Simworx, known for producing dynamic ride systems, and themed entertainment designers Katapult have officially presented a new dark ride concept: ‘Overdrive’. The concept promises an action-packed dark ride experience. The two British companies created a ride concept where guests are pitted against each other as they are segregated into cops and robbers. Even though visitors of IAAPA Expo Europe were already given a sneak peak last month, Overdrive was officially presented yesterday.
The action-packed concept takes the AGV Dark Ride vehicle, developed by Simworx, as a starting point. This trackless, motion-based vehicle was already showcased at IAAPA Expo Europe 2022, held in London last month. Overdrive shows the capabilities only possible with such a ride system. The trackless system allows for unique movement during the ride, giving them the ability to chase and duel one another through the show building, whilst avoiding hazards and other obstacles in the ride. The vehicles can accelerate, race into a dead end and then reverse back out at high speed.
One of the unique features of Overdrive is that guests can experience the ride either as robbers, or as cops. They enter a bank, where they are briefed on their chosen mission before bursting out onto the streets. Riders navigate a series of scenes from the backstreets of the Metropolis to underground tunnels, parking garages and construction sites. The AGVs interact with the media as each vehicle follows its own path dodging and weaving between the other vehicle and theming. The ride culminates in a final death-defying pursuit across the city’s suspension bridge, before both cars crash into their respective unload scenes.
“Katapult looked at all the unique elements that really made the AGV special and worked that into the concept. We wanted to highlight the unpredictable motion of a trackless ride and how it could work in a duelling format where riders are pitted against one another as they experience multiple ride experiences and endings,” said Simworx CEO, Terry Monkton. Simworx Lead Designer, Matt Clarkson, adds: “With the AGV being the fastest trackless dark ride within the themed entertainment market, acceleration was a key component to integrate and focus on when imagining the kind of story we wanted to tell.”
Overdrive is not the first concept developed by Simworx and Katapult. Both companies earlier teamed up to create the Torchlight horror dark ride concept, which also involved Lagotronics Projects. Both concepts were centred around enhancing the abilities of the AGV, with the latest Overdrive concept appealing to a broader age range for a more family-centric audience. “We spotted a gap in the market for a ride concept including police chases and getaway cars, tapping into the wealth of popular movie and gaming franchises. The ride system’s trackless feature, high acceleration and duelling capability will launch guests into a storyline with multiple endings – enthralling guests of all ages and enticing them back for another spin around the city,” says Phil Higgins, co-founder and CCO of Katapult.
