Thorpe Park | Derren Brown's Ghost Train | VR Attraction
- Thread starter pitchnoir
- Start date
caffeine_demon
Strata Poster
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
At flippin last!
At flippin last!
silenthillXD
Hyper Poster
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
Rode the Ghost Train for the first time yesterday, and I must say I absolutely loved it. Sure it's not perfect, but I thought it was a cohesive, enjoyable experience, with some good jumps along the way. It's not all that scary, more fun, but I think that was the intention. Overall I think it's a great experience. If you go in with middling expectations, you'll be blown away. Everything from the pre-show to the finale works really well, and I can't wait to see how the ride evolves!
Rode the Ghost Train for the first time yesterday, and I must say I absolutely loved it. Sure it's not perfect, but I thought it was a cohesive, enjoyable experience, with some good jumps along the way. It's not all that scary, more fun, but I think that was the intention. Overall I think it's a great experience. If you go in with middling expectations, you'll be blown away. Everything from the pre-show to the finale works really well, and I can't wait to see how the ride evolves!
Martyn B
CF Legend
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
How could you say the finale works well?lol nothing actually happens, it's the least scary section of the entire experience...
Pre show is amazing, highlight of the entire attraction for me. You could sense the tension in the room.
First part of the ride was cool and creepy. But going from VR to reality just doesn't flow well IMO.
Second part was cool, though the live actors were just way too OTT. So much so that it sort of ruined it a bit.
And then there's the final part, which was the biggest let down for me. Just not scary, and so random.
How could you say the finale works well?lol nothing actually happens, it's the least scary section of the entire experience...
Pre show is amazing, highlight of the entire attraction for me. You could sense the tension in the room.
First part of the ride was cool and creepy. But going from VR to reality just doesn't flow well IMO.
Second part was cool, though the live actors were just way too OTT. So much so that it sort of ruined it a bit.
And then there's the final part, which was the biggest let down for me. Just not scary, and so random.
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
Derren's Browns shows have always appeared up front creepy and scary, but when you watch them, they turn out to be exciting instead. If Derren Brown's Ghost train is exciting instead of scary, then it's on topic for the tone of his other work.
Derren's Browns shows have always appeared up front creepy and scary, but when you watch them, they turn out to be exciting instead. If Derren Brown's Ghost train is exciting instead of scary, then it's on topic for the tone of his other work.
silenthillXD
Hyper Poster
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
We talking about the
? I really enjoyed that part, sure it wasn't scary, but I don't think the attraction was really meant to be outright terrifying. Linking back to the
I get the impression the ride was meant to be more fun than scary, and I feel this section really provided that. It added some much needed variety to the ride, and sure was a little goofy with some not so amazing CGI, but with
I felt it made a good finale to the ride.
Keep in mind this is only the first of two endings to the ride.
I do agree though that the second VR section didn't live up to the standards of the first. I felt the CGI was a bit too outdated for it to work as well as the filmed characters from the first section. But it added variety and there were some cool sections to it. It definitely needs some work, but it's a solid start. It's far superior as an experience to Galactica.
EDIT: Also yeah it's definitely exciting rather than scary. It gives some great thrills, but you're not going to be screaming during the ride.
*sorry for the spoiler overkill in this post*
Martyn B said:
We talking about the
section where the smoke demons throw the train down to hell
speech holgram Derren gives in the pre-show
the added movement from the train simulating the falling
Keep in mind this is only the first of two endings to the ride.
I do agree though that the second VR section didn't live up to the standards of the first. I felt the CGI was a bit too outdated for it to work as well as the filmed characters from the first section. But it added variety and there were some cool sections to it. It definitely needs some work, but it's a solid start. It's far superior as an experience to Galactica.
EDIT: Also yeah it's definitely exciting rather than scary. It gives some great thrills, but you're not going to be screaming during the ride.
*sorry for the spoiler overkill in this post*
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
Bear in mind that Darren describes the ride as a re-imagining of The Ghost Train. Not horror attraction/maze. And ghost trains are aimed at creeping out older children and other children, and provide whimsical Halloween thrills for the older. So, to those who have ridden the ride, it's up to you to decide if the ride delivers a next-generation ghost train or not.
Perhaps some people might feel a little of Thir13en as in expecting something which it is not going to meet.
I do think my comment pages back of the promotional material making the ride seem too creepy would be fair. Then again, the point of promotion is to sell the ride, not provide an honest review of the experience.
Bear in mind that Darren describes the ride as a re-imagining of The Ghost Train. Not horror attraction/maze. And ghost trains are aimed at creeping out older children and other children, and provide whimsical Halloween thrills for the older. So, to those who have ridden the ride, it's up to you to decide if the ride delivers a next-generation ghost train or not.
Perhaps some people might feel a little of Thir13en as in expecting something which it is not going to meet.
I do think my comment pages back of the promotional material making the ride seem too creepy would be fair. Then again, the point of promotion is to sell the ride, not provide an honest review of the experience.
silenthillXD
Hyper Poster
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
Interesting thought, the ride itself doesn't feature any ghosts in it's plot. Anyone else noticed that? Talk about false advertising much? Ha! :lol:
Interesting thought, the ride itself doesn't feature any ghosts in it's plot. Anyone else noticed that? Talk about false advertising much? Ha! :lol:
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
There seems to be mixed reviews of DBGT so far. Some say it is outstanding and others say it is very mediocre. It will be interesting to see how it fares long term.
Never thought of that, but now you mention it, it does seem a bit strange. I think a ghostly plot would have been better actually.silenthillXD said:
There seems to be mixed reviews of DBGT so far. Some say it is outstanding and others say it is very mediocre. It will be interesting to see how it fares long term.
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
Lofty will probably correct me, but isn't "Ghost Train" just a generic term these days? Like "Haunted House" or something?
It probably has different origins, but it's certainly seems to be used more generically these days.
Lofty will probably correct me, but isn't "Ghost Train" just a generic term these days? Like "Haunted House" or something?
It probably has different origins, but it's certainly seems to be used more generically these days.
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
^True...
Although I would describe lots of dark rides not specifically related to ghosts as being a ghost trains - especially to my non-enthusiast friends.
To me it sounds like it's just an easily marketable name. They get the branding in, set the scene a little for the ride and use a recognisable term.
^True...
Although I would describe lots of dark rides not specifically related to ghosts as being a ghost trains - especially to my non-enthusiast friends.
To me it sounds like it's just an easily marketable name. They get the branding in, set the scene a little for the ride and use a recognisable term.
silenthillXD
Hyper Poster
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
The thing that kinda annoyed me a little with the use of the term Ghost Train is
That's as far as the whole ghost thing goes. It just seems odd to me using them once in the pre-show then never using them again. There's a narrative dissonance there.
The thing that kinda annoyed me a little with the use of the term Ghost Train is
In the pre-show, Derren's talking about his ghost train, then picks up a model train and spectral figures start eminating from it and he blows them into the audience
rich210uk
Mega Poster
Re: Derren Brown's Ghost Train (WC16) | Thorpe Park | May 2
Managed to get on the Ghost Train last weekend, despite a sign out front saying it wouldn't be available. Its wasn't great and there were plenty of "eh, is that it?" comments at the end. The sound on my headset didn't work unless you pushed and pulled the cables about and the quality of the VR was poor. At some points you were thinking "just get on with it" I've no desire to go back on it and neither didn't any of the 5 people I was with.
Towards the end of the day there was hardly a queue but Nemesis and Stealth were both over 1 hour wait...
Managed to get on the Ghost Train last weekend, despite a sign out front saying it wouldn't be available. Its wasn't great and there were plenty of "eh, is that it?" comments at the end. The sound on my headset didn't work unless you pushed and pulled the cables about and the quality of the VR was poor. At some points you were thinking "just get on with it" I've no desire to go back on it and neither didn't any of the 5 people I was with.
Towards the end of the day there was hardly a queue but Nemesis and Stealth were both over 1 hour wait...