Throughout gaming history, we’ve had the opportunity to play quite a lot of movie-based games. Whether it be the horrendous E.T. for Atari way back in December of 1982 up to the more recent (and mediocre) Mad Max tie-in. We’ve had a lot of stinkers and some fun experiences, however we’ve never had a chance to a truly faithful gaming adaptation or tie-in of a movie. With this opinion piece, I will explain why I believe the recently announced Friday The 13th Game could be the very first game to pull it off. Now, I’m writing this as both a huge Friday the 13th fan and also a long time gamer.
1-) Having the right resources
The first argument that comes to mind is having access to the right resources. Unlike most movie to games adaptation or tie-ins, where the team behind the movies rarely gets a say in the game based on their movies, the Friday The 13th Game has some aces up its sleeve:
- Sean S. Cunningham, proprietor of the license and director/producer of the first movie.
- Tom Savini, the man responsible for the special effects for Friday The 13th I through IV. He will act as Executive producer of the game along with handling Cinematography.
- Harry Manfredini is back on board. Manfredini crafted the original movie’s score and he’s back to act as audio designer.
- Kane Hodder will reprise the role of the killer himself, Jason Voorhees. He donned the hockey mask for part VII, VIII, IX and X and he’s back. Hodder will also act as Mo-Cap/Stunt Coordinator.
Developer Gun Studio has a golden opportunity by working closely with so many people who knows the franchise inside out making sure that the end result would represent and respect the original source material.
2-) Adults want movie-based games too
Let’s face it: Most movie-based games are inspired from movies for kids or teenagers. Sure, there are a few exceptions such as Lord of the Rings games (rated T for Teen) and The Godfather games (Rated M for Mature), but gamers who watched and grew up with the Friday the 13th movies dreamt of having this amazing franchise come to life in gaming form. The NES version (for which I have a love-hate relationship with) was OK, but far from being perfect as it’s recognized as one of the worst games of all time and the Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum/Amstrad version was pretty much garbage. Mostly being inspired from kids’ movies, most movie-based games won’t really speak to most gamers as the average female gamer is usually 43 and the male gamer being 31. It’s time we got a worth movie based franchise for adults.
3-) Focused on multiplayer? It’s a good thing
Yes, it’s an asymmetrical multiplayer game, however unlike one-side festivals like Call of Duty or Battlefield games, this time it’s 7 against 1. Meaning that 7 player controlled counselors need to team up and cooperate if they want to escape the virtual Camp Crystal Lake or take down Jason. Although Jason will be overpowered, if the players combine their forces and play it smart, they’ll survive or escape. It’s not a competitive multiplayer game, which is a perfect experience for those who don’t enjoy the typical online experiences. Although it’s not competitive, each counselor will have strength that will help them survive. Imagine Evolve, but as a fully working and complete game out of the box.
4-) Is there single-player content?
There’s some single-player planned for game as players will be able to play as Jason to re-enact some famous movie scenes or play as one of the counselors to either escape or man-up and try to take out Jason. This will give players the chance to play on both sides of the fence, which provides some diverse content. It’s pretty far-fetched, BUT they’d like to add a VR functionality to it. Could you imagine? Virtually donning the mask? Creepy.
5-) Survival Horror Needs Some New Blood
This was not meant to be a pun with the tag line from Friday the 13th part VII, but it’s true. With Konami canning Silent Hills, Capcom rehashing old Resident Evil games, Fatal Frame being delegated to the (almost dead?) Wii U, gamers don’t have much reliable choices for their scares. Sure, I’ll be the first to admit that Indie developers have come out of the gates swinging with games like Outlast or Slender Man but gamers don’t have a long-running and reliable franchise to rely on for virtual scares. Friday The 13th The Game could fill that void. Everyone has heard about or watched a Friday The 13th movie and they all know what to expect: Scares and gore. What’s more to ask about a survival horror game?
6-) Play as the Killer
Gun Media and al. wants to give us, players, a chance to do something some of us have been wanting to do for years: Play as the Killer. Sure, you can pop in Grand Theft Auto V and go on a virtual murdering rampage, but unfortunately, you have to answer to the cops who will gun you down in matter of seconds. By playing as Jason in this crowdfunded game, you’ll be able to do like in the movies: Grab counselors by surprise and gut them open. A Jason Voorhees staple since since 1981. Instead of being the hunted like Resident Evil or Silent Hill games, you’re now the Hunter. How awesome is that?
There it is folks. Why I believe a Friday the 13th The Game is a good thing and why I hope this game will be funded. As of this writing, The campaign has reached $456 133 out of its $700 000 target. As with any Kickstarter campaign, they are promising interesting additional content if the game reaches the stretch goals. There’s even a rumor that you could play as Pamela Voorhooes! If you want to pitch it, head over here. The campaign ends on Friday November 13th 2015.
