Fear Factory Haunted House Review:
We were invited out to visit the Fear Factory Haunted House
at their Media Event before the opening for their Spring season. I had been to
the haunt a few times during the previous Halloween season so I was familiar
with what to expect. My wife on the other hand had not gone yet so this was the
first exposure she had to the old cement factory turned haunted attraction.
Needless to say she was pretty nervous for what was to come.
Walking through the entrance has changed a bit from last
season. Now they have added some entertainment to the venue to help entertain
those who have to wait in line. They had LED Hula Hoop dancers and dancing
zombies as well as some creeps to help keep the crowd busy. I have been told
that the dancers were extremely short handed due to out of town auditions so
this aspect should improve quite a bit when they are at full strength. Also,
the hula hoop girls were supposed to be fire eaters/jugglers but Salt Lake City
has once again successfully dashed the hopes of the Fear Factory management and
have yet to issue a permit for the fire entertainment. Bummer.
One more thing I noticed as I was walking through the line
to get in was a sign that got me really excited. Zombie Lazer Apocalypse 2012.
That is all.
The first thing I noticed about the Spring opening of the
Fear Factory was how different everything was. They did a great job of changing
some things up to give a different feel to the haunt. There was a lot added to
the middle section of the haunt where the maze is located. The section is at
least 10 minutes longer than before and added a lot of twists and turns and
opportunities for actors to surprise you. I was a little bummed to not see my
favorite horror character absent from one of the best sections of the haunt, a Mr.
Freddy Krueger, but I am sure that was
just a scheduling issue as they utilized him perfectly last year.
Overall the haunt began well and got better as it climbed
and then peaked in the middle section. I would like to see the final section
improve a little as it lost momentum from the buildup of the middle section,
but I have it on good authority that the end section will be ramped up in time
for the Fall season. Fear Factory provides an unconventional scare as the
environment provides an eerie industrial fear that no other haunt can capture
with such a unique location. This was and still is one of my personal
favorites. And any haunt that can scare my wife voiceless gets a few bonus
points!
Creativity: 8.5/10
Artistry: 9/10
Acting: 8.5/10
Realism: 8/10
Price Value: 8/10
Fear Factor: 9/10
Management: 10/10
Overall Rating: 8.7/10
