Saw about half the event last night, so not a full review, but some initial thoughts. Kevin Yee used to discuss Disney "declining by degrees" -- I'd say HoS is "improving by degrees." A slightly better event than its debut, but if you didn't care for it in 2021, 2022 not suddenly going to change your mind.
The larger lay-out helps, tho I still wish it was a full loop. Ice Breaker adds some kinetic energy to the entrance area. I saw one new scare gag I won't spoil but it's genius in its simplicity and effectiveness. Some of the make-up on "marquee" actors in zones felt like a step up, although most actors are still very minimally made up.
The good is still good. Scare-actors, especially in zones, are just relentless. Those in the houses are allowed to ad lib (saw one effortlessly switch from English to Spanish). The bars have live entertainment and good, tho pricey, drinks. Lines remain reasonable even with pulsing. Monster Stomp remains the closest thing to Broadway quality I've seen in a theme park, so I give it more of a pass than Nightmare Fuel even tho it's the exact same show. There are still Jello Shot girls (and boys!).
But a lot of the bad remains bad. As I mentioned, most make-up is minimal. Sets are maybe even a step down from last year (the attempts to transform hotel rooms into cruise ship-specific sets in one house look like backdrops from a middle school play). Food options are sparse and understaffed.
But the biggest problem is the sameness. Effectively one new house and one new show* -- yet to see either -- but the rest feels exactly like 2021. I guess I can let that slide for a sophomore year but if prices continue to creep up and this feels mostly the same come 2024, I would just skip the event.
* Technically two new shows with the drag show somewhere near Sky Tower. But since that is an upcharge and not really advertised in the map, I'm treating it as its own thing. When I get a chance to attend, will report back whether or not it ties in.
UPDATE: The new monster hunter show in the pearl diver "theater" got a few chuckles out of me. Adventurers Club vibe, lot of dad jokes that border on risque given the theme park audience (HoS seems to attract even more kids than HHN). The show begs for a second actor or slightly better special effects in its climax, but no such luck.
The new house -- Blood something -- is horrible. Makes Hellblock Horror look like a masterpiece of coherent design.
Start in an abandoned bookstore. With one scare-actor. Then a sparse butcher shop followed by a frozen meat locker. OK, so maybe this is a twisted version of Main Street. Nope, next you're outside in a campground, or maybe a homeless enclave, it's not clear. Then for the finale you re-enter a haunted strip club. (See my comment above about the number of children at the event.) Walk past two vampire strippers, and outside there's two more random unthemed bungee jumpers as you exit. Because I guess they had the equipment sitting around.
Understaffed, minimal sets. I've seen haunts in people's back yards that do a better job. My guess is all the talent they poached from HHN in 2021 has moved on, which does not bode well for the future of the event.