As James Bond fans await the announcement of the next 007 star, EON Productions have other projects up their sleeve in the meantime.
Following the reality TV series 007: Road To A Million comes an official interactive experience called Shadow of Spectre.
Helmed by real-life adventure company Hidden City, the mission challenges teams of 2-6 to follow clues around Central London from Moneypenny and Q, as you interact with the physical world around you.
Joined by three other Bond fans, we began the game in a bar and restaurant by the National Theatre.
Texting us on WhatsApp, Miss Moneypenny let us know that 007 had been compromised and it was up to us to finish the job.
Without going into spoilers, Shadow of Spectre involves following directions from Q and Moneypenny by text as you walk for around two miles across the city with various riddles and clues to solve along the way. This part of the game is the most repetitive, but the real highlights were physical interactions with people and props.
Along the way, there were a couple of optional break areas in pubs where the staff behind the bar were in on it. This would involve receiving packages with instructions, including a metal suitcase at one point, to work out the mysteries of what Spectre is up to and what moves to make next.
These moments are a real joy, with detailed documents and items to decipher before moving on to find clues elsewhere, sometimes even hidden in participating shops. One of the coolest moments had to be when we alerted Moneypenny that we’d arrived at a red public phone booth before it started ringing and there was someone on the other end with a message for us.
Shadow of Spectre is very much in the world of Craig’s Bond and there are moments where you have to make decisions for yourself, including which side you want to be on.
Yet given the high bar of immersive experiences nowadays we really would have expected to have had dedicated rooms with actors in character as Q and Moneypenny to interact with along the way, or maybe an agent to approach in the street. We certainly got this and then some when Secret Cinema took on Casino Royale a few years ago.
Nevertheless, for the most dedicated Bond fans and families looking to kill a few hours while going on a good walk around London, HiddenCity’s adventure is ideal.
Shadow of Spectre is £30 per person and can be booked here.
