There’s a Darklight in the Shadows

16 hours ago
4 min read

Early on in my laser tag journeys I remember visiting all five Shadowland locations between Maryland and Virginia. However, I didn’t really know enough back then to realize what things would be important to document. Now, as only the Gaithersburg, MD remains, I paid a visit with an eye on paying much closer attention, as it has become a rare and occasion when I have the opportunity now to experience playing Darklight.

So first came the entertainment (playing the game) and then came the education (a closer look at the packs). My thanks to the general manager, Spencer, and his team for getting me into the first available opportunity to play. I haven’t had one of these passes printed for me in a while! :)

While I waited in the lobby I watched enthusiastic party players leaving their game with lots of smiles. And in the meantime, I did some souvenir shopping for an assortment of Shadowland t-shirts to take back for my tag swag collection.

When our game was called in, we ventured down a long corridor with the coolest accents on the ceiling. Check out the stalactite decor!

These are the details that I now appreciate much more and want to capture to remember. Much like the briefing room. Clearly there was some artistic talent behind this wall mural and it is very cool!

When we walked into the vesting room I looked for pack 14 and was delighted to discover I would get to play with Darklight V7, as this would only be my second time ever using that equipment.

You can see the new “blob” lights pretty clearly here with the 3 facets (4 RGB LEDs and a separate white LED…thank you Chris!), which is important to note on the V7 model. Also noteworthy is the phaser style, which bears some resemblance to a gas station pump and must be held slightly more upright.

I entered the hex-style arena looking around and noting the varying levels with the hexagon shaped turret platforms.

There is a biohazard theme throughout the space, which is marked by brightly glowing “sludge” paint on the walls and ramps.

I tagged the other players and listened for the familiar “clink” sound of success, then checked my credits on my phaser screen.

I used those credits for power-ups at the GEMs throughout the arena.

The power-ups I could potentially receive were for rapid fire, megapower (aka double points) or invisibility. As I don’t get to play this system often, I racked them up and used them to the hilt to get the full game experience. I came out of the game with the top ranking and a printed scorecard to show for it.

At one point I noticed at least one player was using a V5 model phaser, which prompted me to ask questions. I was not surprised that the two units would be compatible in a game, but I did want to learn a bit more about the choices available. Their tech guy, Cisco, gave me a lot of insight to how things work, bringing out three packs for me to compare and contrast.

The first in the series is the V5, which I have played numerous times and I was already familiar with it.

Next to it he showed me what he called a V6 (unofficial distinction, I’ll get back to that) and then a V7.

Cisco told me that the “V6” had circular blob lights (same as V5) and no speaker in the V7 style phaser, while the V7 laid next to it clearly had the new three facet lights in the blobs along with an in-phaser speaker and a differently designed chest pack. Here they are side by side.

The posting of my photos prompted some immediate questions, for which I am appreciative that Chris Strode of Darklight was able to offer some clarity. He explained that Shadowland is one of the few places that has v5 boards inside v7 shells, allowing them to transition their sites gradually rather than an all out refit to v7. He also explained that there is no official Darklight “V6” release, so this is apparently more of a local internal distinction for a hybrid design, which to me is the cool kind of one-off info you only get from actually playing the gear “out in the wild”. Also of note, Chris mentioned that the V5 plastics were vacuum formed, the V7 are injection moulded. It’s great to have industry friends available to explain things even further.

This was really awesome to see and I appreciate Cisco showing me how they have successfully integrated the versions with the V5 software to make for an awesome and unique game experience!

My thanks to the Shadowland team for an excellent time playing some Darklight as I passed through Gaithersburg, MD. I look forward to returning for more Darklight in the shadows!