Hey everyone, it’s Blake here with another review for The Virtual Reviewer. For my latest post, I wanted to share my family’s recent experience checking out a unique virtual reality and entertainment venue that just opened up here in Orlando called Max Action Arena.
As you probably know from following my site, I’m a huge tech and video game enthusiast, so I’m always on the lookout for the latest and greatest when it comes to anything related to virtual reality, augmented reality, or just high-tech interactive entertainment in general. So when I heard about this new 8,000 square-foot arena opening up right on International Drive featuring everything from free-roaming multiplayer VR experiences to axe throwing, escape rooms, 5D cinema rides, and more all under one roof, I knew I had to round up the family to go check it out.
The venue markets itself as kind of a competitive virtual reality playground meets Dave & Buster’s for the 21st century. The idea is that you and your friends, family members, or colleagues can battle against one another in VR, race to solve various themed escape rooms, go head to head in axe-throwing tournaments, or challenge your senses on immersive 5D cinema rides. Basically, it’s a giant high-tech playground designed to appeal to big kids like me as much as little kids – something for all ages.
So last weekend, I loaded up my wife Patty and our two kids, John (14) and Jen (12), to test this new attraction on International Drive and see if it lived up to the hype.
The Zero Latency VR Arena
The main event at Max Action Arena that I was most excited about checking out was the Zero Latency section — their giant warehouse-like multiplayer free-roaming virtual reality arena. I had read up on the tech behind Zero Latency before our visit and was intrigued. The idea behind it versus a regular standing or sitting VR experience is that players are untethered from cables and are allowed to freely walk around a large open space as their movements are tracked in real-time. You’re not confined to just looking around with the VR headset, but your whole body becomes immersed in the virtual world.
The first game we tried as a family was called — Sol Raiders, which is a two-team multiplayer VR shooter set in a sci-fi outer space setting. Our family of four was teamed up with another family of four, with my wife Patty and I on the “green” team with the other parents, and our two kids teamed up across from us on the “orange” team. Once we put on the VR headsets and loaded into the game, the giant Zero Latency arena transformed around us into a virtual space station. Our two teams were tasked with defending a series of objectives and battling against alien invaders.
The kids loved running around the arena and freely moving through the virtual space. The tracking was pretty spot on, and the graphics were solid. It was the most immersed my family has been in a VR experience, and we had an absolute blast battling the alien hordes and protecting our base as team “green”. The friendly competition and team dynamics between the two families added a fun social element as well.
After about 15 minutes though, the experience did abruptly come to an end. I have to say, it felt like just as we were getting warmed up, the game sort of ended up leaving us wanting more. Most of the VR experiences at Max Action Arena are sold in 15 or 30-minute blocks, so just keep that in mind.
The Axe Throwing Alley
After reluctantly leaving the world of VR, we decided to switch gears and check out the arcade section of Max Action Arena, followed by testing our skills in the Axe Throwing Alley. Now regular readers of my blog know I’m an outdoorsy person and do enjoy my occasional weekend camping and hiking trips out in nature, but I can’t say I’ve had much experience with throwing axes before or had it high on my hobby list. Still, when in Rome!
The Axe Throwing Alley at Max Action Arena is set up sort of like an old-timey lumberjack camp with plaid shirts and straw hats hanging on the wooden walls above each throwing lane. After getting set up in our assigned lane, an attendant ran us through a quick 5-minute tutorial on axe throwing basics – how to stand, proper throwing technique, safety rules, scoring, and so on.
Once we got the basics down, my son John stepped up first to try his hand. They say axe throwing is kind of like bowling or darts, just with axes. Your goal is simply to chuck the axe at a wooden bullseye target on the wall and try to stick it. As you get closer to the bullseye, you get more points. There are circles painted on the floor at three different throwing lines – kind of like easy, medium, and hard. The further back you stand, the more challenging and more points you can get if you stick it.
I will say that while axe throwing initially seemed kind of random to me, it was oddly satisfying when you’d hear that loud thunk and see that axe blade stick into the wooden target on the wall. And it was pretty hilarious hearing both my son and daughter shouting with excitement when they were able to stick one. “Did you see that Dad?!? I totally nailed it!” There’s just something viscerally fun about chucking an axe at a wall.
Eventually, my wife Patty even got into it and insisted on stepping up to take her turn. She had a few throws with some wild misses, but eventually, on one toss, it was like the axe was perfectly balanced and flew from her hands in slow motion before perfectly sticking right dab in the middle red bullseye. We all lost it cheering for Mom. It was such an awesome, ridiculous moment that we’ll certainly remember.
So, while axe throwing wasn’t originally high on my personal bucket list, I have to say it was an absolute blast and something I think both kids and adults would enjoy. Just make sure you follow the safety rules so you leave with all your limbs!
The 5D Cinema Ride
After our arms were good and tired from axe throwing, the kids convinced us that we had to check out the on-site 5D cinema ride at Max Action Arena before leaving. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a 5D cinema is kind of a next-generation evolution of the old 4D style theme park rides many of us remember from back in the day.
Just like the 4D rides, a 5D cinema makes use of motion seats, wind, vibrating floors, water sprayers, and other environmental effects to fully immerse you in the action happening on screen. Only with 5D, they’ve added a level of interactivity, allowing the riders to influence or change the narrative happening in the film.
The 5D cinema ride at Max Action Arena is themed as a submarine voyage where riders board a virtual sub and descend into the ocean depths. As you’re watching yourself go deeper on the screens, your motion seat is tilting forward and vibrating in sync with the visuals to simulate actually diving down. You feel air blasts as fish swim by and even get spritzes of water in coordination with various events happening on screen.
What makes it “5D” vs 4D though is the interactivity factor. At certain points in your underwater journey, the film will pause and wait for riders to collectively “vote” on choosing to determine which path your voyage will take. You get to steer left or right and influence if your sub avoids getting attacked by a giant squid or sucked up in a whirlpool, for example. Based on the majority vote, the narrative branches and plays out a different series of events.
I have to say it was pretty fun, and my kids absolutely loved being able to yell out directions and collectively steer our voyage. The combination of solid 3D imagery, 4D environmental effects, and 5D interactivity definitely made it an enjoyable immersive experience.
The Verdict
So overall, was Max Action Arena worth the hype after taking my family to check it out? I’d say it mostly lives up to the promise of being Orlando’s newest and largest indoor virtual reality playground. For VR enthusiasts like myself hungry to try some new cutting-edge multiplayer experiences, the Zero Latency arena alone is worth checking out, in my opinion. My whole family had a blast battling aliens together in VR. Beyond that, both kids and adults will enjoy options like the Axe Throwing Alley, the 5D cinema ride, arcades, and more for some solid family entertainment.
Just keep in mind that most of the VR experiences and attractions are sold in short 15-30 minute intervals, so costs can add up quickly. I’d budget $100 per person if you’re planning to sample a variety of offerings. But for a unique high-tech indoor attraction on your Orlando vacation with a nice mix of virtual reality, skill games, and interactive entertainment, Max Action Arena is certainly worth checking out.