The Walking Dead Living Nightmare is back at Thorpe Park for May half term with one twist this time its Extreme! The maze is darker and has double the actors it used to have when it operated at Fright Nights in 2017.
The living dead have taken over the Chilton High School Fair area which came to town in 2005 featuring the amazing Slammer. Posters in and around the queue line for the maze feature retro posters for the old Slammer ride whose queue line is utilized for the maze. The maze’s queue line and surrounding area are themed around an old amusement park area that is run down and has been taken over by Negan and his pet zombies.
Comparing the maze to its previous incarnation, used during Fright Nights, we much prefer this version. Not because it’s an extreme version but because it feels more refined, darker and spookier than last year. Last year the maze ended when you got off the bus and were chased out by a zombie on chains. This year you see the headlights turn on and a zombie chases you out through curtains and drapes hanging down. It might not sound like much more of an ending but having actors/zombies between the drapes and the other side of the fence screaming and making noises is very effective.
At the start of the maze instead of wasting time over a Picsolve photo, the story behind the maze is explained to guests. You’ve come to see Negan and you’re meant to be giving him “half of your stuff” When Negan finds out you don’t have his stuff he turns on you and feeds you to the walkers, one by one. With your hands behind your head facing the wall, you don’t know who in your group is gone! With a cast of 40 actors, you’ll find 35 playful zombies in the maze, which is double the number used at Fright Nights.
Actors inside the maze are utilizing all of the space inside and have somehow found new spaces to jump out and impact scare us. All of the props inside the maze are being used. One example of this is has a chair that Negan can put you in and question you. The SFX Makeup the actors are using is much better than last year, with more masks and fake blood. It’s amazing what they’ve pulled off this year.
The Walking Dead Living Nightmare Extreme is a marked improvement on what it was last year. With the music in the queue line that helps build up the atmosphere whilst you wait, to the amazing acting inside the maze. This is a firm favourite in our list of horror mazes we’ve done over the years.
Living Nightmare Extreme is open for May Half Term 2018. More information can be found on the park website:
https://www.thorpepark.com/events/living-nightmare-extreme
