Sometimes the lines at San Diego Comic-Con are just too long. You wait hours and hours, getting sunburned, getting dehydrated, all for a t-shirt or maybe just a walk through a cool area. As SDCC offsites become more and more grandiose, the crowds are drawn in but how often does the sacrifice justify the reward? Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan experience not only justifies it but it gives you an unforgettable experience.
Sure to be the packed activation this year, the Jack Ryan experience encapsulates the setting and plot of the upcoming Amazon Prime series airing August 31st of this year into one massive activation site. Spanning over 60,000 square feet of space at Lot 1035 at the corner of MLK and 1st Ave, this activation includes lounge areas, mini missions, a bazarre full of water and snacks, an escape room, and a hyperreality VR experience that goes far beyond just standing there with some goggles and a headset on.
The most impressive masterpiece of this activation is surely the VR experience. And what does hyperreality mean? It means you put on the Oculus Rift goggles and the OptiTrack system fully tracks a users movements and actions in the physical world and it is then reflected in the goggles. Agents will be asked to climb up the stairs with the goggles on, rappel from an actual helicopter with the goggles on, walk over terrifying heights and zip line to safety with the goggles on, all while your mission is streamed live on Twitch where Twitch users can interact with the agents.
This is truly an unforgettable experience, but also not for those of the faint of heart. On top of physical exertions, there is definitely an amount of trust you have to put into the technology while you’re essentially blind. Utilizing the best of the current technology, this activation alone is worth the wait time and the experience.
But then if you’re not ready to jump out of helicopters and go ziplining, the Dark Ops escape room might be the one for you. By far one of the most elaborate free escape rooms I’ve seen at San Diego Comic-Con over the years, this escape room requires logic and quick thinking in order to produce results. Along the way participants are guided by none other than Amazon’s Alexa. At the end, take your photo with the group and walk away with some of the sweetest swag you can get at the con: an insulated water bottle and a Fire stick. Yeah, that’s right. You get a Fire stick! Perfect time to plug that baby in and catch up on your favorite shows before Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan premieres!
But if the lines are long and supplies are running low, simply hang out in the bazarre. Read one of their newspapers, full of little puzzles and information, or eat some ice cream from the marketplace, take some photos with your fellow analysts, or just lounge on the cushions and watch your fellow heroes take on the VR challenge. There are representatives wandering around giving you small mini missions that could involve a scavenger hunt or simply taking a selfie.
The best thing about this whole experience is how much work has been put into it. From the planning to the execution, it does not fail to impress at the sheer magnitude of what is offered.
With so many options, this is going to be a busy activation site, so get there early. The good thing is that your analyst badge gets you in and out so you can return the next day if you didn’t get to do everything. The experience is open from Thursday, July 19 to Sunday, July 22. Thursday through Saturday they are open 9am to 7pm, Sunday they are open 9am to 5pm.
Don’t miss out on one of the most memorable and exciting experiences at SDCC this year!
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