I had intentionally arrived early and was sitting on an outdoor bench near NXGN Arena, a new tactical laser tag site in Edgewater, NJ. The business had not yet opened for the day when I watched a mom and her two sons walking past the storefront and stopping in front of their large picture window to peek inside. I saw the kids eyes light up as they looked into the armory full of iCOMBAT tag equipment displayed under a neon sign that just signaled fun. What struck me was how before I even walked in I could immediately tell that here they understand that presentation is everything and, if the outside was any indication, I was expecting a “next level” experience at NXGN Arena…and they delivered!
The first people to greet me were Moe, the manager, and Malik, the director of operations.
The business is owned by Mourad Elayan, who has clearly put lots of thought into every detail based on what I saw.
When they opened the doors, I was welcomed into a chic entryway with an array of VR games and multi-effect attractions showcased under eye-catching honeycomb lighting displays suspended above.
But the attraction I was most interested in was just beyond this portal.
Moe showed me into the armory vesting area with all the equipment displayed in open-front lockers which almost make it look like a museum.
This is the inside view of that same window those boys had been looking through and admiring.
So often laser tag is the attraction that gets hidden away behind the four walls of the arena, so I think it is really smart to use these storefront windows to engage people to look in from the outside and I saw multiple instances of people passing by, but stopping to check out what was going on inside.
Plus, imagine how eye-catching these lights would be if you were looking through the window at night!
This business is in an excellent location for foot traffic, as it is part of an open-air shopping plaza with a view of Manhattan across the Hudson River.
And it is that Gotham City theming brought to life inside the arena that really makes this laser tag a unique experience.
Before playing a game I began with a walkthrough tour of the arena with Moe. Check out how amazing this over 7000 square foot arena looks!
Moe told me this was the result of collaboration with Art-FX Studios in Florida with lots of ideas and input from NXGN’s hands-on local team, as this is a family business where they wanted to customize things with their own ideas every step of the way.
I have of course seen other NYC themed arenas, but nobody has captured it quite like NXGN Arena with the Gotham City vibe worked into every detail. This was impressive! The entire arena has a very theatrical feel to it. All the details work well together and have been meticulously thought out. Case in point, their custom produced music track is tailored to each individual game. So the music for the Jailbreak game is different from what you hear during the walkthrough, meaning if you find yourself in the slammer you have something different to listen to!
Also, they hired a lighting professional with top notch experience (think Madison Square Garden) to do timed out thematic lighting, which pulses with the beats, switches between lights and colors and really sets a mood, which is again programmed according to the game. You can hear and see some of that effect in action here.
I definitely have a few favorite spots inside this arena. Check out this subway (which won’t be going anywhere from the looks of it)!
And I may not be getting back on this bus, but somehow it still reminds me of home (inside joke for Liz, lol)!
And the bank was another favorite hideaway.
I could not wait to play the game!
I returned to the vesting room entryway to pick up my irM4, camo vest and headband. Then Lucia and I went in for a 1v1 game.
I appreciate them accommodating this game experience. If I had more time or had been able to play later in the day they had several large groups that I could have joined. But timing did not allow for that and even a small game gave me the experience I had hoped for and let me feel what traversing the arena in competition mode is really like.
Games begin in a respawn room on opposite sides of the arena.
And when the countdown started the mood got real! I absolutely enjoyed this game and actually playing highlighted a few things I did not pick up on during the tour. For example, the impact of lighting is so much more than just “pretty colors”. In a situation where we were playing cat and mouse, you must play with all your senses. This means listening for movement and watching for shadows…except those theme lights were moving and casting shadows in all different places, making this an even greater challenge! It also proves that you don’t need to play with a huge group (although that’s always fun!) to have a quality game when the environment of the arena adds to the totality of building the game experience.
I came out of NXGN Arena completely impressed and definitely putting them on my list to visit again next time I pass through New Jersey. NXGN Arena has absolutely taken it to the next level!
Comments or Questions?
Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com
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