RECAP & ANALYSIS: The Ohio Gorematory has a lot to offer. Creepy location. Lots of space to roam. Urban legend backstory. This outdoor haunt through the woods hits all the right buttons as far as setup goes. While this haunt may not have the big set pieces or crazy animatronics of some locations, what it's missing in technology it makes up for in style.
Despite the name, the actual haunt has very little to do with the Gore Orphanage legend. That doesn't diminish the overall level of the haunt, however. This is a very well done outdoor trail haunt with some of the best actors I've encountered. They stalked you and followed you for long stretches, stayed true to their character, and were able to react on the fly to a variety of situations. We were constantly surprised by the different stories that were told throughout the haunt and how the different creeps and killers would loop back around to find us again as we made our way through the trail.
There were a handful of small buildings that you moved through on the trail that included flashing lights and disturbing scenes, but the actors are what made this one stand out. I was in a group of four and each of us got a special "friend" along the way, actors that were willing to learn our names and find ways to get in our heads. The costumes and makeup made everything more believable as well, with a bloody butcher stalking us early on to a crazed wife-to-be wanting to hold on to one of our group. The masks looked mostly homemade and the makeup was frightening without being overdone.
There's a place for big over the top haunts and smaller, more creepy performances. The Ohio Gorematory falls into the latter category, but they hit what they're going for extremely well. This is a first year haunt for these owners, and they have plans to expand and bring in some new pieces. Overall this was a good start. (J. MO) |
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