Friday the 13th: The Game

Friday the 13th: The Game for PC, PS4 and XONE is an asynchronous multiplayer third-person action game which is an adaptation of the Friday the 13th horror series. The production brings back to life one of the most popular movie serial killers – Jason Voorhees, who debuted in the classic production by Sean S. Cunningham in 1980. From 1980 to 1993, Jason appeared in 9 major titles of the cycle, and also – already in 21th century – in two spin-offs (Jason X and Freddy vs. Jason) and in the remake by Marcus Nispel.

The game is developed by Gun Media known for the well-received tactic strategy series Breach & Clear. The movie’s key figures have worked on the production – the original creator of the cycle - Sean S. Cunningham, special effects expert - Tom Savini, the stuntman and performer of the role of Jason Voorhees – Kane Hoddar, and the original soundtrack author – Harry Manfredini. The title published on PC, PS4 and XONE is largely financed via a fundraising Kickstarter campaign.

Plot

The action is set near the exact spot in which the action of the movie series began – Crystal Lake. Due to a peculiar type of gameplay, Friday the 13th: The Game does not offer an extensive plot and focuses on clashes between the masked psycho and a group of his potential victims, who are camping in the direct vicinity of the lake.

Mechanics

Friday the 13th: The Game for PC, PS4 and XONE is designed as a multiplayer game. During gameplay one player assumes the role of Jason Vorhees and his objective is to eliminate other players, who are in control of the camping tourists. To achieve his goal, Jason, who can use a wide range of finishers, has to track them and deal a final blow in the right moment. The game features finishers known from the movie series and some brand new ones, created especially for the game.

The objective of the potential victims is running away from Jason and tricking him in a number of ways. As Jason is not completely indestructible, a fair amount of players’ creativity and ability to cooperate might pay off and lead to Jason’s defeat.

The game features a progress system which rewards you not only for winning particular matches, but primarily for creativity. As you advance, you can unlock a whole bunch of content connected with the movies, like Jason’s alternative models, which show his evolution over years and the way he changed in subsequent parts of the film. It is noteworthy that the game is created in a way which gives players a feeling of constructing their own movie script. After each match you can watch a trailer-like highlights including all the key moments of the game.

Game modes

The game concentrates on multiplayer for up to 8 players. One of the players assumes the role of Jason Vorhees, while the rest of them control camping tourists, whose objective is to escape from Jason and, with a bit of luck, to exterminate him. In contrast to the most of games, the asynchronous multiplayer mode favours neither of sides. The authors took pains to balance gameplay in a way which gives the murderer and his potential victims equal chances for victory.

Technical aspects

Friday the 13th: The Game for PC, PS4 and XONE utilises the power of Unreal Engine 4, which guarantees amazing graphics. The game features the third-person view and the action takes place in extensive, half-open locations near Crystal Lake. The character animations and finishers, both created in the motion-capture technology, deserve special recognition. The title implements an atmospheric soundtrack by Harry Manfredini – the author of the music for the classic movie from 1980.

Last updated on 01 March 2023