The Asymmetrical Multiplayer horror genre has hit some ups and downs this year with its licensed games. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre announced its latest update would be its last, which has sent it to join Friday the 13th: the Game, and The Evil Dead. Other games in the genre such as The Killer Klowns from Outer Space: the Game have fallen a little under the radar. But like any good slasher, a familiar face has come back to life to pull fans back into the slaughter. This time, we’re going back to the very start in more ways than one.
Announced at Future Game show on August 20th, Halloween is not only the latest game where players will either team up to survive a legendary horror or become the horror themselves, but it’s the latest project of Illfonic, the developers behind Friday the 13th: The Game, and Gun Media, who published The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (perhaps that’s why Halloween doesn’t have “the game” after the title?)
With Halloween, Illfonic is digging into the deepest graves to reanimate the film series which defined the slasher genre and its classic tropes, from an accurate and detailed portrayal of 1978 Haddonfield to its “favorite son” Michael. However, while careful attention has been paid to making the spooky sandbox-style maps accurate to the time period, Illfonic isn’t looking to rely on classic nostalgia to carry the game.
Using what they learned from Jason’s rampages, Illfonic is aiming to make Halloween more than the usual cat-and-mouse chase for players. For starters, the game won’t be wholly multiplayer. Those looking for a solo excursion can play through Michael’s homecoming as the Shape himself, with a focus on “exploration and replayability.” This will be a welcome addition, and likely a mode many players will use to get their feet wet with blood before braving Haddonfield from the other side of the mask.
Multiplayer mode will see a maximum of five players as “heroes” of Haddonfield, working to survive Halloween night as the Shape pursues them. To survive, the Heroes will need to scrounge for supplies to stop Michael. While details on the actual gameplay is scarce, looking at Illfonic and Gun Media’s previous works give us some idea of the mechanics. If Halloween follows Friday the 13th: the game and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, then players will likely be sneaking about and exploring, searching for weapons, healing items, and the keys to escaping Haddonfield.
When the Shape stumbles finds them, they’ll need to escape by any means necessary to avoid becoming a bloodstain on the wall. While combat is usually risky for teens (and rarely permanently disables the Slasher) there is the possibility that “heroes” might be better able to put Michael in his grave (for a minute, at least.)
Illfonic’s innovations could be the key to Halloween avoiding some of the pitfalls recent games have stumbled into. While Friday the 13th: the Game fell afoul of licensing issues keeping gameplay fun and interesting even after hours of matches is a challenge for even genre titan Dead by Daylight combats with frequent updates, especially with licensing being a fickle mistress. Without something to keep players engaged, Halloween might face a fall into obscurity, much as the Evil Dead game did, having been removed from stores while remaining playable. But if anyone understands the challenges and how to weather them, Illfonic could be the ones to keep Michael Myers coming back for years to come.
