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To put it simply, Batman x Spyscape, a new immersive experience inside the midtown Manhattan espionage museum, is incredibly cool.
Highly reliant on a smartphone app that guides attendees through what are posited to be the physical headquarters of Leviathan, the criminal organization of DC Universe fame, the experience asks patrons to help Batman stop the company's plot to destroy the comic world's greatest superheroes (think Wonder Woman, Robin, Superman and others).
There's a lot going on inside of the installation, reminding guests of the sorts of escape rooms that precedented the boom in immersive experiences that seem to define any newly launched cultural pursuit in the past few years.
You'll have to download the Batman x Spyscape app before getting to the venue to thoroughly understand the entire backstory. Once you actually get to Spyscape, you'll virtually meet Oracle, who will hack Leviathan's security system and allow you into the exhibit. You'll have to keep your phone on you at all times as Oracle will quite literally guide your experience by asking you to find clues and share them with her to solve the mystery of a series of kidnappings.
You'll also use your device to scan QR codes that will help you navigate the experience, which takes place over several rooms but, alas, does not include a meeting with the actual Batman.
Spoiler alert: the experience doesn't actually end once you leave the premise. In fact, you'll likely find yourself chatting with Catwoman or Harley Quinn through the app while walking around Manhattan. The folks at Spyscape are clearly betting big on this.
Unfortunately, what is Batman x Spyscape's greatest strength also ends up becoming its only weakness: its reliance on technology. The guiding app is astounding in its precision and real lifeness: users truly do feel like they're chatting with DC Universe's infamous characters. But given the intricacy of the plot line and the need to constantly stare at a screen to understand what is going on, participants feel pulled away from the physical experience. The immersive aspect at times feels like a dive into technology and not the space around.
That being said, the endeavor is clearly a unique one deserving of the masses' attention. In a landscape drenched by a slew of similar projects, Batman x Spyscape stands out given its creativity and reliance on audience participation.
You can purchase tickets for Batman x Spyscape right here.