Fright Nights Review 2021
Fright Nights Review 2021
Fright Nights celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021, and the event is running better than ever. Guests were treated to 10 attractions, including 4 new ones.
2020 saw scare zones become a key part of the event, and this is something that has been continued into 2021, however now accompanied by the return of indoor scare mazes, creating one of the most complete scare attraction line-ups in the country.
Creek Freak Massacre returned for 2021, after being absent in 2020. The maze remains very similar to the critically acclaimed 2019 version, with the route, storyline and positioning of actors unchanged for the most part. However this is not a criticism, due to the year off it still feels fresh and the multiple routes available mean no 2 run throughs are the same. The intensity of the maze feels less than previous versions, with dead spaces more common, however the design of the maze and how claustrophobic it feels makes the experience still feel thrilling. Overall the maze is still very strong and one of the best the park has ever done and justifies the £10 entry fee. I hope it returns for 2022, with some slight adjustments to keep it fresh.
8/10
7/10
The park continued the tradition of a major new maze on every 5th anniversary. Trailers is one of the biggest and most complex mazes in the events history and pays homage to many of the previous attractions. The premise of the maze is you are in SuperSpark Cinema to watch a movie, before a power cut occurs and the movies come to life. With 9 rooms in the attraction its hard to pick favourites, however the highlights include Beyond The Chair, Seven Dolls and Bozo's Playzone. The maze had a tough job of making sure it did not lean on past ideas too much and not to play on nostalgia and fan service to succeed, and I believe the maze succeeds and makes sure that it feels fresh despite using IP's which have been done before. I really hope this attraction can return for 2022, and with the room based layout, it would be very easy for the park to swap out scenes to make sure the maze stays fresh. Along with an attraction further into the list, this was my favourite of 2021.
9/10
Creek Freaks Unchained returns for a second year at the event, and unfortunately did not reach the heights of the 2020 version. This attraction was brought in to continue the Buckwheat storyline when the Creek Freak Massacre scare maze was closed, however now the maze is back open, it feels the scare zone is now an after thought. The zone is now more about the interaction with the actors, rather than the scares and interactions of last year, of course it is still immersive and the theming has improved, it now feels like a walk through rather than a scare zone. A major issue with the zone is the fact there were no chainsaws, leading to it not feeling like a Buckwheat area. I still like the zone, and with the 2024 coaster shutting the area down we are unlikely to see it again, however if it was to return I would love to see it return to the intensity of 2020.
The ever popular Amity High IP returns for a 4th event and incorporated the lacklustre 2020 scare zone LycanThorpe High. Located in the Stealth plaza, the zone remains similar to previous seasons, with the main set piece of the school busses being one one of the only theming items. With the addition of the LycanThorpe actors the area feels busier than previous seasons. The usual dance mob shows returned, however I think the song choices were weak and the whole performance felt short. I also felt the actors did not interact with guests as much as previous seasons, leading to many times people walking straight through with no scares. I still think the Amity High idea is great, and incorporating it with LycanThorpe was a good idea, however this year felt lacklustre and I feel this could be solved by more actor interaction and better song choice if it does return for 2022, which I think it will as the zone is now a staple for the event.
6/10
5/10
The Swarm Invasion returned for a second season, and was unfortunately as lacklustre as the first. The theming and general atmosphere of the zone has improved drastically, with new tents and stages throughout, however it clearly still lacks actors and intensity. On my run throughs I never saw more than 4 actors, and due to the characters of some it leads to no interactions or scares. The conspiracy theorists actors offered good interaction, but due to the lack of them it was hard for many to experience this. I still feel Swarm Invasion is a good idea for a scare zone and would like to see it have another chance, it just needs more actors, as a lot of guests walk through without even knowing its an attraction.
4/10
The Crows of Mawkin Meadow was the new scare zone for 2021 and aimed to expand on the popular Crows roaming team. This is one of the most beautifully themed and immersive attractions Thorpe Park has ever produced, and you can really forget you're at a theme park when walking through it. Being surrounded by crops and foliage as you walk through the winding path made of hay before seeing the Crows adds to the mystery and fear of the characters. The actors inside once again did a great performance as the Crows and made sure they were once again a highlight of the event. No one would expect a scare attraction to work on the Saw Alive path, however the park made it work. Although still good in the day, it excels at night, and makes the smoke finale even more impressive and mysterious. I hope this attraction can return for 2022, and I can't think of any changes due to how expectational it was in 2021. Along with Trailers, this was my favourite attraction of the event.
9/10
The Crows made a return for 2021, after they became the star of the show in 2020. Once again they are the parks only roaming team and appear in random areas of the park, at random times. This means they are very difficult to spot, and the majority of guests won't see them, which is a negative, but also increases the suspense and atmosphere when you do finally see them. Due to the Crows getting there own scare zone for 2021, I feel the roaming team is now less vital to the event, and for 2022 I would not mind if these actors were moved into the scare zone and a new roaming team were brought in.
7/10
Birthday Bash is Fright Night's first attempt at a stage show since 2018 and builds on the success that Fearstival Arena had in 2020. Located on the Dockyard stage the show took place multiple times a day. It focuses on 2 spoiled children who's parents are wanting to create the perfect party for them, with the help of entertainers who aren't quite up to scratch and pay the price for there lack of skill. The show is great, with the script working very well with humour the main focus, while also keeping some fear involved, for example the finale where the piñata gets beaten. The show features many songs, with choreography which all were well done and helped the show flow well. Overall I hope this is the start for more stage shows, rather than the usual flash mobs, as it creates a more immersive and event like experience. I would not mind if Birthday Bash returned for 2022, or they tried a new concept stage show as I am excited to see what Thorpe Park can produce next.
8/10
Legacy, alongside Trailers, were the main 20th anniversary celebrations of Fright Nights. Located on Amity Beach, it is the first time Fright Nights have done a major pyrotechnic show, and the first time Thorpe Park have done one since the Blows It Up event in 2011. The show uses fire and light effects to take viewers through the history of Fright Nights, focussing on famous previous attractions such as the Asylum, Big Top, Experiment 10 and current mazes such as Platform 15. Despite the exciting and interesting premise, the show falls flat. There is no screen or visual aids to help you understand what attraction is being referenced, this is not an issue for enthusiasts, but regular guests will struggle to understand. The show also has a very abrupt ending, leading to many not knowing if the show is over. It is clear Legacy was designed to please enthusiasts, but I feel the fan service went too far and regular guests won't enjoy it. I hope the show returns for 2022, as I love fire and light shows, and they are popular and effective at other events, with a screen and some more visual props would make Legacy a must see part of Fright Nights.
5/10
Conclusion
Overall I think Fright Nights 2021 was on par with 2020. However this is not as good as a comparison as 2020 had so many restrictions and no indoor mazes, meaning 2021 could not make too much of an improvement. The mazes this year were far better with Trailers being one of the best mazes in the parks history, Creek Freak Massacre returning with a bang and Platform 15 bowing out with some new additions. The scare zones felt tamer and not as immersive as years prior, with Creek Freaks Unchained, Amity High and Swarm Invasion barely feeling like scare zones at times. The Crows of Mawkin Meadows however was great, and the best scare zone the park has ever done. The shows were a step in the right direction, and with a few minor changes could be must see parts of the event in future years. Overall Fright Nights 2021 was solid, made good additions, and with some slight touchups would be the best event in the country, however right now it is just slightly lacking that final touch.
Thank you for reading and make sure to follow me on Twitter at @CorkscrewCoast.
Comments
Post a Comment