Last time, I wrote about an asymmetrical game called "Dead by Daylight," which is set to hit the Steam marketplace on June 14. At launch, "Dead by Daylight" will be facing stiff competition from the come down of E3 conferences and the announcement of one "The Legend of Zelda Wii U." Then, this fall, another asymmetric slasher game "Friday the 13th: The Game."
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This marks the first time that Jason Vorhees has made an appearance in a video game since, well "Mortal Kombat X." But this will be the first game that belongs to the franchise since 1989 (unless you want to count "Friday the 13th: Blood and Water" — which I don't). The new installment is being developed by Gun Media and Illfonic, who have chosen to build the game without the help of a publisher. According to the game's official website, it's a classic case of preserving developer freedom. "Collectively, we wanted to make certain that this game delivers the same kind of fun, brutal scares and creative kills that the franchise is known for and didn’t want to risk having to tell our story with a “T” for Teen rating. We don’t want that. You don’t want that. We’re not interested in compromising what made the film franchise so popular."
So what kind of iconic locations and characters can we expect from a licensed "Friday the 13th" game? secluded settings? Teens who make poor choices in both actions and apparel? limited escape routes? unnerving musical scores? Brutal ends for anyone that gets caught by Jason? You better believe it.
Camp Crystal Lake will be the setting of the game. Whether or not it is the only location in the game remains a secret. However, objects that can aide the players' survival will spawn in random locations to keep the map fresh. Pre-alpha footage from Gun Media's YouTube page shows a dark, serene lakeside campsite, much more open than what we've seen in "Dead by Daylight." But the concept is the same—get the hell out of there!
Classic tropes from the genre include the girl next door, the jock, the edgy guy, the preppy guy, the athletic girl and the nerdy guy. These have all been announced by the developers themselves, and seeing that the list contains exactly seven "classes," there is reason to believe this could be all of them. Hopefully these characters will get actual names in the final product or ability to name the characters will be added.
The fear and stamina systems will make it more difficult for the counselors to carry out the tasks necessary to escape. Some characters are good at running away, some can repair vehicles faster than others, but if the wrong people are performing the wrong tasks, the teens will get cut down quickly.
That's not to say teamwork is the best way to survive. The game does play as an asymmetrical, 1 v 7 survival game. However, The whole team doesn't need to survive. This game is all about looking out for number one. Creative Director Kedhrin Gonzalez has said that, "My goal is to just survive. And when it's 1 v 1 v 1, it's like I can work with people—but I don't have to. At the end of the day, my goal as a counselor is: survive at all costs."
If a way out is obtained, things can get really interesting. For instance, there is a canoe at the camp that requires repairs in order for it to be used as an escape. However, with only two seats, not everyone can fit. Players will have to decide who gets to leave, or whether or not waiting for another player is worth the risk. Set pieces like this will create unique scenarios and unexpected conclusions for some players.
Perhaps the best feature of this game is the group of people behind the scenes. Legendary names from the films round out the team and inculcate the developers in the ways of classic horror.
It all came together when Sean S. Cunningham gifted the "Friday the 13th" license to the now co-creators and designers, Ronnie Hobbs and Wes Keltner. After seeing the beginnings of a game called "Slasher Vol. 1: Summer Camp," Cunningham was so impressed with their idea that he knew it wouldbe a perfect fit for the "Friday the 13th" franchise.
Soon the team recruited the likes of Tom Savini an actor and horror special effects legend who took charge of designing kills and Jason's in-game appearance. Kane Hodder, the man who played Jason Vorhees in the four most recent "Friday the 13th" films along with many other slasher films, joined the team as a motion capture stuntman, actor and director.
But without the music of the original films, the game wouldn't have the right feel. Enter Harry Manfredini, the original composer for the films now acting as the game's composer and audio designer. That's right, "Mr. CH-Ch-ch-ch, HA-Ha-ha-ha" himself.
"Friday the 13th: The Game" may be in direct competition with "Dead by Daylight," but with the iconic slasher himself, the legendary setting of Camp Crystal Lake, and accessibility for console gamers, it's looking to bury the competition in a shallow grave this October. The 13th of October doesn't land on a Friday this year, but I suppose that's a good thing. I'd hate to somehow resurrect Jason Vorhees through the television as if he were Samara Morgan.
