Psycho Path 2024
As we have said in previous reviews, Psycho Path just keeps growing, and this year is no exception. But with new experiences being introduced for 2024, the event hasn’t retired any old ones – they just keep adding more to the line up! Hence the park now has a total of TEN different experiences across the site ranging from favourites such as I’Scream, through to newer more extreme experiences such as Vandalised.
Firstly me must say that on our visit on opening night, Vanadlised wasn’t ready to open yet, and so we aren’t able to give a review of that, but having experienced the van journeys on the first year we visited the event – we are sure they would have been quite scary!
Also, the park have had some real issues with their Maize crop, so unfortunately, Cornered has had to be replaced with a new experience – The Darkness. This attraction effectively gets over the sight problems of the corn, by double hooding everyone and leaving people to follow a rope through the field and a couple of structures. Of course there were plenty of actors along the way to taunt and scare us, and one of our group was physically taken off the rope, eventually leaving the attraction a few minutes after the rest of the group. Although there was no real story to this attraction, there were some great jumps along the way and it proved to be a worthy replacement for the planned attraction.
Also new this year was a pseudo scientist experiment in the Psycho Cinema called Mind Control. This experience was full of extremely disturbing images, a number of great scares in the dark, and was unlike anything we have experienced before. Although this isn’t a scare attraction in the truest sense, to say much more would be to ruin the surprises. But with this attraction being right at the front of the park – it would be easy to miss it against the large-scale mazes across the site.
For the returning mazes, these were all as crazy as before, all filled with extremely lively actors as we come to expect from this event. I’Scream is easily the nearest to a traditional indoors scare maze, with Psycho City and Cutthroat Island providing some great outdoor scares. Having just barely survived door number three of Isolation last year - we decided not to risk being picked for that door this year, and with the bad back trouble that come with old age – we let the youngsters test out Crawl Space for 2024. As expected, – it was as crazy as last year, and easily got booked up through the night!
The last new attraction is the Doll House which has found its rightful place as an attraction, instead of the show-based story from 2023. Before entering this maze (and it was indeed a maze) we were advised that there were ten possible rooms that we needed to try and visit. With a small card to tick off, we passed through the first door and into a pallet maze filled with colourful strobe lights.
What then followed was a LOT of getting lost and trying to work our way out, as well as accidentally stumbling through the exits of certain rooms (only to get shouted at to go back out and find the right entrance.) After a while we realised we were just not going to find all the rooms, so when we struggled upon the actual exit, we were kind of surprised to find out we weren’t allowed out as we hadn’t visited all the rooms. So we just happily shrugged, and went back into the maze for some more. This time we found one other room and had a fun dance with a teddy bear, but still couldn’t find the two rooms we were supposed to (the condition to exiting being that you had to have a dolls mask on and have painted cheeks!) So, frustrated to not find these rooms, we got back to the exit door and was turned away for a third time at which point we stated we “were done” and asked to be let out. The actor did everything they possibly could to stop us leaving the maze at this point, and by the time we just walked out of the final scene, we were chased by the actor screaming at us and trying to drag us back in.
We accept that the fun of scare mazes is relinquishing control in some degree to the actors but to be physically barred from leaving is unwise and quite possibly unsafe. Mazes that have a mechanism like this (such as Survival Games at Thorpe Park) have a duty of care to train the actors in such a way that they can recognise when someone isn’t having fun and let them out when they request.
Anyway – aside from this issue we had a fantastic time at Psycho Path especially with the live entertainment on the main stage and the extended new Blood Bar, which were perfect places to chill in between scares. The roaming actors throughout were brilliant (especially the very energetic Candy.)
It's clear that everyone at Psycho Path has a huge passion for the event, and the way it has grown is very impressive. Going forward it would be great to see more traditional mazes such as I’Scream being introduced and perhaps dial down some of the extreme elements (no middle-aged man should she be forced onto their knees at the pure whim of a character trying to exert some authority) After all there is a big difference between scaring people rather than just playing with them!
All in, we had a fantastic time. With the sheer volume of attractions, it was easy to pick and mix what we wanted to do with those that we didn't, and our group had a really fun evening in a great atmosphere. Psycho Path really has a knack of feeling homely and welcoming, and we can't wait to see what 2025 brings...
Firstly me must say that on our visit on opening night, Vanadlised wasn’t ready to open yet, and so we aren’t able to give a review of that, but having experienced the van journeys on the first year we visited the event – we are sure they would have been quite scary!
Also, the park have had some real issues with their Maize crop, so unfortunately, Cornered has had to be replaced with a new experience – The Darkness. This attraction effectively gets over the sight problems of the corn, by double hooding everyone and leaving people to follow a rope through the field and a couple of structures. Of course there were plenty of actors along the way to taunt and scare us, and one of our group was physically taken off the rope, eventually leaving the attraction a few minutes after the rest of the group. Although there was no real story to this attraction, there were some great jumps along the way and it proved to be a worthy replacement for the planned attraction.
Also new this year was a pseudo scientist experiment in the Psycho Cinema called Mind Control. This experience was full of extremely disturbing images, a number of great scares in the dark, and was unlike anything we have experienced before. Although this isn’t a scare attraction in the truest sense, to say much more would be to ruin the surprises. But with this attraction being right at the front of the park – it would be easy to miss it against the large-scale mazes across the site.
For the returning mazes, these were all as crazy as before, all filled with extremely lively actors as we come to expect from this event. I’Scream is easily the nearest to a traditional indoors scare maze, with Psycho City and Cutthroat Island providing some great outdoor scares. Having just barely survived door number three of Isolation last year - we decided not to risk being picked for that door this year, and with the bad back trouble that come with old age – we let the youngsters test out Crawl Space for 2024. As expected, – it was as crazy as last year, and easily got booked up through the night!
The last new attraction is the Doll House which has found its rightful place as an attraction, instead of the show-based story from 2023. Before entering this maze (and it was indeed a maze) we were advised that there were ten possible rooms that we needed to try and visit. With a small card to tick off, we passed through the first door and into a pallet maze filled with colourful strobe lights.
What then followed was a LOT of getting lost and trying to work our way out, as well as accidentally stumbling through the exits of certain rooms (only to get shouted at to go back out and find the right entrance.) After a while we realised we were just not going to find all the rooms, so when we struggled upon the actual exit, we were kind of surprised to find out we weren’t allowed out as we hadn’t visited all the rooms. So we just happily shrugged, and went back into the maze for some more. This time we found one other room and had a fun dance with a teddy bear, but still couldn’t find the two rooms we were supposed to (the condition to exiting being that you had to have a dolls mask on and have painted cheeks!) So, frustrated to not find these rooms, we got back to the exit door and was turned away for a third time at which point we stated we “were done” and asked to be let out. The actor did everything they possibly could to stop us leaving the maze at this point, and by the time we just walked out of the final scene, we were chased by the actor screaming at us and trying to drag us back in.
We accept that the fun of scare mazes is relinquishing control in some degree to the actors but to be physically barred from leaving is unwise and quite possibly unsafe. Mazes that have a mechanism like this (such as Survival Games at Thorpe Park) have a duty of care to train the actors in such a way that they can recognise when someone isn’t having fun and let them out when they request.
Anyway – aside from this issue we had a fantastic time at Psycho Path especially with the live entertainment on the main stage and the extended new Blood Bar, which were perfect places to chill in between scares. The roaming actors throughout were brilliant (especially the very energetic Candy.)
It's clear that everyone at Psycho Path has a huge passion for the event, and the way it has grown is very impressive. Going forward it would be great to see more traditional mazes such as I’Scream being introduced and perhaps dial down some of the extreme elements (no middle-aged man should she be forced onto their knees at the pure whim of a character trying to exert some authority) After all there is a big difference between scaring people rather than just playing with them!
All in, we had a fantastic time. With the sheer volume of attractions, it was easy to pick and mix what we wanted to do with those that we didn't, and our group had a really fun evening in a great atmosphere. Psycho Path really has a knack of feeling homely and welcoming, and we can't wait to see what 2025 brings...
Psycho Path 2023
Last year we started our review by saying that we were amazed how much Psycho Path had grown in 2022. Well 2023 has seen further multiple new experiences across the whole site. The interesting thing is these aren't replacements of existing attractions but additional experiences for the night.
The first key one to highlight is the unique Crawl Space experience. We really don't want to give away too much about this attraction but it really does live up to its name. You will be expected to crawl through ever decreasing height tunnels and rooms populated by a crazy bunch of characters. Due to the small groups that experience this at a time, this attraction does get very popular and we would definitely recommend you book in for it as soon as you arrive on site.
The second new experience is The Hunt - a live immersive game, which is very reminiscent of Survival Maze Arena at Horrorland in Spain. Which is a great comparison, as this experience was wildly chaotic with us as inmates escaping from Psycho City, being hunted through a massive inflatable maze, to a cacophonous soundtrack and flashing lights.
Elsewhere a new Psycho Cinema has been set up which was previewing the debut Horror movie - Find You Here - which was filmed at the venue during the closed season. This short movie created a great sense of dread throughout, culminating in a bloody climax that fits perfectly in with the scares of the rest off the event.
The final new experience was The Dolls House on the stage. This was designed to be a rolling show throughout the night with clues leading to a central story line and experience. Unfortunately with so much to do around the event, this never really worked and was just best treated as one off shows for when taking a break for food and drink between attractions
Across the site, the event was as lively and busy as usual with roaming actors, loud music, great food and of course the crazy set of actors that can be found in all the returning mazes. We love how close and aggressive these actors are from the crazy clowns of I'Scream through to the plundering pirates of CutThroat Island.
Across the range of new experiences, returning attractions and festival environment across the site, Psycho Path has really turned into a must see destination for Halloween. We defy you to go to this event and NOT have a great time!
The first key one to highlight is the unique Crawl Space experience. We really don't want to give away too much about this attraction but it really does live up to its name. You will be expected to crawl through ever decreasing height tunnels and rooms populated by a crazy bunch of characters. Due to the small groups that experience this at a time, this attraction does get very popular and we would definitely recommend you book in for it as soon as you arrive on site.
The second new experience is The Hunt - a live immersive game, which is very reminiscent of Survival Maze Arena at Horrorland in Spain. Which is a great comparison, as this experience was wildly chaotic with us as inmates escaping from Psycho City, being hunted through a massive inflatable maze, to a cacophonous soundtrack and flashing lights.
Elsewhere a new Psycho Cinema has been set up which was previewing the debut Horror movie - Find You Here - which was filmed at the venue during the closed season. This short movie created a great sense of dread throughout, culminating in a bloody climax that fits perfectly in with the scares of the rest off the event.
The final new experience was The Dolls House on the stage. This was designed to be a rolling show throughout the night with clues leading to a central story line and experience. Unfortunately with so much to do around the event, this never really worked and was just best treated as one off shows for when taking a break for food and drink between attractions
Across the site, the event was as lively and busy as usual with roaming actors, loud music, great food and of course the crazy set of actors that can be found in all the returning mazes. We love how close and aggressive these actors are from the crazy clowns of I'Scream through to the plundering pirates of CutThroat Island.
Across the range of new experiences, returning attractions and festival environment across the site, Psycho Path has really turned into a must see destination for Halloween. We defy you to go to this event and NOT have a great time!
Psycho Path 2022
Psycho Path is back for 2022, and once again it has raised the bar on what a scream park should be. Over the last couple of years we have seen a modest woodland walk-through turn into a behemoth of an event that just cant be ignored.
Awarded the Rising Star recognition at this year's ScareCON, the creative team behind the event have seen this as an opportunity to expand their offering and are back with 5 mazes, a load of entertainment and a fantastic festival vibe throughout.
Despite several of the attractions returning from 2021, it is clear that the team have been working hard to plus the whole event, with impressive infrastructure improvements throughout. The container bridge covering the exit to Psycho City and the entrance to CORNered is totally unnecessary, but is a great performance space for fire acts to tower above the crowds. The extra food and catering facilities in the secondary bar area just add to the atmosphere, and the roaming characters were hilarious. Obviously with a pirate themed maze, we would expect Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, but his constant arguing with a mock Amber Heard was hilarious.
But what of that new pirate maze? Waiting in the main queue area, we were unsure as to what we would expect from Cutthroat Island. The queue line was quite sparse and with just a door ahead of us, we were nervous of what was to come. So once we were batched and invited to enter, it was then that we could see how much work had gone into this maze.
As the door opened we were confronted by a whole pirate ship sat in the middle of the field. It was a stunning reveal which got even better as we realised that our path would lead us up onto (and into) the ship itself. Everything about this ship was incredible, with detailed theming everywhere, and some fantastic actors. The attention to detail then continued as we passed out of the ship through Caribbean islands, pirate grave yards and more. As the site is based on a pretty steep slope - the ensuing scenes were all positioned with the impressive ship looming over us in the darkness. It was almost as if we were under the water with the ship floating on the surface!
All of the actors were channeling their best pirate accents and kept the atmosphere and energy alive throughout the whole maze. With multiple structures to go in and out of, and a load of impressive scares, this made for a truly outstanding attraction. As one of our first experiences of Halloween 2022 - it's really going to take a lot to beat!
The returning mazes were just as impressive with lively scares, detailed sets and a raw energy that is hard to describe. It's rare that outdoor mazes are able to crank up the intensity as much as Cornered and Psycho City and we loved individual elements such as the riot police pinning us against the wall with their riot shields through to the insanely large actors that seemed to dominate us throughout.
This year we also managed to do some different routes in Isolation, which just proved that something very different (and very sinister) was hiding behind each door. Trapped between two animal masked actors we were basically threatened something obscene with a large metal pole which had us laughing nervously hoping that the threat wasn't real!
Back inside the main hall, I-Scream remains as intense and scary as it was on opening year. This really is a classic maze and once again the actors were giving their all. We did this at the end of the night as a small group and were taunted relentlessly throughout.
So, with the incredible mazes. great atmosphere and entertainment, fair ground rides and more - this really is a must see event. If you haven't been to Psycho Path for Halloween - then you really haven't experienced Halloween!
Awarded the Rising Star recognition at this year's ScareCON, the creative team behind the event have seen this as an opportunity to expand their offering and are back with 5 mazes, a load of entertainment and a fantastic festival vibe throughout.
Despite several of the attractions returning from 2021, it is clear that the team have been working hard to plus the whole event, with impressive infrastructure improvements throughout. The container bridge covering the exit to Psycho City and the entrance to CORNered is totally unnecessary, but is a great performance space for fire acts to tower above the crowds. The extra food and catering facilities in the secondary bar area just add to the atmosphere, and the roaming characters were hilarious. Obviously with a pirate themed maze, we would expect Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, but his constant arguing with a mock Amber Heard was hilarious.
But what of that new pirate maze? Waiting in the main queue area, we were unsure as to what we would expect from Cutthroat Island. The queue line was quite sparse and with just a door ahead of us, we were nervous of what was to come. So once we were batched and invited to enter, it was then that we could see how much work had gone into this maze.
As the door opened we were confronted by a whole pirate ship sat in the middle of the field. It was a stunning reveal which got even better as we realised that our path would lead us up onto (and into) the ship itself. Everything about this ship was incredible, with detailed theming everywhere, and some fantastic actors. The attention to detail then continued as we passed out of the ship through Caribbean islands, pirate grave yards and more. As the site is based on a pretty steep slope - the ensuing scenes were all positioned with the impressive ship looming over us in the darkness. It was almost as if we were under the water with the ship floating on the surface!
All of the actors were channeling their best pirate accents and kept the atmosphere and energy alive throughout the whole maze. With multiple structures to go in and out of, and a load of impressive scares, this made for a truly outstanding attraction. As one of our first experiences of Halloween 2022 - it's really going to take a lot to beat!
The returning mazes were just as impressive with lively scares, detailed sets and a raw energy that is hard to describe. It's rare that outdoor mazes are able to crank up the intensity as much as Cornered and Psycho City and we loved individual elements such as the riot police pinning us against the wall with their riot shields through to the insanely large actors that seemed to dominate us throughout.
This year we also managed to do some different routes in Isolation, which just proved that something very different (and very sinister) was hiding behind each door. Trapped between two animal masked actors we were basically threatened something obscene with a large metal pole which had us laughing nervously hoping that the threat wasn't real!
Back inside the main hall, I-Scream remains as intense and scary as it was on opening year. This really is a classic maze and once again the actors were giving their all. We did this at the end of the night as a small group and were taunted relentlessly throughout.
So, with the incredible mazes. great atmosphere and entertainment, fair ground rides and more - this really is a must see event. If you haven't been to Psycho Path for Halloween - then you really haven't experienced Halloween!
Excellent management, no silly huge non moving queues to get in. Everything running smoothly with excellent communication across security. Food was all good and hot. No issues. One of the vendors did mention to me he had not sold many hot chocolate drinks as it had not rained. Got my free shirt and drink as part of VIP, I got the shirt that says ‘’Witch please’’.
The Actors and The Shows working outside of the mazes
They ALL did a great job talking to everyone in the queues and scaring people as they waited, none of these actors can be faulted. Russian ballerina, the guy with the claw hands, the big lady with claw hands, Amber and Johnny, The doll/girl in the big white wedding dress and shes half scarred from a fire, the cheerleader running around with her baseball bat and the little clowns on their bicycles. The Fireshow was amazing, the guy with the chainsaw cutting the apple and doing the knife show and the lady climbing the rope, all very good. All actors made an effort ALL night to keep talking to people, getting selfies and scare them!
IScream
Best maze on 30 Sept. my first time going into iScream. What a well constructed maze and well laid out. Feels like your going through a strawberry cornetto. One of the clowns looked like Joaquin phoenix. Excellent clown make up for all and nice actors. Loved the part when it goes all red with the smoke! Loved the way so many clowns popped out from half doors in the walls which you absolutely could not see were even there. I would say this is the best clown maze I have ever been in. it has everything – the strobe room, the red room, the swinging bags, the bouncy floor you never see coming, the squeeze through cushion bags.
Not so great on 1st October. On my VIP entry, there was a pair in front of me who had literally gone mad. This woman just would not behave normally at all. I am surprised she did not pull down all the red and white strips from IceScream. She was really not moving ahead at all and pulling her friend backwards, she was not normal. She was just royally misbehaving, I just said im sorry but im going ahead now cuz your pratting about. Strangely this had less clowns inside on the second night I went, so I assume the actors were sent to fill up the other attractions instead as Cuthroat island had a lot more actors on my second night.
Thunderdome
On both nights I did not do this. I did not fancy being shocked/pulsated. I generally think this attraction may be average. I asked people how the shock was and they said it was more like a pulling sharp pulse. The big turn off for most people was the extra 2 quid that needed paying. But to be fair I did see the younger crowd having a go with the laserquest guns and screaming quite a lot, probably suits a younger crowd that do not mind receiving pulsated minor electric neck collar shocks.
Isolation
This was amazing on both nights. Just fantastic dialogue in all rooms. I was trapped in a tunnel by the pig and his mate on either side and I said ‘’well this has gone wrong’’ and they replied ‘’it has indeed, hasn’t it!, now get down on your knees and make piggy noises’’. Room 1 was genuinely frightening (the models chase), the dentist had amazing dialogue and the room with the huge actors was scary as the actor was so big! I think a major thing Psychopath gets right in several of the attractions is using large sized actors. They just come across as bigger and more menacing.
Psycho City.
Well wow, this was awesome. I loved dealing with almost 4 Riot police, some were zombies. I got pushed by the shield into the wall and he would not let me go, loved it. and I got pushed down a corridor too, I loved it!. loved the way the actors would slide and jump across the abandoned cars.
Cuthroat island.
My first night – I visited at night, there were not loads of actors in there, I also missed a lot of the details as it was night but on the otherhand I got all the colour scheming at night like the neon coffins of the washed up sailors. I was falling down a lot as the banks are not straight but that’s fine. One of the guests was repeatedly thrown into the sand banks by a sailor a lot and was enjoying it.
My second visit the next day- this time I did the daylight visit, WOW! OMG! First I saw 2 red pools of blood water on the side of the ship (like deep red ponds) with Skulls floating in them, I was like wtf I missed that on the first night. Then there is the writing on the gravestones too. The theming was all in synch from clothing to voices to guns! I tried getting the cabin boy to arrange a coup to seize the ship and the Captain said ‘’there will be no mutiny here!’’ and then pulled his gun out and shot me straight in my right eye! Brilliant. The Banter and Dialogue and Makeup throughout the ship was so impressive.
Summary – I had a fantastic time. I think cutthroat Island deserves a prize and the actors should all be given free cake to celebrate the success.
The Actors and The Shows working outside of the mazes
They ALL did a great job talking to everyone in the queues and scaring people as they waited, none of these actors can be faulted. Russian ballerina, the guy with the claw hands, the big lady with claw hands, Amber and Johnny, The doll/girl in the big white wedding dress and shes half scarred from a fire, the cheerleader running around with her baseball bat and the little clowns on their bicycles. The Fireshow was amazing, the guy with the chainsaw cutting the apple and doing the knife show and the lady climbing the rope, all very good. All actors made an effort ALL night to keep talking to people, getting selfies and scare them!
IScream
Best maze on 30 Sept. my first time going into iScream. What a well constructed maze and well laid out. Feels like your going through a strawberry cornetto. One of the clowns looked like Joaquin phoenix. Excellent clown make up for all and nice actors. Loved the part when it goes all red with the smoke! Loved the way so many clowns popped out from half doors in the walls which you absolutely could not see were even there. I would say this is the best clown maze I have ever been in. it has everything – the strobe room, the red room, the swinging bags, the bouncy floor you never see coming, the squeeze through cushion bags.
Not so great on 1st October. On my VIP entry, there was a pair in front of me who had literally gone mad. This woman just would not behave normally at all. I am surprised she did not pull down all the red and white strips from IceScream. She was really not moving ahead at all and pulling her friend backwards, she was not normal. She was just royally misbehaving, I just said im sorry but im going ahead now cuz your pratting about. Strangely this had less clowns inside on the second night I went, so I assume the actors were sent to fill up the other attractions instead as Cuthroat island had a lot more actors on my second night.
Thunderdome
On both nights I did not do this. I did not fancy being shocked/pulsated. I generally think this attraction may be average. I asked people how the shock was and they said it was more like a pulling sharp pulse. The big turn off for most people was the extra 2 quid that needed paying. But to be fair I did see the younger crowd having a go with the laserquest guns and screaming quite a lot, probably suits a younger crowd that do not mind receiving pulsated minor electric neck collar shocks.
Isolation
This was amazing on both nights. Just fantastic dialogue in all rooms. I was trapped in a tunnel by the pig and his mate on either side and I said ‘’well this has gone wrong’’ and they replied ‘’it has indeed, hasn’t it!, now get down on your knees and make piggy noises’’. Room 1 was genuinely frightening (the models chase), the dentist had amazing dialogue and the room with the huge actors was scary as the actor was so big! I think a major thing Psychopath gets right in several of the attractions is using large sized actors. They just come across as bigger and more menacing.
Psycho City.
Well wow, this was awesome. I loved dealing with almost 4 Riot police, some were zombies. I got pushed by the shield into the wall and he would not let me go, loved it. and I got pushed down a corridor too, I loved it!. loved the way the actors would slide and jump across the abandoned cars.
Cuthroat island.
My first night – I visited at night, there were not loads of actors in there, I also missed a lot of the details as it was night but on the otherhand I got all the colour scheming at night like the neon coffins of the washed up sailors. I was falling down a lot as the banks are not straight but that’s fine. One of the guests was repeatedly thrown into the sand banks by a sailor a lot and was enjoying it.
My second visit the next day- this time I did the daylight visit, WOW! OMG! First I saw 2 red pools of blood water on the side of the ship (like deep red ponds) with Skulls floating in them, I was like wtf I missed that on the first night. Then there is the writing on the gravestones too. The theming was all in synch from clothing to voices to guns! I tried getting the cabin boy to arrange a coup to seize the ship and the Captain said ‘’there will be no mutiny here!’’ and then pulled his gun out and shot me straight in my right eye! Brilliant. The Banter and Dialogue and Makeup throughout the ship was so impressive.
Summary – I had a fantastic time. I think cutthroat Island deserves a prize and the actors should all be given free cake to celebrate the success.
Psycho Path 2021
After a Covid enforced break in 2020, Psycho Path is back with a bang for Halloween 2021! This year has seen a number of changes including two brand new attractions, and a new event layout that means all attractions are accessible from the central event space (and not in woodlands a mile away, like before.) This immediately gives the event even more of a festival/scream park atmosphere, as the guests are all focused in the main area which is home to several bars, live entertainment and multiple catering outlets. But of course a great atmosphere is one thing - but what about the mazes?
We started with I-Scream, our favourite from 2019, which is the most "scare maze" type attraction at the event. As we stated last time - the simple clowns curtain maze soon descends into something much darker and scarier, and we had so many scares and laughs in here, that we lost count. There seemed to be actors EVERYWHERE, and they were even livelier than in 2019. In fact we must stress that across the whole site - all the actors were far more physical and vocal than previously. It seemed that this year they were given the freedom to speak and touch guests more than before, and across all the mazes we found ourselves screaming in laughter at their antics. Especially in I - Scream - it was clear that the actors were having as much fun as we were!
New for 2021 is Cornered, an elaborate corn maze overseen by two giant pumpkin headed scarecrows. Clearly we have had a great summer for corn farming, as the maze easily stood 7 foot high and on a windy night the rustles and movement in the moonlight was just as scary as some of the actors inside. This maze seemed to go on forever and utilised many different structures to provide more scares along the way. Once again the actors were fast and scary but also had a cheeky playfulness to their characters, which we loved.
The other new attraction for 2021 is Isolation, a strictly "alone" experience for only the bravest of guests. Faced with 4 doors - guests are randomly allocated an entrance to the attraction, and then left to find their way out once the door closed. We really don't want to spoil what's inside Isolation, but we went through two different doors and the two experiences were as different as they could be. One was light, and strobey, the other was dark and claustrophobic. Whatever the basic theme - both had really impressive close contact scares and effects, so we decided that our nerves couldn't face the other 2 rooms!
Finally - the fourth attraction is the relocation of Psycho City from the forest. Unfortunately this wasn't open on press night but look out for a full review coming soon.
All in - we have to commend Psycho Path for all the changes made to the event since the last time it ran. The elimination of the van transport to another site really works better, and the addition of the two new attractions help makes the event a great night out. Along with the entertainment in the main arena, and the lively and impressive actors - Psycho Path really have a great Halloween event on their hands. We will definitely be back!
Psycho Path 2019
Psycho Path opened in 2018 to generally mixed reviews. Some liked the raw energy of the event, but many felt that it was a mismatched set of scenes on a woodland trail. It was an OK start for a new event, but seemed to be lacking certain something. Fast forward just one year and the team have transformed the event into a full on scream park with multiple attractions, rides, shows and plenty of concessions.
Upon arrival at the main entrance, there is nothing that really gives away what is about to happen. Apart from a busy car park, and a few people milling around, there is just a simple door in the side of a massive old chicken barn. But what was beyond that simple door blew us away!
It was like stepping into a whole new world as we were immediately assaulted with loud music, flashing lights and a crazy festival atmosphere that never let up all night. At one end of the arena was a stage that hosted different acts, including a magician, rock bands and an aerial artist, while around the side were different specialist food suppliers and two large bar areas. It says a lot that we actually stayed in this area for two hours before even heading into any of the mazes. During this time we had our first ever Parmo (a Geordie speciality!) as well as sampling the custom beers (ie Psycho Lager) and testing out their custom created gin. Of course - no matter how good the atmosphere and roaming characters were here, we needed to try out the scare experiences
The main show is the Psycho Path itself, which is actually located about a mile and a half from the main arena. The queue leads to a shuttle service where groups of 20 are bundled into the back of a darkened van, before being bounced and jostled to the front of the trail. It's a fun start and we really needed to hold onto the dangling ropes along the way. At our destination, we could just see some distant lighting and fire spreading out into the woods. Our only way out was through and so we headed off into the unknown.
Along the way we experienced multiple scenes and characters as we walked into and through different structures and buildings. The scares came thick and fast from all directions but with such a long route there were some parts of the trail that felt a little underpopulated. Also we aren’t really sure what the story was actually about – or if there even was one. Beside that little detail we still had fun, and woods around us rang with the screams of others!
The trail then led to the second attraction of the night – Pyscho City. The theme for this maze was a post apocalyptic city ravaged by war and disease and the route took us around many deserted buildings populated by creatures. This maze was very reminiscent of The Colony at Tulleys, with lots of large wooden structures and huts but (thankfully after the previous long walk) less of the empty spaces of Colony. All in, this was a tight attraction, with some good scares along the way which made it a perfect ending to the outdoor trail section of the event.
Following a stiff drink in the Psycho City bar, we hopped back into the vans and headed up to the main arena again.
The final scare of the evening was the clown themed I – Scream. The maze started like a traditional curtains maze but soon progressed into more detailed sets and effects. The actors in here were probably the most aggressive of all the attractions and we had a number of really good scares in this maze. It was a great end to our night.
It is clear that the team have put a lot of effort into growing this event, and for just a second year, the expanse of the whole thing is staggering. As they progress in the future, we would love to see more attractions reachable from the main arena as opposed to accessible by van, which would make it feel whole as an event instead of two disparate parts. But that niggle aside we had a great time and had to literally be dragged away when the venue closed at midnight!
Upon arrival at the main entrance, there is nothing that really gives away what is about to happen. Apart from a busy car park, and a few people milling around, there is just a simple door in the side of a massive old chicken barn. But what was beyond that simple door blew us away!
It was like stepping into a whole new world as we were immediately assaulted with loud music, flashing lights and a crazy festival atmosphere that never let up all night. At one end of the arena was a stage that hosted different acts, including a magician, rock bands and an aerial artist, while around the side were different specialist food suppliers and two large bar areas. It says a lot that we actually stayed in this area for two hours before even heading into any of the mazes. During this time we had our first ever Parmo (a Geordie speciality!) as well as sampling the custom beers (ie Psycho Lager) and testing out their custom created gin. Of course - no matter how good the atmosphere and roaming characters were here, we needed to try out the scare experiences
The main show is the Psycho Path itself, which is actually located about a mile and a half from the main arena. The queue leads to a shuttle service where groups of 20 are bundled into the back of a darkened van, before being bounced and jostled to the front of the trail. It's a fun start and we really needed to hold onto the dangling ropes along the way. At our destination, we could just see some distant lighting and fire spreading out into the woods. Our only way out was through and so we headed off into the unknown.
Along the way we experienced multiple scenes and characters as we walked into and through different structures and buildings. The scares came thick and fast from all directions but with such a long route there were some parts of the trail that felt a little underpopulated. Also we aren’t really sure what the story was actually about – or if there even was one. Beside that little detail we still had fun, and woods around us rang with the screams of others!
The trail then led to the second attraction of the night – Pyscho City. The theme for this maze was a post apocalyptic city ravaged by war and disease and the route took us around many deserted buildings populated by creatures. This maze was very reminiscent of The Colony at Tulleys, with lots of large wooden structures and huts but (thankfully after the previous long walk) less of the empty spaces of Colony. All in, this was a tight attraction, with some good scares along the way which made it a perfect ending to the outdoor trail section of the event.
Following a stiff drink in the Psycho City bar, we hopped back into the vans and headed up to the main arena again.
The final scare of the evening was the clown themed I – Scream. The maze started like a traditional curtains maze but soon progressed into more detailed sets and effects. The actors in here were probably the most aggressive of all the attractions and we had a number of really good scares in this maze. It was a great end to our night.
It is clear that the team have put a lot of effort into growing this event, and for just a second year, the expanse of the whole thing is staggering. As they progress in the future, we would love to see more attractions reachable from the main arena as opposed to accessible by van, which would make it feel whole as an event instead of two disparate parts. But that niggle aside we had a great time and had to literally be dragged away when the venue closed at midnight!
Links:
Psycho Path website
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