STARStruck in Las Vegas: The Resident Evil Immersive Experience at Universal Horror Unleashed

Enter Raccoon City in Sin City

UHU is tucked behind the main Area 15 complex, and with good reason- the screams would probably scare the sprinkles out of the Museum of Ice Cream guests. Upon entering UHU, the lore begins immediately. The UHU campus is canonically a prop warehouse used by Universal Studios to house old sets and costumes from its original iconic Universal Monsters movie series. While there are some recreations, there are also some actual props from The Mummy and The Phantom of the Opera on display. Unfortunately, the UHU campus is also a canonically haunted hellmouth. Villains from movies like the Grabber from The Black Phone and misunderstood M3GAN have been known to prowl the halls. Even without the Resident Evil Takeover, this space is worth it for fans of classic horror to modern horror. 

Resident Evil takes immersion a step further by having the Raccoon City police welcome you upon entry. They give you a task- they need your help taming the infected, and at this point they'll settle for you.

Welcome to Racoon City…

The main quest cleverly uses spaces at UHU that were previously reserved for private events. A hallway opens up to an outdoor space where infected prowl through red, blue, and green herbs. An empty hall now houses a station of the Raccoon City Police Department, complete with a lackluster sign saying "Welcome Leon". The tasks in the missions feel like traditional Resident Evil puzzles- your solution is never too far away from you, and you do have to tinker until you find your way through. The flashbacks to opening a box, turning it over, and inspecting it came up a lot during the story mission. While I certainly don't want to give any spoilers, there is a specific mission to find the right key that immediately felt like true fan service. 

Infected on the loose!

The story mission concludes with a prize (as it should), but the fun doesn't stop there. To really hundo the experience, you have to sit in on the STARS show. Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Leon Kennedy, and Ada Wong are all live characters that interact with each other and with guests throughout. The stage in the middle of the UHU campus brings them together every hour or so, where they fight infected, most notably Nemesis. 

Nemesis looms…

Yes, there's a minigun.

After the shows, the story, and evading the roaming infected, the best way to cool off and count your easter eggs is at the bar. There is an Umbrella Corporation Cafe that serves exclusive Resident Evil-inspired drinks and delights. My favorites were the T-Virus Trio, a set of three glowing jello shots served in syringes via a briefcase brought to you by an Umbrella Corporation scientist. The scientists were very nervous; they weren't supposed to be sharing the T-Virus, let alone serving it to tourists, but what happens in Raccoon City stays in Raccoon City. The Jill Sandwich was a nice nod to a silly line from the first game, and the Raccoon City Donut was a satisfying jelly-filled way to end the day.

Which do you choose?

The largest missed opportunity, which perhaps will get patched in updated entries, is that there was no Resident Evil merch for sale. As a minor spoiler, the prize you get for completing the story mission is a coupon to the UHU gift shop, but their stock is all about the Universal horror mascots. I would have loved some Resident Evil merch, and I overheard another guest asking about Resident Evil swag. 

Licker at large…

Lastly, this activation focuses mainly on the first three Resident Evil games. You're not going to see Lady Dimitrescu anywhere. You will see the core Resident Evil heroes, infected, lickers, and, like I mentioned, our boy Nemesis, but that's about it. This was a labor of love for the hardcore old-school "save by typewriter" crowd. 

Book tickets at https://www.universalhorrorunleashed.com

Screenshots: Link to Folder