Foreword
As mentioned in previous reviews, such as Whatton House of Horrors, we love nothing more than to have a new, small and independent scare park blow us away, and Doncaster Fear Factory did exactly that.
N.B. there will be spoilers!
Overview
In brutal honesty, I had no clue about this attraction, until I saw a Facebook video of it, and it immediately gained my curiosity, 4 attractions, all looking very interesting, and a short drive from my house. It's a given.
On arrival, we were greeted with a really cool-looking entrance archway, however very shortly after we found ourselves running from a psychotic clown wafting a chainsaw around. This really did set us up for the night and we had no idea what to expect, and I was also with 2 friends who were scare virgins.
The main hub area of the park had a cozy feel, with burgers and beverages being served from opening (which are very very good by the way), it really does have that festival atmosphere. However, our dining experience was somewhat distracted by the several roaming actors harassing and shouting at us (perfect).
Y.A.N.A. Gate
We started our night of scares at Doncaster with Y.A.N.A. Gate, which is a government test facility hidden within the depths of a seemingly abandoned building. You are first greeted by a very enthusiastic man, who is vlogging, more specifically Urbex Vlogging (Urban Exploring), the man is celebrating the 200 subscribers he has just hit on his YouTube channel (which we have just done!), there are big cheers and he invites you to be in this celebratory video. Its a very unique and positive start to an attraction, which can only mean they're leading you into a false sense of security for the chaos that lays ahead, and boy did we find it.
After this calm and upbeat first scene the tone very quickly changes as you find yourself exploring this facility and its terrors that lay within, with the group you are with. Smoke filled rooms with dim lighting and alarms going off everywhere, chaotic is the only word i can use to describe the attraction.
Actors are flinging themselves at you from every single angle, in what very quickly becomes a very aggressive and intense attraction.
You meet several recurring characters along your journey through the facility, from obsessive cleaners to large men running at you, at full speed down corridors.
The scenes themselves, are very detailed and very well themed, from the stains on the walls to the lighting, to the sound, to the textures on the floor, everything in this attraction, I can tell has been thought about at length and implemented to dramatic effect.
The attraction concludes with the tried and tested strobe maze coupled with chain-link fencing to allow plenty of banging and harrasment from the habitants of the facility. It doesnt need saying, but this just works.
Overall this attraction was a fantastic start to the evening and was a sign of what was to come...
Doncaster Fear Factory 2022 - Y.A.N.A. Gate
Scares - 9/10
Costume - 9/10
Storytelling - 10/10
Theming - 10/10
Overall - 38/40
The Pogo Club
After the abandoned, dystopian feel of Y.A.N.A. Gate, our next attraction of the night, The Pogo Club, couldn't of been any further from this.
A bright pink fascade beams through the trees as you walk up to the attraction, muffled bassline music can be heard before youre even close to the door. Before entering the attraction, we really had no clue what to expect from this, we've all had scary moments in clubs, but no this kind of scary?
Our questions were soon answered as we were called through to make our way through the first corridor of The Pogo Club, with half ripped posters decorating the walls from top to bottom, it was clear this wasnt a upmarket venue.
The first main room was the club scene, with just one person in there, dancing alone. The woman in question would soon greet you by pulling on a condom out of her bra to tempt someone to dance with her. This was a great start, I love a bit of comedy within a maze. After a short lived dance to some deafaningly loud music, another person bursts into the room, shouting at the dancing woman, saying she shouldnt be here, and if 'John' finds out we will al be done for. The frantic woman wasted to time escorting us to safety, in the form of the very run down and dirty toilets of The Pogo Club, where the group is split up into 3 cubicles and the doors slammed behind them, with a bit of a leg tickle for good measure. After a few seconds wait, the back wall bursts open, and this is where the fun really starts.
As far as unexpected goes this was well and truly up there, out of nowhere you are thrown into a bright, colorful and absolutely insane clown playground, with clowns barraging you from every way, grabbing your legs, tickling you, while you try and find a way out. Lots of aggression, shouting, horns, bubbles and balloons ensure every one of your senses is just pounded with stimulus.
After a good 5 minutes of clown carnage, the attraction ends with a chainsaw-wielding clown chasing you to safety.
What. a. experience.
Doncaster Fear Factory 2022 - The Pogo Club
Scares - 8/10
Costume - 9/10
Storytelling - 5/10
Theming - 9/10
Overall - 31/40
The Legend of Crackle Hill
After a well needed coffee break to gather thoughts and emotions following The Pogo Club, we ventured deeper into Doncaster Fear Factories forest and came across our next attraction, The Legend of Crackle Hill.
Outside the attraction, we found an elderly lady, who would come and tell you that 'they killed him you know' and 'he will get his revenge on all of you', with little-to-no context, however from what I can gather to the story goes like, her son got murdered by someone, and he's back to haunt them. Following this the lady would go back to her rocking chair and rock back and forth, mumbling to herself inaudible things. This was a great start, the acting was fantastic and even when challenged, there was no break of character whatsoever.
As we got summoned into the door of Crackle Hill House, it really did feel authentic, from the wood cladding to the carpet, to the scenery elements, it really worked perfectly.
We encountered our next character within the story and elderly gentleman who went on to tell you the story of the house, which, I really wish I could recite, however, when a blood-covered girl emerged from the curtain behind him, calmly and quietly and just walked past, it's safe to say my attention wasn't directed towards the man's little ghost story.
The man then told us to progress deeper into the walls of Crackle Hill and uncover its secrets, and it had plenty.
Wooden slat walls allowed terrifying characters to peer through, and even touch you. This is where the attraction got really intense, There was ducking sections between rooms, where youd go through a fireplace and get greeted by a girl banging on a table with a cross scratched into her forehead, speaking in a different tongue, pointing at letters on the wall which seemed like somekind of runes?
After this it was just constant, i really do wish i could tell you the full story of Crackle Hill, but i simply cant, the scares were constant, and where the scares lacked, the mood was made up entirely of unbareable tension.
From what I can gather, the house is haunted with demons. Theres haunting and there is demons within the attraction's scenes, so, with that being said it does what it is supposed too.
Doncaster Fear Factory 2022 - The Legend of Cracklehill
Scares - 6/10
Costume - 9/10
Storytelling - 6/10
Theming - 10/10
Overall - 31/40
The Chasm
The Chasm, was a very interesting end to the evening at Doncaster. It was unlike any of the other attractions there, allow me to set the scene.
From what I know an infectious gas has filled a mine causing all the workers down there to go a little bit crazy, a little bit deformed and a little bit blood thirsty.
You enter the attraction through a small opening in the very nice fascade, into a pre show room, where the host will go through the safety briefings and give you a little insight into the story behind The Chasm, nothing out of the ordinary. It is worth mentioning, this room is fantastically detailed with some amazing props and scenery items, really setting the scene, also loud alarm sounds, beeping and other sound scapes you'd associate with a mine. After the short briefing, you enter a decontamination chamber, which had some compressed air effects, loud sound effects and then concludes with the door in front of you bursting open inviting you to go and search out these creatures and hopefully save them. You soon realise as you enter the pitch black smoke filled mine, that saving these creatures is not on your agenda. Confused, manic and aggressive miners flood the dark passageways, keeping you in a complete panic state throughout the whole attraction. There isn't much else to say about this attraction apart from the fact you're trying to navigate a pitch black scare attraction while getting attacked from every angle by the creatures that lurk in The Chasm.
As I previously stated, this attraction is unlike the others because I can't see enough of the theming to comment, same goes with make up, costume and all the other geeky things I'd be looking out for. However, I can tell you this. It was utterly terrifying in the best way possible.
Doncaster Fear Factory 2022 - The Chasm
Scares - 9/10
Costume - 7/10
Storytelling - 7/10
Theming - 9/10
Overall - 32/40
In conclusion, this event really did deliver. It is definitely one you should all visit and I honestly cannot sing it's praises enough. The actors were great, as were all the other staff, they were incredibly hospitable, unlike any other event we have been too. The scares were second to none and I have no doubt, if they carry on the way they're going, they'll go from strength to strength.
Comments