Friday the 13th: The Game Review

I like Jason Voorhees.

I like him a lot – I have even built an outfit to dress up like him and stomp around PAX Australia looking for teenagers to murder. So you would be right in assuming I was first in line to back this project on Kickstarter and hope for the best.

But I didn’t end up backing the game. As much as I wanted the game to be a success, I thought that the odds were far too stacked against the small team at Illfonic to create a multiplayer experience that was both fun AND captured the essence of what makes Friday the 13th a compelling franchise. And then somehow, they got it 80% right – a percentage that’s good enough for me.

Friday the 13th: The Game absolutely crushes it when it comes to aesthetic. Everything from the environments to the music nails the 80s horror vibe beautifully. Player characters are dressed in kickin’ rad 80s clothing options, with each character filling a beautiful horror film trope that you just can’t wait to murder. Speaking of murder – this brings us to the man of the hour himself.

Jason freakin’ Voorhees. My favourite horror slasher icon, the man in the many masks, and your host for this game. If Friday the 13th: The Game has nailed the 80s slasher feeling in general, it has dominated recreating Jason. With animations motion captured by Kane Hodder (one of the most prolific Jason actors) and a 3D presence modelled and textured to perfection under the advisement of the legendary Tom Savini (The make-up artist who defined the character), you really would struggle to fault how Jason appears in this game. And there isn’t just one Jason either, there is a range of faithful recreations dating across a plethora of film appearances, with many incorporating specific weapons and iconic kills that defined those particular films.

The Friday the 13th license, generously ‘donated’ by the amazing Sean S. Cunningham (creator of the series) has been utilised in every way the developers could imagine. It’s not often you see a product title that reads <Intellectual Property>: THE GAME and it actually feels authentic. If you are a fan of Friday the 13th, you will likely grin like a maniac while playing or observing this title.

In the game you play as either Voorhees, where your job is to systematically slaughter everyone in creative ways, or as a survivor, whose job is to run and hide from Jason lest he drown you in a toilet. Furthermore, survivors must complete objectives such as repairing cars or calling the cops in order to escape the maniac killer. The game is at its best when you are enjoying the beat-by-beat gameplay, hurriedly scrambling through drawers and shelves from cabin to cabin, anxiously listening for the creepy music of your doom to start. Thanks to some clever engineering on the developer’s end, the layout of each cabin and the location of major objectives shuffle every game, meaning no two games will ever be the same. Couple this with your interactions with other survivors, gauging who wants to help you and who wants to protect only themselves, you become a quick judge of character. Even better, when the roles switch and you strap on the mask of Jason you can exact your judgement on the team mates you feel deserves it most. This enriched moment-to-moment experience is what captures players and hooks you into the game, developing a strong ‘just one more game’ sense that keeps you playing way longer than you expect.

The game is at its best when you are enjoying the beat-by-beat gameplay, hurriedly scrambling through drawers and shelves from cabin to cabin, anxiously listening for the creepy music of your doom to start

Truth be told, the game has a particular sense of goofiness to it that fosters a very forgiving sense for most of its failings. Character fear expressions border on the ridiculous and some mechanics have a slightly odd behaviour, but they never really cross the line into being impossible to deal with, so you generally end up engrossed in the charm of the game. Even with the embarrassing launch issues, the community is fiercely loyal to the game – thanks mostly in part to its incredible sandbox nature that nurtures an amazing player-driven experience. It’s rare that you will find a game that truly feels like a playground, where the nonsensical promise of ‘make your own fun’ actually rings true.

Final Thoughts

Friday the 13th: The Game is a title that demonstrates how to make the most of a license, while welcoming both existing fans and creating new ones instantly. Its good points outweigh its problems easily, but the hefty price still remains a stumbling block. If the game can get past its teething problems, I am positive it will enjoy a loyal and happy fanbase for a long while, with people happily murdering each other and sharing amazing stories of their demise at the watercooler for months to come.

Reviewed on PC