Following in the tradition of its fellow rides Big Shot and Insanity at the top of the Stratosphere Tower, X-Scream provides its riders with big-time psychological terror. Imagine being 866 feet high in the air at the top of the Stratosphere, and then, imagine being hurtled 27 feet over the edge of the tower, and you’ll have mentally created the X-Scream experience.

X-Scream is essentially a very simple ride, but it produces intense thrills by manipulating peoples’ fear of heights. The ride is the third highest thrill ride, poised on the pod of the Stratosphere. Riders climb into an 8-passenger open vehicle sitting on a 69-foot long roller coaster track. Before you know it, the vehicle lifts to a 30 degree angle, lurches head-first towards the edge of the Stratosphere, and hurtles past it at 30 mph. Riders will feel their heart leap into their throat as the tracks disappear and the vehicle suddenly jolts to a stop. It dangles for a moment, allowing readers to scream and/or laugh nervously, before pulling backwards up the track. Then the whole thing happens again, like a giant teeter-totter.

X-Scream may not seem scary on paper, but when the ride hurtles you off the edge, you feel like you’re going to fall off! Certain that they’re going to meet their doom, most riders close their eyes, missing a fantastic view of the Las Vegas Strip below. Also, the ride has been known to jolt extra hard on the brakes on the last drop, making riders feel more than a little uneasy. And there’s another extra-freaky surprise at the end – but we won’t tell what it is.

Rest assured though, X-Scream employs several safety measures; the end of the track is fitted with a shock and a brake, and the vehicles are mounted with permanent magnets to create a quiet and smooth stop. Also, each passenger has their own “escape-proof” restraint for extra safety, as well as a titanium restraint bar. Special controls on the ride also prevent it from engaging if any error is detected.

Although the terror of X-Scream is highest during the very first ride, even veteran X-scream riders continue to enjoy it again and again. It’s a fun mental thriller that will leave you laughing and giddy as you disembark.