UK theme park Thorpe Park has revealed that a virtual reality ghost train experience in development for some 3 years will finally open to the public this year, powered by the HTC Vive VR headset.
Another UK theme park is joining the virtual reality fray this year, in the wake of Alton Towers’ announcement that it was to re-launch it’s ageing ‘Air’ roller coaster as ‘Galactica’, complete with Gear VR powered VR enhancements.
Thorpe Park has revealed that a new collaboration with renowned mentalist Derren Brown will “reinvent” the ghost train experience, powered by virtual reality. Arriving in Spring this year, visitors are to be treated to a 10-15 minute experience that mixes pre-recorded material and live-action performances and apparently uses the Valve engineered HTC Vive headset as the core tech on the ride.
Derren Brown, famous for his mind bending stage shows and TV series, where he claims to manipulate audience members to do extraordinary things states in a promotional video for the ride that the experience has taken “1000s of specialists” 3 years to develop.
The ride takes place in a Victorian train carriage, suspended above an old train yard warehouse by a series of chains, which visitors board to experience the ride. But not everyone boarding will get the same experience, with 12 possible journeys and a possibility of 2 different endings.
Brown has urged people riding the train not to spoil the attraction’s secrets for others, although if VR is being used and there already are branching storylines, it seems like a smart move by Thorpe Park who can potentially forever refresh the experiences delivered on the ride.
The ride opens at Thorpe Park this Spring, you can find out more and book tickets over at the website here.