A lot of off-site SDCC experiences are moving to AR and VR experiences these days, while others tend to favor physical props and set recreations from shows. AT&T Audience Network show Mr. Mercedes (based on the Stephen King trilogy) offers a fairly layered activation that blends all of these tools – participants are asked to find clues hidden in elaborately built sets, featuring clothing, props, and other items from the show – but find the hidden clues via AR, and can then cap off the experience with a VR escape room.
The AR is a cute excuse to comb through the entire activation, but the physical sets of this experience are probably the most unique and rewarding. The area is dressed to look like a hospital, complete with syringes of energy drinks, while the downstairs is a recreation of Brady’s lair:
If you solve the game by finding all of the clues, there’s some relatively good loot as a reward – we were given a bag with 2 t-shirts (and they actually asked us what size we’d like!), half a dozen pins from the show, and one of the syringes we’d seen used for drinks in the hospital.
We also tried out the VR but it was a little more glitchy, as I think every VR experience I’ve ever had at these activations has been. The experience is located at 643 G. St., a few blocks from the convention center, and will be open Thursday, July 19 – Saturday, July 21 from 10am-6pm PT daily. Overall the immersive experience includes:
- Virtual Reality Escape Room Game – Be fully immersed in a virtual escape room inside Brady’s lair.
- Augmented Reality Adventure Game – Download the app to embark on an AR-driven investigation helping Detective Bill Hodges crack the case and claim a reward if you succeed.
- Recreating the Physical World of “Mr. Mercedes” – The show’s set designers are recreating Finders Keepers, Mercy General Hospital and Brady’s lair using actual props.
- Bringing Brady to Life Through Projection Mapping – 3-D light projection will creepily bring Brady to life in his hospital bed.
- Lenticular Photo Experience – This photo op will transform the participant’s face into Brady’s along with a socially shareable GIF.