted right into the fray like seasoned pros! I guess all those Call of Duty sessions paid off.
As we maneuvered up a ramp onto the second-level catwalks, shots already started whizzing past our heads. Our teammates dispersed to find sniping spots while I rolled behind a barrier to return fire.
Dang – those red team enemies came out guns blazing right out the gates! I was caught off guard by how quickly this game transitioned from idle to outright adrenaline-pumping chaos. My vest sensor and gun speaker blurted out, “Enemy Behind Wall, 10 O’clock”. I spun and landed a clean headshot just in time. My kids weren’t kidding – Battlefield Houston means business!
Over the next 15 minutes, I scrambled between upper platforms, trying to hunt down red team shooters while also completing random collection objectives that popped up on my vest’s mini-map. Man was this an intense workout too! The games have you constantly moving, ducking, climbing, and running to stay alive.
Halfway through, Patty shouted that she had taken two reds out that were ambushing Jenette. Nice save honey! No teammate was left behind on my watch! I dove off a ledge down to ground level to revive Jenette and apply her health pack. Gotta look out for my squad!
Sadly, by the end, our green team lost by a narrow 15-kill margin. But that just made me more fired up for a rematch! This was only the beginning of our Battlefield Houston laser tag mission. Game on!
Switching Gears to VR Mode
After gulping down some water and cooling off from those intense laser battles, I led my family toward the glowing VR zone. Now was our chance to dive into Battlefield Houston’s massive virtual reality game catalog.
There were so many options to choose from, I was super eager to try them all! Action shooters, adventurous quests, puzzles, music games, social hangouts – you name it. John made a beeline right for the gritty post-apocalypse zombie shooter—no surprise there, given his love of Resident Evil and The Walking Dead.
Meanwhile, Jenette opted for a psychedelic rhythm game that had her wielding laser light show wands to match beats. Patty fancied herself an interstellar explorer, selecting a puzzle adventure set aboard an alien spaceship.
As for me, I just had to try the hyper futuristic mech robot battle game. Give me gargantuan transforming steel beasts with plasma cannons any day! Choosing VR experiences was tougher than I thought, with so many rad-looking worlds to plunge into.
The VR attendant assisted us in setting up our stations, making sure the headset was secure and the controllers were synced. As someone who owns a Quest 2 headset, I appreciated the time they took to ensure the perfect adjustments for maximum comfort. There’s nothing worse than a VR headset that slips down your face when you look up or down!
Once immersed in the virtual worlds, that outside environment seemed to fade away. All I saw was the inside of my mechanized metal mech cockpit with wrap-around display panels flashing weapon system alerts. I grabbed the joystick controls and stepped out onto the surface of a barren asteroid. An enemy rival mech was already barreling towards me guns ablaze!
Through my headset mic, I could faintly hear my kids shouting and laughing from their games too. We were all fully immersed in our own little VR bubbles! As I piloted my mech to take cover behind asteroids and meteors, I unleashed wicked heat-seeking rockets back at my attacker.
This was VR gaming at its most intense and immersive, thanks to Battlefield Houston’s cutting-edge tech. Their catalog was so extensive that I knew we’d have to come back again someday soon! But Half-Life Alyx would have to wait until next time.
Refueling at the Lounge
After about 25 minutes of intense VR gaming, the screens faded to black as our session ended. As we removed our headsets and controllers, I just sat there dumbfounded and amazed by the experience Battlefield Houston created. Top-notch stuff! We were all buzzing about the enemies we defeated and the goals we completed in our fictional realms.
On our way out of the VR area, the attendant complimented Jenette on getting one of the high scores for her music game. She couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear – makes my heart melt every time. After returning our VR gear, my squad made a beeline straight for the lounge area. After all that gaming, we were parched!
The Battlefield Houston lounge had several seating areas to kick back and relax in. We plopped down on one of the comfy couches by the window and guzzled down water we had brought along. There were also some vending machines in the lounge selling soft drinks and snacks. Good to know in case we didn’t come prepared!
Since we still had another VR and laser tag session left on our Ultimate package tickets, this was the perfect chance to refuel and strategize for round two. As we caught our breath, John and Jenette argued about which VR game had cooler enemies.
“No way, those zombies were way scarier and gross with their guts hanging out!” according to John. But Jenette fired back, saying, “My laser octopus monsters would destroy your zombies in one shot!”. Gotta love their passion and creativity. While the kids debated battle tactics, I asked Patty if she was having fun so far. She said her sci-fi puzzle adventure took some getting used to, but it was really cool virtually touching buttons and maneuvering objects with the hand controllers. Makes me so happy she’s embracing this futuristic tech too!
Alright, time to recharge our VR legs and laser tag vest power packs for the next round. Let’s hope my squad fares better on team deathmatch this time. We couldn’t let that loss stand uncontested!
The Final Showdown
After a short break scarfing down snacks and plotting potential VR missions, we headed back into the Battlefield Houston staging rooms. Since we had another 30 minutes of access left, I wanted to be sure we made the most of this ultimate package!
Strapping on a fresh set of laser tag gear, I decided to change up my weapon choice this round. Dual wield pistols it is! Our attendant set us up with a new 20-minute 8v8 Team Annihilation face-off. Bring it on reds – we’re taking you down this time!
Just like earlier, as soon as we stepped foot into that arena, shots rang out from every direction. My kids darted behind barriers while my wife rolled behind a burned-out car prop. This was an all-out firefight, just like the beaches of Normandy! Red beams crisscrossed past my head as I squeezed off rounds at anything that moved.
The vest sensors were going haywire as I rushed to complete hack points and upload virus payloads per the mission directives. At one point, Patty, John, and I formed a perimeter around Jen as she hacked an objective terminal. Lasers whizzed past from all sides, trying to stop the upload!
“I’ve almost got the data breach complete, just 20 more seconds!” Jen shouted. We braced for the final push, aiming down scopes to pick off approaching red team soldiers. In a stroke of luck, John landed a triple-kill streak, which bought Jen the time she needed to finish the hack. Objective secured!
As we pressed forward, clearing rooms, I noticed one of my pistol shots reflect a weird greenish hue. Strange – wonder if my gun was glitching out. But suddenly, my vest lights turned green, and an automated voice module told me I had switched teams! What treachery is this? I must have accidentally shot a team change power-up!
Well, no point in hesitation now…for the remainder of the round, I assisted my NEW red team in laying suppressive fire onto my former green allies. Nothing personal kids! When enclosed in the fog of war, betrayal strikes from all sides! Insert evil laughter here.
By the end, our rag-tag red squad eeked out a victory – no thanks to my Benedict Arnold antics of course! Soon after, an air horn blasted, signaling game over. Our Battlefield Houston laser tag crusades had concluded. My family stumbled out of the arena – exhausted but exhilarated!
Bidding Farewell to Battlefield Houston
Following our last epic laser battle, we walked out with a satisfied grin plastered across each of our faces. This experience totally exceeded my expectations! As we returned our loaned gear and badge tickets, Jen and John begged me to book another session.
I told them, “All good things must come to an end, but at least we went out guns blazing!”. After collecting our stuff from the lockers and changing back into our civilian kicks, we did a final walk-through. I snapped some photos by the Battlefield Houston wall art for good measure too.
On our way out the door, the manager stopped us to ask how everything was. We couldn’t praise this place enough! Seriously, top-notch tech and expert staff made for an unforgettable VR escapade. Before leaving, Jenette asked if we could pleeeease come back tomorrow. Nice try kiddo!
While an additional visit wasn’t in the cards this vacation, I told them we’d definitely be back again someday. A tactical laser tag arena this incredible doesn’t come around often! I mean where else can you dive into VR as a mech warrior and then battle friends in a multi-level mock combat zone? Sign me up anytime!
Wrapping Up
Alright, team! That wraps up my in-depth review and personal account of Battlefield Houston! If you’re ever traveling through Houston, TX, and need an action-packed thrill ride for the whole family, be sure to add this to your must-do list. With flexible hours, party rooms available, and constantly expanding gear and games, any tech junkie will feel right at home. A bit on the pricier side but worth the premium tickets in my book!