Jason Voorhees Kickstarted into killing again
As one of the most iconic films in the history of the horror genre it is surprising to see that it has taken so long for Friday 13th to go beyond the film medium and become interactive. However, it finally happened and, after advertising the project on Kickstarter last year, Friday 13th The Game is being released next month.
The premise of the game, created by Gun Media, is that the infamous antagonist known as ‘Jason’ is back with a vengeance. One player is the near-immortal Jason while seven other players are ‘Camp Crystal Lake counsellors’ (think American Pie: Band Camp without the musical instruments and cheese). Jason has to find the summer camp counsellors to savagely murder in ways slightly reminiscent of Rockstar’s infamous Manhunt series while the other seven players have to hide and complete objectives like powering an escape boat.
The idea is simple yet brilliant and something I feel could even further open up more medium-crossovers. Imagine a Death Note game, for example, where one player is Kira and they have to find and dispose of as many criminal victims (other players) as possible before they are cornered and unveiled. The possibilities are endless.
Expected to be released next month, this is one of the titles I am most looking forward to, as a horror fan. Given that this seems to be Metal Gear Solid gone psycho I will, of course, be mostly looking forward to playing as Jason but, from the looks of the footage shown, exploring the camp as the counsellors and opening up their stories will be a unique experience to remember.
By Alun Wrighton
