Review of Hard Knocks Indoor Combat Arena

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What is Hard Knocks Orlando?

From the Hard Knocks Orlando website:

“We are the nation’s first indoor combat simulation arenas open for entertainment, law enforcement training and corporate team building. Featuring 30,000 square feet of urban-themed combat area and Florida’s largest, most advanced Gaming Lounge. Our customers execute missions that challenge them to defuse bombs, rescue hostages, protect VIPs and eradicate the enemy.”

Hard Knocks Orlando Virtual Tour

How Much Does Hard Knocks Cost?

Hard Knocks Orlando pricing structure is based on a membership fee plus purchasing Combat Time or Gaming Time.  Combat time minutes can be used for time in one of the Combat Arenas for combat simulation.  Combat time can be purchased in blocks of minutes – 30, 60 or 180.  The cost of the minutes depends on your membership level, which come in two different options: Defcon 3 and Defcon 4.  Membership fees are $10 for Defcon 4 and a semi-annual membership fee of $5 for Defcon 3.  Members at Defcon 3 receive discounts on their combat time and gaming time packages.  The table below details the cost of gaming time and combat time at the time of this review.

A full list of prices and special promotions can be found by visiting Hard Knocks Orlando’s website.

Our Thoughts on Hard Knocks Orlando

My son and I decided to give hard knocks a try one Saturday afternoon.  Not much else was going on that weekend – football season was over by now our usual weekend ideas were coming up a bit short.  We headed over to the Hard Knocks Orlando location not knowing exactly what to expect.

We found the location – a very inconspicuous warehouse district tucked away back off a main road.  We headed inside and were promptly greeted by one of the Hard Knocks Regulators.  A Regulator at Hard Knocks is basically Lara Croft incarnate.  She (always a she so far) is dressed ready for combat but her looks are often enough to disarm.  We started talking to the Regulator about membership packages and decided on an introductory package – Defcon 4 with 30 minutes of combat time each.  The total damage was approximately $65 with tax.

My son and I waited in the lobby area for the next combat session to start.  Once one was ready, one of the Regulators called us up.  She ushered us into the combat staging area where we picked out our vests and weapons.  They had everything from a sawed-off shotgun to an M-16 style machine gun to glocks.  These things look and feel like the real thing!  They’re made out of metal and they have real-world weapons weight.  I encouraged my son to pack a glock and I decided on carrying an AWP.  A full list of weapons available can be found here.

We ended up playing two missions each before we decided to take a break.  With the time between each mission and our prep time and decompress time after the missions the two missions took approximately 45 minutes to do.  We used the scanner to check our combat time minutes and found that we each still had enough to do one more mission each (minimum 8 minutes required).

Overall we both really enjoyed the experience and will definitely be going again.  The one downside?  The price.  An afternoon of fun can cost upwards of $30-50 per person.  Consider the other options available in that price range the competition is high for Hard Knocks.

Mad-Made Review Ratings
Fun Factor
Hard Knocks indoor combat arena is an entertainment venue like nothing I've ever experienced before. Remember back in the day when you and your friends would play laser tag? Yeah, well this is like that only on twelve shots of adrenaline. You can't get any closer to being inside a first-person shooter than the experience Hard Knocks provides!
Realism
Many of the HK 'missions' were developed by those experienced in tactical strategy around real-life situations we see on the 11 o'clock news all the time. Not convinced? Law enforcement agencies use Hard Knocks' facilities for their own training! If that doesn't testify to the realism of the Hard Knocks experience, I don't know what does.
Value
Hard Knocks can get a bit pricey when compared to other entertainment options. A movie might set you back $35 for 2 people, with a few refreshments for a 2-hour show. Two hours of combat for two people would run you between $60 - 75, per person (for adults), but you'd be IN the movie and not just watching it. There's no comparison if you ask me.
MMR Overall Rating
While Hard Knocks may not be a once a week entertainment option it definitely is worth the extra money over other forms of - less involved - entertainment. Hard Knocks is also GREAT for birthday parties, team-building events and bachelor parties!

This is an unpaid review of the Hard Knocks Orlando indoor combat and entertainment complex.  No compensation was provided me for this review. The opinions in this review are 100% genuine and 100% mine.

Cover Image by adster.net