I went to the event and I'm glad I did, which is how my Howl-O-Scream review typically goes. That's to say the least about the event this year. I was blown away by HOS and thought they honestly stepped the event up since I had gone in 2011. The energy was astounding and I felt like the event had really been improved upon all around. My house ranks in order, I did not get to go through The Experience. There will be some spoilers in this review, the event ends tonight, 10/27, so if you plan on going next year and didn't go I guess don't read.
The Experiment was not worth it to me, save your money so says subject #2039 and #2040.
1. The Basement: Holy sh**, what an awesome house. So much energy, good story line that is easy enough to follow, and lots of scares. I loved how loud this house was, it offered a lot of scares and was reminiscent of older HHN houses from around when I started going. Loud, high energy, cohesive original story. All around a great house. I went back to HHN the following night and was like, okay, I'm ready to go back through The Basement. Unbeknownst to me this house had large portions of Alone worked into it, and I think that has a lot to do with it's enjoyment factor. Still an awesome house. I hope this is the future of the event.
It did have great sound, and not that the over processed recorded kind. And it had a great length to it.
2. Bloodwater Bayou: Let me preface with I really, honestly, enjoyed this house. The hype hurt it though. I expected to be blown away with the quality from what everyone was telling me, and don't get me wrong, I REALLY enjoyed this house, it was awesome, but there was a bit of hype around it and it hurt it a bit, for me at least. Don't get me wrong, this is an awesome house, on par with everything HHN has this year. The scene where you were actually going into the swamp was AWESOME, seriously awesome scene. I don't know why but I fell in love with that scene. The bungee actors added so much to this house as well. You'd never expect that in a house and then, bam, there it is. Once more, if this is the future of the event HOS might be seeing more haunt fan dollars.
I loved this house, great details and the swamp scenes are very well done.
3. Superstitions in 3D: Once more, cohesive story line, high energy, decent thrills. I personally am not afraid of clowns, but my significant other is, and from what I saw from her (not even wearing the glasses) if you were even remotely afraid of clowns this house will terrify you. So much energy and the props and scenes were awesome. It reminded me a lot of Jack's Fun House, a house which I personally enjoyed. This house has the effects, the energy and the scares.
This house is growing on me. But I would like it to be a little more aggressive.
4. Zombie Mortuary: Another house that just happens to work. I'm not sure why, but I really enjoy this house. Maybe it's because it feels a lot like Trapped while it being it's own unique house. The scares are there, energy is there, and some people in my party who never get scared at HHN got a scare. Lots of really good detail and just an all around fun house. Nothing to complain about it just has a lot more of the old school HOS feel and not as much of the transitional houses that we're seeing now. That's not a bad thing, they've interjected it with new breaths of life.
You can still see parts of Trapped, which still works for this house, but the overall theme is just solid and I think the house has held up well.
5. Nevermore: I honestly feel that this house improved since I went in it in 2011. I thought there was a Poe in front of the house, but maybe there wasn't. Lots of fun though. My friend who never gets scared got the **** scared out of him by the actor covered in book pages in the book page scene. A lot of what I say from Zombie Mortuary applies to this house. It feels fresher than it did in 2011 but it's still far from the quality of the new houses.
They used to have a guy narrating in the tower that might be what you were remembering. I think the house is better now than either year before. The book scene is great and I like the addition of the pages in the beginning.
6. Blood Asylum: This is not a bad house, the detail is there, and a couple of the physical effects were AMAZING, especially the guy going into the incinerator. Other than that the house that is typically located here just doesn't do it for me for scares. I've been basing HOS off scares and I'm going to continue to do that. This house is fun, but honestly it is not scary. Not for me at least. It's really cool, I would encourage every one to go into it, some might get some good scares, but Akhbar hasn't really worked for me in the past and it doesn't as much now either. Really cool house, just not a lot of scares.
This house was better, for me, on the first night rather than the last. I agree the last two houses there have been the weakest... well other than the train wreck that was Revenge Rocks. The first night there was less Creature and last night he was everywhere.
7. Ultimate Gamble Reversal: They neutered this house. This house was actually pretty decent in 2011, but the addition of werewolfs and going through it backwards killed it. It makes way less sense for the story going through it backwards and why the hell are there werewolfs here. I got few scares, but the 13 year olds behind me sure thought it was the scariest thing ever. I hope this is this houses last year, it needed to be set out to pasture. This location can support decent houses, the biker house was really good, and I've been told Corporate Nightmare before the hurricane was amazing. Hoping that this is replaced next year and we get something really good like my top 3.