King's Opening Weekend Review (Long-ish)

[King_K.]

Alright, if I had to sum up HHN XXI so far I would..do it as such :

-Rain

-Water Effects

-A 210% increase in Fog Budget

-Rain

-Guns

-The Beautiful People

-Amazing time with friends that I love.

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I was lucky enough to go to Opening Weekend this year and it was freaking amazing, just like last year's opening weekend.. I was with an amazing group of friends and got to meet alot of people that I haven't had the chance to meet. We were able to do the AP party on both days, so we got great house counts in the two days. It was a freaking thrill. I'm not much for intros, so lets just dive into the house/scarezone reviews.

Current House Counts in House rank order.

InBetween - 4

Nightingales - 4

BloodENGutz - 4

Saws and Steam - 3

Thing - 3

Forsaken - 4

Poe - 4

Winter's Night - 4

First thing I noticed when I walked in was the amazing detail. Incredibly gorgeous house, right on par with the amazing eye candy from Hallow'd Past last year. Went through the house twice on Friday and twice on Saturday. The house delivers with both casts. What I really did notice in the house is that it doesn't pick up till the courtyard scene. Of the four times I went through, I didn't get scared at all before the courtyard scene, which is a shame because there's so little of the house left after that. There's a few hallways after the courtyard that has no scares and really could've used a drop door scare or a well hidden upscare. Kudos to the finale crewmates and the bungee crewmate. You were fantastic.

Best 3D house hands down. Simply one of the most terrifying houses and gave me some of the best scares of the night. The wing demon room really gives off an amazing executed triple scare. It's incredibly similar to the triple scare in Catacombs from last year. It's really effective. The spinning tunnel, and laser room really are amazing in 3D. The string room gives of the feeling of there not having a floor to step on if you catch the house early enough. By the end of the night the floor is muddy and scuffed up, so the effect really doesn't show. Major props to the wing demons, the wall demon that crawls along with you while in his hallway, and James (Venom), you were fantastic in your room. Best use of your space.

Poe, you scary. Your sets are really top-notch and probably my second favorite at the event this year. You really can't tell that it's a tent house at all. True soundstage quality sets and rooms. Scare wise though, it was really lackluster on all my runthroughs. The first time we did the house it was very scary, got the Raven Window shattering effect, scare the crap out of me, and got me soaked. But really nothing else other than that. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a big guy, but I wasn't getting anything at all. My friends loved the house, so maybe it was just really poor timing on my part, but yeah. Costumes are top notch, and tons of kudos to the bungee Poe towards the end of the house, you literally flung yourself out of your hole and pretty much leaped over my friend who was in a wheelchair. You scared the living crap out of him!

Gorgeous house and honestly one of the most impressive facades I have ever seen. It's really disheartening though when your door op tells people walking in the following, "If you don't get scared, you can look at the house, it makes up for it, and is really pretty!" I mean, that really puts that seed of doubt in your head before walking into a place. I'm pretty positive I saw both casts and the only scares that I got in the 4 runthroughs were the "Miniature Graveyard scene" scareactor who pretty much stands eye to eye with you from the other side of a brick wall, and to the scareactor that looks like a pile of bones. Many thanks to both of you, cause you really scared me good. Btw, this is not the house to go into when you just got out of a huge rainstorm.

If only I had enough words to say how much I loved this house. I could not leave this house without a smile on my face every damn time. I went through the house as many times as possible and loved it. Was able to get a good scare or startle in every room. This house feels so much longer than it really is and I love it. Felt like it was the longest house of the event every night. Presidents Day, Easter, and Thanksgiving, you guys rock. Lincoln (GatorAlex) you were fantastic. A shout out to Pocahontas in the Thanksgiving room, got me everytime, and to the Basket scareactor in the Easter room, you gave me one of the best scares of the night. Love the fried turkey woman in the Thanksgiving room, and the smell of that room makes me want to eat fifty pumpkin pies. (I want a BloodENGutz Air Freshener) You guys are fantastic. Really keep it up. (And if anyone can get me into the prom happening in the Valentine Day room, there's a cookie in it for you)

So, Nightingales. You guys are terrifying. Your house is incredibly intimidating and really makes you have that feeling of being in those WWI trenches. From the feeling of walking on debris to the incredibly loud gunshots and lighting effects, this house was stunning. You were the best house on Saturday night. I was able to hit both casts on both days, and both casts were great. Cast B though, wow, you guys deliver. It was probably one of the most high energy casts I've ever seen. From the facade Nightingale all the way to the bungee Nightingale, you guys were amazing, and amazing, and awesome. From the first runthrough of the night with you guys to your last set of the night, you guys were on the ball. There's no missed opportunity in this house. The gas mask soldiers are fantastic when working with a Nightingale target in the same room, amazing chemistry! Shout outs to the mass grave room Nightingale and to Victoria is was great being able to catch you three times on Saturday. Your whole cast is amazing. Loved this house.

I really wasn't trying to have any pre-judgemental thoughts on the house before hand, but I really was expecting a horrible house, and it turned out to be one of the best of the night. We were able to see both casts between Fri and Saturday and both casts are great, but Cast B is really running at top gear. Maybe it's just cause I got them right after a shift change both times I saw them, but they were kicking ass. The house is amazing, and fits really, really well into the infrastructure of the Jaws extended que line. The effects are fantastic, and the extractor victim in the house is awesome. If you have the right timing, you can get SOAKED in this house. I'm talking about you, waterfall dude. Shoutouts to Luke, congrats you punk, you scared me twice, and were awesome. (We waited in the rain to catch you, bastard!) Amazing job guys.

Great house. The facade in very impressive on this one and the snow in this one is a nice touch too. There's not much to really say about this house other than it's millions of times better than Assimilation. I actually got some scares in this house, compared to it's previous incarnation. The animatronics are incredibly effective, and something about that first hallway on you see is just really, really, unnerving. Can't really stare at it when I pass by cause it's incredibly lifelike and really, really nauseating. The gun effects in this house are amazing, and I definitely was not expecting some of the scares I got at the end of this house, once the setting of the house changes. Really top notch house from beginning to end.

Saving this one for Scarezone reviews.

Should be up tomorrow.

[Venom]

and James (Venom), you were fantastic in your room. Best use of your space.

Thanks, I try

[Luke]

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Edited October 7, 2011 by Luke

[General Specific]

I think I can take credit for scaring your friend in the wheelchair when you came through Nevermore.

[Stephanie]

Glad I was a part of this group on opening weekend. It was wonderful

[King_K.]

Alright, here's the review for the scarezone that I didn't include the other day.

Didn't get any scares, but it was such a gorgeous zone. The scareactors are really in your face, but that's about the most they do. The projections are amazing and look stunning from a distance. The NYC Library projection is the best one. Really amazing.

This has the potential to be suuuuuch a good zone, especially when it's packed with fog. I actually got alot of good scares in this zone, and the scareactors have really gotten the hang of hiding behind the curtains for really effective scares. Very claustrophobic and awesome.

Gorgeous zone. Great ambiance and really gorgeous costumes. But no scares. Maybe I just caught the wrong cast or something, but I didn't get scared at all. I felt like I was just in a really abstract version of a Cirque Du Soleil show. I'm sure you guys will get alot better throughout the event. But yeah, no scares whatsoever.

The most fun zone ever. Ever. Just so much going on in the zone. I do admit that it feels like this just cramped it all up into one small area, but man the zone really delivers. You can tell that all the Sins are really enjoying it up on those stages and their respected bodyguard/henchmen really, really deliver. I don't think I've ever danced, laughed, and have been scared the hell out of in just one zone. The evolution of the girls throughout the night is subtle at first, but then really substantial by the end of the night. Really loved the different versions of "The Beautiful People" played in the area throughout the night. Really great song to characterize the zone. Nothing beats seeing the girl who plays Gluttony letting it go and dancing crazy towards the end of the night to the song. That was really something else, haha.

Amazing. Got the best scarezone scares in this zone. The sounds effects are top notch and make the floor shake from the bass, and the lighting effects are perfect in keeping you blinded long enough to not see the multiple scareactors in the zone. On several occasions throughout the night I was caught in a maze change that separated me from my group, and that was really awesome. The only thing I wish there was, was more fog, and alot more maze wall shifting. I saw them move a wall every now and then, but I think the zone could be so much better. Hopefully the scareactors fall into their groove soon and make that scarezone shine. It's awesome.

This was..eh. That pretty much sums up my thoughts on this zone.

[Jumboshrmp]

Maybe it was just because I was with you for pretty much all of opening weekend, but I pretty much agree with everything you said here 100%

Great review, and nice job putting it together with pictures and a rating system too!

[LuitaChris]

The scarezone reviews really give me hope. I have heard such negativity about them. Can't wait to go

[HallowFan]

Great review! Thanks for sharing! I'm glad to see more people enjoying Nightmaze, as I personally love it and can't wait to see how much more awesome it's going to become. Sorry you didn't get any scares in Grown Evil I've had some great scares in that zone, but I think it definitely depends on the cast's energy. It's still awesome nonetheless

[King_K.]

Great review! Thanks for sharing! I'm glad to see more people enjoying Nightmaze, as I personally love it and can't wait to see how much more awesome it's going to become. Sorry you didn't get any scares in Grown Evil I've had some great scares in that zone, but I think it definitely depends on the cast's energy. It's still awesome nonetheless

Yeah, Grown Evil is gorgeous at night. but all I had was a few bats swoop their wings over my head a few times. No real scares.