I think this point explains why House of Horrors was actually my favorite last year (which, from what I've read, puts me in the minority). While the sets were nothing to write home about, the way they went for the scare was perfect. The bursts of air from the Phantom of the Opera when he played the organ and the final scene were clever and got me multiple times - which, considering it was a last minute house, shows that big budget and immersive houses don't always produce the best scares.
While the sets were awesome this year and I enjoyed them, it was pretty formulaic with the scares and I could see most of them from a mile away (except for Afterlife since I was so disoriented).