Immersive Fort is Tokyo's latest offering in the theme park genre. As the name implies it claims to be the world's first fully immersive park, with visitors being part of the attractions. After a visit, I'm not so sure it's hit the mark.
I was initially excited when I saw the advertisements for Immersive Fort. With mentions of Jack the Ripper and Sherlock heavily featured, it seemed aimed at people with a strong interest in Victorian England. So basically me. A peruse of their website showed antique posters and dark cobblestone streets, further cementing the idea that the world it aimed to immerse me in was a bygone era. The reality is much different.
The rebirth of Venus Fort
Previously the building was home to "Venus Fort", an over-the-top shopping mall with a similar vibe to faux Italian casinos in Las Vegas. If you were familiar with the building in its previous iteration then you already know what the theme park looks like. They changed nothing. The faux sky, the giant fountain, and the vaguely Mediterranean buildings are all still there. Venus Fort was designed to mimic Venice, so despite the attempts at Victorian England, it looks like Italy.
The original architecture was impressive if a bit schmaltzy with its Roman pillars, sandstone arches, and ornate carvings and trellises. The few additions for the park frankly look like they were printed at 7-11. Most of the glaringly white metal grate doors from the former mall occupants are still clearly visible. The very dark interior and cheap decorations do a poor job of concealing them. Overall it feels very low budget, which is a shame because the park is expensive.
It's not cheap
I went during a discount campaign so general admission was ¥4,800, except that didn't give me access to a good portion of the attractions. If I wanted to do the more interactive attractions I would have to cough up another ¥5,000 each. To experience the entire theme park at the regular price it's well over ¥20,000. That's far too pricey for what's on offer. Especially when compared to more established and I would say more immersive theme parks like Disneyland or Universal Studios which are about half the cost.
My initial excitement for the Sherlock experience was dampened when I saw it was an additional ¥5,000. I decided to pass on it and any of the other premium experiences. Several areas of the Sherlock experience were open to walk through anyway, confirming I'd made the right decision. The settings were especially underwhelming; they all looked very prefab and artificial. Non-paying guests can walk right through portions of it.
You'll need a schedule
Even the attractions I could experience were not all available. An Alice in Borderland-themed attraction stopped at midday to recycle the area for a zombie attraction later. You also needed to make an appointment and sign a consent form before you even arrive to participate.
Many of the attractions run at only a few set times each day that overlap, making it difficult to experience everything. At a larger park that would be fine as there would be plenty to do, but Immersive Fort is small, leaving you with a lot of free time yet few ways to spend it. I saw many people seated and killing time at the numerous rest stop tables. The park is also open only 8 hours a day making scheduling even more stressful if you want to get your money's worth.
Jack the Ripper
I'm a bit of a true crime enthusiast, an interest that began with Jack the Ripper. I was intrigued by what the park would do with this tragic but infamous bit of history. Not much actually. While you wait to enter there's a video of an "expert" who gives some background to the crimes committed in Whitechapel, but he is in modern clothing that immediately takes you out of the timeframe. This portion is in English though so no Japanese is required. Jack the Ripper's "immersive maze" is a glorified haunted house. When you enter you are grouped with several other patrons and must stay linked by a rope. This means how fast you go through the attraction varies depending on who is in front, and our group went through fairly quickly. For a haunted house with lots of jumpscares, it was entertaining. But, it was also nothing new or innovative. There was no real "maze" element, as you follow a pre-determined route. I expected it to be more interactive, so was let down by my expectations.
Hansel and Gretel
This immersive fairytale lets you choose between two variations of the same story. The first is the traditional story of Hansel and Gretel and the second is a retcon of the evil witch giving her a tragic backstory ala Disney's latest villain films. Hoping to see a fresh perspective I chose the witch version, as did most people. There is only one line so staff had to call out for people who wanted to skip the wait and do the traditional story. Two lines and an explanation before lining up would make the whole affair less confusing.
Once inside, the immersive portion is rooms with cardboard-looking sets, that Cocomelon-esque animations are projected on. Plastic flowers and other fairly cheap-looking decor round out the interior. The story is a bit paint-by-numbers but not surprising for a fairytale. Unfortunately, because both versions are happening simultaneously you can often hear the other experience's audio. There's a QR code you can scan before entering that provides subtitles in various languages as you go through the attraction so even those who don't speak Japanese can follow it.
Party Fiesta
What was previously the central fountain of Venus Fort has been filled in to create a stage, and the marble statues have been given a paint job so they exude some razzle-dazzle. The show uses a mixture of standard pop fare and classical, somewhere between classy and the club. The performers do an impressive job, singing and playing instruments without missing a note. I thought it may have been pre-recorded, but then I saw a mic duct-taped to the saxophone and realized it was live. The performers interact with the crowd and will ask audience members to come up and dance. It was fun, albeit pretty standard amusement park entertainment. It's in Japanese but honestly, it doesn't matter because "party" is a universal language.
Identity V Game
This attraction is based on the popular mobile game Identity V. Before participating, I did not know the game. For the game you are given a device to use with multiple languages; I opted to use my device in English. You also have the option of participating individually or as a pair. As a pair, you share a device between two people and have to hold a small rope to stay together. You then have to work with other people as a team, and while you do get some explanations at the beginning it's fairly quick. This is when language barriers become a big issue. Everyone has to share their roles within a very short time frame. That left me trying to understand my role, translate that information to everyone else who couldn't read English, and absorb what everyone else's role was in Japanese in less than a minute. Our team was doomed from the start.
Despite having no chance of winning because of poor communication, by far this was the most enjoyable and immersive experience of the day. It felt actually like being in a game. The actors were top-notch and helped create the right atmosphere. It was interactive, reminiscent of escape rooms in the mission you needed to complete in a pre-determined time. The character chasing you around isn't scary-looking, but unsettling. At one point I legitimately screamed from fright, as did many others on my team. Judging from the scoreboard winning is rare, but going by the longer lines it's the most popular attraction for good reason.
Casa De Peroni
The food in the park is limited to 2 restaurants and 2 cafes, with a few extra carts selling prepackaged popcorn. I decided to have lunch in the Italian-themed restaurant because it was the least crowded of the two. When shows are being performed it is very hard to even get to the entrance of most of the eateries as staff constantly urge you to keep walking.
The food was decent but pricey. I got spaghetti and meatballs and that alone was ¥2,2oo. The atmosphere is fake Italian, done slightly better than most Italian-themed discount restaurants. As the floor plan is completely open you can take in the entertaining shows on the fountain while you eat. Just don't expect a quiet meal.
Not truly immersive
While the idea behind Immersive Fort is ambitious, the lack of cohesion makes for a poor execution. The park's attractions rely mostly on established Japanese IPs such as Tokyo Revengers, Oshi no Ko, and Alice in Borderland, along with their few nods to Victorian England. The result is an approach that feels like they are throwing anything popular at the wall to see what sticks. Coupled with the very underwhelming remodeling of the space, it hardly seems to justify the price of admission. Despite its claims to be the first fully immersive theme park, it offers little you can't get in other places for better quality.
