It’s fitting that on Tuesday the 13th we get to announce Friday the 13th. Timing is everything! And Gun Media sure knows it, too. After announcing Summer Camp earlier this year, a game that drew inspiration from the 70s/80s slasher film genre, the developers — themselves diehard fans of the genre — worked tirelessly over the Summer to secure the actual film license of the film that inspired the whole thing. It’s kind of like if the fans of Star Wars took the reigns and made their own sequels.
And now, Summer Camp is Friday the 13th. And it sounds just bloody awesome.
The new Friday the 13th game may have retro origins in its IP, but it brings very modern tech and ideas. The gameplay is asymmetric, with one person playing as the monstrous Jason Vorhees and a team of up to seven players acting as the camp counselors. As Jason tears through the iconic Crystal Creek Lake, the campers need to do their best to avoid becoming his prey, either by teaming up or running for their lives individually. Jason himself will be able to terrorize and kill the unassuming campers in classic horror film ways. Have all your axes securely tied down.
It reminds me a little of what Evolve was trying to do earlier this year, but the added horror and survival elements will really set this apart. I can already imagine playing as a camper and screaming “OH FUCK OH FUCK HE’S HERE!” to my squad as Jason erupts through the woods at night. Really though, it’s a fantastic idea. The horror game scene is exploding, and creating a multiplayer game that borrows from the granddaddy of the genre is a no-brainer. The dark, gloomy atmosphere and environments are right in line with what we remember, and the quietness and stillness will create that pre-murder tension that is a cornerstone.
I’m kind of getting goosebumps already.
To top it off, Gun have hire several of the original film’s team to be directly involved in the game. Kan Hodder, the actor that played Vorhees in the films, is doing motion capture for the game. The IP’s creator & owner Sean S Cunningham is providing direction. Harry Manfredini, who composed the music and audio for the films, is doing the same here as well.
It has all the makings of “bringing the band back together”. And then mercilessly ripping apart everyone else’s limbs.
As a result of nabbing the IP, the game is now moving to Kickstarter (with a $700k goal) and is due October 2016 for Xbox One, PS4, and Steam. And now my obligatory cheesy horror line: IF YOU SURVIVE UNTIL THEN.
Source: Kickstarter, Friday the 13th
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