Survival Zone’s Sanctuary
Survival Zone put on a number of great events at Nothe Fort previously so we were a little unsure if the change of venue would work. We can definitely say that the venue change hasn’t diminished the event.
Now located on the edge of Wareham, Survival Zone’s Sanctuary offers a new perspective on the zombie storyline started back at the fort in 2020. The Zombies have now started to move and a number of survivors have found sanctuary at an industrial unit.
The event has a number of returning effects that had worked well previously including one that got us all the first time we experienced it. Even though particular favourites have returned it is worth adding that there are numerous new props, scenes and scares that make use of the new workshop and storage facility setting.
The sanctuary concept worked really well and the idea of us joining the sanctuary helped add to the narrative making the change of venue plausible. It felt like we were having a tour of our new living environment ready to settle in to try and stay safe and avoid infection.
The scares were constant with a few fun techniques that kept you guessing where the next one would come from. This could give the cast the opportunity to mix it up and scare in different ways.
One small thing to note was that there was a mixture in confidence between the actors some would really go for it and land a solid impact scare whereas it felt that, others didn’t necessarily have the same energy. We were however the first run of the day so this could likely change as the team warm up.
This is a great event and one we would recommend. It’s not your traditional scare maze but more of an immersive narrative driven theatrical piece with multiple scares throughout and an approach we as reviewers always thoroughly enjoy.
We attended early while it was still light. As night falls and darkness sweeps through the property the scares are likely to be even more impactful and with the added lighting effects creating a much more eerie experience. So, if you want the most scares go as late as possible or possibly try the Ultimate experience where the scares are turned up to eleven.
Tickets are still available with the event running until the end of October so if you’re in the Dorset area it’s definitely worth checking out Survival Zone’s Sanctuary
Survival Zone: Alien Encounter Ultimate Scare 2021
After the great run of Survival Zone last week we went back with a few others to see what the late night ultimate scare had in store. I can say overall we were not disappointed. The event has ramped up the number of jump scares as well as a few different story points along the way.
It’s worth noting that we experienced this version as a group of six which meant that some of the scares didn’t hit the whole group compared to when we experienced it as a three. We would recommend visiting in smaller groups where possible to enable the whole group to experience the impact of each scare.
The team as per the normal version worked incredibly hard. The storyline followed the same narrative so in this review we will focus on what had changed. Firstly there was an additional impact scare that landed hard. This was absolutely superbly placed near the beginning. It set the tone for the rest of the event and it felt like there were more actors throughout the experience enabling the team to hit a number of additional scares along the way.
As well as this there was a whole new scene that added a shocking twist to proceedings and would definitely give the average attendee quite the shock.
Overall the Ultimate Scare was a lot of fun and we feel that the idea of offering an Ultimate Scare option could be explored further either by offering a longer experience or something a little more intense when restrictions are fully lifted.
While the event is now over I’m sure this isn’t the last from the team at Survival Zone. Keep a lookout on social media for any future announcements from the team.
Survival Zone: Alien Encounter 2021
Last Halloween I was fortunate enough to visit pretty much everything that was open due to the various local lockdowns. That said I didn’t manage to make the long trek, for me, down to Weymouth to experience the now multi-award winning Survival Zone. When they announced that they would be doing an out of season event, Alien Encounter, in June my FOMO got the better of me and I had to see for myself what the hype was all about.
First up, it has to be mentioned what a stunning venue Nothe Fort is. It’s a Victorian era sea fort on a prominent position just to the south of Weymouth centre. During the day it’s a museum and the setting would be perfect for a variety of differently themed events. At Halloween it was zombies, but this time around the team took on an Alien theme. Personally I feel it’s a slightly neglected theme within traditional scare events, and was refreshing to see.
The team behind Survival Zone have a background in both TV, Film and Stage special effects as well as pantomime, a combination that works really well in producing a scare event. The props, make-up and costumes were all top notch, I was probably at times a little distracted looking at the special effects rather than sinking in to some of the scares.
The scares themselves were great, impactful and genuinely surprising. I felt the jump scares hit brilliantly and they were very refreshing. Part of that is the fact that throughout the entire event you are guided by an actor. Hats off to Carl who led our team of three along the various tunnels and rooms of the fort. This guided element is a wonderful addition to more traditional linear style mazes as it allows the team to pace things perfectly and you have very little danger of running in to other groups.
The whole event lasted about 20 to 25 minutes and thanks to the structure gave a great combination of pitch perfect jump scares with more amusing theatrical elements and some very memorable scenes. At time of reviewing there’s about a week’s worth of shows still to do, including their more intense version that we can’t wait to experience in our second run through. If you’re remotely nearby to Weymouth you should definitely check it out and we’ll keep a keen eye on what the team come up with next as it sounds like they have some really solid plans for future events that keep adding innovative elements to their scares.
Survival Zone: Alien Encounter runs to Sunday 20th June and is definitely worth a visit and the Ultimate Scare version is also available on the final two nights.
Survival Zone 2020
This is a brand new event in the South of England taking place at the Nothe Fort in Weymouth.
As a new event we didn’t quite know what to expect. From the get go it’s worth pointing out, what an incredible setting for an event of this style. The old fort with its many tunnnels was perfect for scary goings on.
Staff on arrival were exceptionaly friendly and were very accomodating as my team mate was unable to make it allowing me to join with another group of friends who were in an earlier slot.
The event is well planned and designed from start to finish, from the briefing in the marquee in the forts grounds through to the end of the experience.
The experience starts as one of the team directed us to a narrow tunnel deep in the cavernous fort. We lined up against the wall where we were left, alone, in the dark with a faint light in the distance. Silence, our voices echoing throughout the long narrrow pathway. We hear shuffling and see a creepy figure in the distance. This was the perfect start to what was going to be an exciting, engaging experience.
We then met our guide, a police officer, telling the story, set two years after the Coronavirus outbreak (a nice touch). The story throughout was incredibly engaging and well thought out. Each room or corridor had a purpose and made sense as part of the wider narrative. The actors were superb throughout. Our guide building the suspence perfectly as the tension built. The zombies, often appeared out of nowhere so we didn’t see them coming. One scare near the beginning was absolutely fantastic and had our whole group jump back in shock.
The props used throughout were absolutely incredible. The detail on the decomposing bodies wouldn’t be out of place on the big screen. The lighting and sound effects also added a great sense of danger and suspence.
The experience ended with an impressive crescendo as we ascended to the surface and to safety.
A standout attraction for 2020. We have to absolutely congratulate the team on putting on this new event in the current climate. We felt safe and COVID measures were taken seriously throughout.
We thoroughly enjoyed this event and I can’t wait to see what the team are able to deliver next year. In a world where we don’t have to socially distance the possibilities for this event are endless.
Survival Zone plan to come back bigger and better next year so keeep an eye out on social media for any annoucnements.
