Hush: City of Fear

Once more, the gates to the town of Hush Falls opens, daring those brave enough to enter. As you approach the gates, a cacophony of sounds pierce the night, hinting at what is to follow. Once it is your turn, a deformed woman gleefully waits to let you in, stating she hopes you die, but hopefully not too quickly. With this thought rolling through your head, the light turns green, and it is time to enter the city for yourself. What follows is a chaotic trip through a house that has managed to improve from last year.

One thing that stands out this year is just how much is different from last year. A large amount of the house is different from last year, and in many cases scenes used last year are changed this year. It is a staggering difference, and quite the welcome one. Too many houses will change or add only 1 or 2 scenes a year, and not change the other scenes that much. The owners of Hush take a much different approach, and over the years, the location has changed a lot. This year is the most impressive yet. The set design is top notch, and rivals any I have seen anywhere. When walking through the streets and various areas of Hush Falls, it is easy to forget you are in the middle of Westland. Heading through butcher shops, through a graveyard, and of course the Hush labs themselves, are all expertly designed and feel realistic. This is helped by great usage of lighting and sounds to make it feel that much more immersive.

The best aspect of this house are the actors, and their placement. The actors are enthusiastic, and will do whatever it takes to pull off a good scare. They appear from all directions, running and jumping at you from all angles. Hush's placement of them helps, putting multiple people in what feels like every room. There is no rest point in this house, and dead space is essentially non-existent. Animatronics and things like moving floors are used as a compliment, and not the only focus, making them effective. This is a house that does not want to let their foot off the gas pedal.

Hush is incredible this year. This is an adrenaline shot of a haunt, not letting up at all. This house is near flawless this year, and nothing sticks out as a negative. The owners of Hush should be proud of what they have pulled off. Last year was not a slouch of a house, but they decided to gut it and do a massive redesign. It has paid off greatly. In my opinion, Hush is the true king of haunts in Michigan at this point, and I can't wait to see how they continue to top themselves.

5 / 5