Madame Tussauds, London from July 15

At Madame Tussauds, everyone will hear you scream! The world-famous wax museum’s latest chamber of horrors drops you into the world of Xenomorphs and Facehuggers for a creepy, walk-through experience.

One of my joys in the summer of 1993 was taking part in Alien War, a touring exhibit that visited my home home town of Bournemouth before settling in at the Trocadero. A marine shows you round a ship, ushers you into a lift and the lights go out. Something brushes your leg, the lights come back on, there’s a Xenomorph in the corridor… and you run!

Twenty-five years later, and while the tech has moved on to include video monitors, the Alien Escape attraction at Madame Tussaud’s in London boasts the same mantra… Run. Survive. Escape. Like Ridley’s Scott 1979 movie, the premise is that of an old dark house movie with jump scares and an increasing body count.

The attraction takes place as part of the one-way route around the venue. Those under 15 or of a sensitive disposition can choose to avoid it, while the bold and the brave queue up to have a selfie with the ship’s resident Weyland-Yutani synthetic, Walter. In many ways, a waxwork of a manufactured figure is more aesthetically pleasing than the real flesh-and-blood Michael Fassbender. But before you get too comfortable you’re summonsed by one of the USCSS Covenant crew to join them for the adventure.

It’s all very quick and frenetic, and while it’s undoubtedly tense, a lot of the time you’re also fighting with confusion and trying to take in what’s going on. Actors lead you through each room, navigating a victim of a Neomorph backbursting, some familiar eggs and ultimately the hero xenomorph before handing you on to the room. Depending on where you are in the group of 5-6 will determine if you get the best view – the more delicate souls advised to hang out at the back.

Creatures Inc have created props that look screen realistic and yet will survive the rigours of multiple performances throughout the day. Authenticity is key here, but as these were the guys who created the physical beasties for Prometheus and Alien Covenant, we’re in pretty safe hands. But it’s a bit hard to admire their hard work because the second you’ve picked out the shape from the shadows you’ve been moved on to the next room. I immediately wanted to do the attraction again if only because the first time round it was a bit disorienting and I wasn’t sure what I had seen or missed.

Like the movie itself, the experience is recommended for those 15 and over and is included in the regular ticket price. So if you haven’t yet enjoyed the Marvel Super Heroes 4D, King Kong: Skull Island‘s giant animatronic head or Star Wars sections of the attraction, this might be the final excuse you need to go. It launches July 15th 2017 and for more information click here.

Verdict: Dark, shouty, disorienting and compact, even those who aren’t familiar with the Alien franchise will find this jumpy fright show a fun diversion on their wider Tussauds experience. 7/10