Ever since I took my first step into being a coaster enthusiast, Steel Vengeance was my number one bucket list coaster. The amount of praise this ride received was unbelievable, and I knew I had to ge...
Ever since I took my first step into being a coaster enthusiast, Steel Vengeance was my number one bucket list coaster. The amount of praise this ride received was unbelievable, and I knew I had to get to Cedar Point as soon as possible to experience it. After getting several rides on it, it has managed to secure itself as the best roller coaster I've ever ridden, but probably not for the reason it is for most. To start with the obvious, this ride is *the* airtime machine; featuring the most of any coaster in the world, Steel Vengeance is going to be a ride you love if you enjoy being out of your seat. Every element on this ride lands nearly flawlessly. From the first drop to the final brakes, every hill, twist, and inversion accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do (which is usually airtime, to be fair). However, each moment feels distinct enough from the previous that the ride isn't just the same type of airtime over and over again. The incredible sustained moments on the top hat and outerbank, the small pops on the finale, and the lateral airtime on the wave turns all stand out from each other to create a distinct, memorable ride experience. All of this is of course phenomenal, but it doesn't really set Steel Vengeance apart from the other RMCs out there (except, of course, its sheer quantity of these elements and seemingly infinite duration). It's the much more unique and even quirky attributes of this ride that make it stand head and shoulders above the rest. Firstly, the inversions are fantastic. Despite three of them being zero-g rolls, they all have their own personality, especially when compared to ones found on other rides. Whether they are seemingly never-ending like the first one or nestled away in a sea of supports like the final two, they are all incredible. The twisted snake dive is a bizarre mix of hangtime, airtime, laterals, and headchoppers, all of which combine to make a visually stunning and incredible feeling inversion. On that topic, the final two points where this ride truly excels are the headchoppers and the laterals. Hauling through the support structure on the final lap is really unlike any other ride I've been on, and leads to a flurry of moments that make it feel like you're going to lose your upper body to a wooden beam. Near-misses will always have a special place in my heart, and Steel Vengeance is an expert at them. Lastly, this ride has an astonishing mastery of how to use lateral forces to enhance airtime moments. I am often not the largest fan of laterals, as getting pinned to the side of your seat isn't exactly a fun sensation on its own. Combine laterals with airtime, however, and you are left with a wild feeling that is hard to find anywhere. The top hat, twisted snake dive, and exit of the final roll provide that crazy combination of forces that gives this ride that out-of-control feeling it wants to exude. As senseless as this may seem, RMC I-Box coasters are so well manufactured and designed from a ride experience standpoint that they can almost feel too perfect--like they are lacking any bizarre quirks or kinks that other iconic models may have. Steel Vengeance does not suffer from this over-refinement. It feels wild and free, and rather than trying to get you, the rider, to where you need to be, it feels like it is simply doing whatever it wants and you're just along for the ride. 10/10 - sorry for writing 600 words about this coaster I really like it