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X:\ No Way Out
Photo: TTPOut: adv. From inside a building or shelter into the open air; outside.

In Short

Thorpe Park's strangest ride, X:\ No Way Out is a very different roller coaster to most, and not in a good way...

Fact File

Opened 1996 Manufacturer Vekoma
Ride Type Enigma Official Rating Extreme Thrills
On Ride Photo No Fastrack No
Height Restriction Min 1.4m Chest Restriction No
Max Height 43ft (13m) Max G Force 2.5
Max Speed 28mph (45km/h) Track Length 1,312ft (400m)
Throughput 1000 people/hour Duration 180 seconds

Photos

Aerial view On ride shot Entrance close up Walk to the station
Mannequin Station Thorpe Park battery!

TTP Review

X:\ No Way Out is the world's first and only backwards roller coaster in the dark. When it opened in 1996, Thorpe (then owned by RMC) obviously tried to do something creative with the queueline, which is also in the dark, by showcasing weird models and playing bangs and crashes through the speakers. However, nowadays, it's little more than graffitied walls and overly loud sound effects - not a good first impression. Guests get to the front of the queue and see an empty train approach the station. This is something the ride designers did well - where did the passengers from the last ride go? Maybe there is No Way Out....

The train starts rising (backwards) up the lift hill, and shuttles around its course. X:\ No Way Out features harsh brakes throughout the ride so it can play bangs, flash strobe lighting and spray dry ice at you. However, all it does is to destroy what could be a fast ride. You stop and start quite a few times, which is a shame, because if the coaster could just run, it would be more thrilling. The stops only serve to make the ride somewhat jerky and irritating. After the ride has finished (riders exit from a second station, allowing an empty station to greet the next boarders), riders walk through to the exit (still in darkness) and open their eyes to the daylight.

X:\ No Way Out was obviously intended to be aimed at the teenage market way back in 1996, but today's teenagers are generally not impressed - especially when greater thrills from Stealth and SAW can be found in the same Park. It is commendable that Thorpe have tried something different - they took a gamble - but it really doesn't work. The ride is confusing, jerky, and quite dull.

Since the end of the 2010 Season, Park bosses have been experimenting with turning the lights on in the No Way Out pyramid. Doing so has reduced the amount of guests vomiting on the ride, which was previously a big problem when the ride was in pitch darkness. Having the lights turned on removes the unique selling point of the original ride though, shows up the very dirty interior of the pyramid, and only serves to make an odd experience even worse...

Positives:

  • It's different.

Negatives:

  • Completely in the shadow of the Park's more recent coasters.
  • A little rough, and the stop-and-start sections are odd.
  • You may wonder what the point is.
Verdict:
Themeing/Presentation OneOneZeroZeroZero
Smoothness/Comfort OneOneZeroZeroZero
Enjoyment/Fun OneOneZeroZeroZero
Intensity/Scariness OneOneOneZeroZero
Overall OneOneOneZeroZero

Your Reviews

"This was an epic ride! Not only was this the first ride I ever rode in Thorpe Park but this was my first ever roller coaster. I wasn't expecting it to be as scary as it was. I'm 14 and I rode this 2 months ago - I'm still scared of it. Would love it if the lights were off on the ride... I heard it makes it more intense! My advice if you haven't been on this ride is GO ON THIS RIDE FIRST before you go on any other ride. No Way Out will get you pumped up for the other more massive roller coasters."
Mohammed, London, UK.

"Quite crap."
Sarah, Bournemouth, UK.

"Get rid of it."
Ed, UK.

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