Gun Interactive recently revealed more information for their upcoming multiplayer asymmetrical horror game based on the groundbreaking 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Tobe Hooper's classic has endured for almost 50 years; Texas Chain Saw Massacre has become a key horror franchise and the hulking Leatherface is one of the most recognized horror movie villains of all time.The publisher behind the 2017 Friday the 13th: The Game has opted to turn another classic horror franchise of the 70s and 80s into a multiplayer game adaptation. This is the first iteration of the franchise as a video game since the 1983 release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the Atari 2600 by Wizard Video. The game was received with controversy and sold poorly due to its violent nature, causing many stores to refuse to carry it. Despite this, Leatherface has recently found success in popular games as a guest character or outfit in the likes of Dead by Daylight and Call of Duty: Warzone. This asymmetrical game could be his next big break.
Gun Interactive's Unique Concept of Asymmetrical Horror
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's Twitter account has shared glimpses of the game for some time now, but more details have come to light through interviews and hands-on previews. The game has an unorthodox style, opting for 3 members of Chain Saw Massacre's Sawyer family against 4 unlucky teenagers instead of the typical 1v4. Teamwork is vital for each side if they hope to succeed, with each victim and killer having unique abilities and customization options that affect how they play.
There are only two ways for victims to escape the clutches of the Sawyers. Victims can stun the killers or maneuver their way through hard-to-reach places such as narrow gaps in the walls as they work their way from the basement of the Sawyer homestead. Stealth and the use of the victims' surroundings is encouraged, with inspiration taken from the original film's final girl Sally Hardesty. Slow, meticulous, tactical gameplay is key for the victims as they find and manage items in the environment and unlock doors in an effort to escape the house of horrors into the Texas sunset.
Texas Chain Saw Massacre has 3 playable Sawyer characters: The Cook, The Hitchhiker, and Leatherface, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The Family also has the NPC Grandpa Sawyer on their side, who can be fed blood from around the house or directly from the victims themselves. This flow of blood levels up Grandpa and triggers a sonar-type ability that causes him to occasionally shout and tag any mobile victim that gets caught in the blast. Grandpa can be killed by the victims in an effort to disable his ability for the match, giving some balance for an easily abusable ability.
The Dedication to an Authentic Slasher Experience
Gun Interactive and Sumo Digital have taken the utmost care to depict the original movie, using it as the main inspiration for the game's content and visual style. Each minute detail matters to the studios; the developers even got their hands on the original floor plans of the Sawyer house in an effort to be as authentic as possible. Everything from specific stones in the basement and light switches around the house to the surrounding flora and fauna were reconstructed.
This commitment to authenticity is not limited to the content and aesthetic either. When the Texas Chain Saw Massacre game was announced, it revealed that horror veteran Kane Hodder is playing Leatherface. While horror fans may link him to his role as Jason Voorhees in four of the Friday the 13th films and the game, he was the stunt double for Leatherface in Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3.
This rendition of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre seems poised to join the ranks of the faithfully adapted Friday the 13th and Evil Dead games. The faithfulness to the source material and the Lone Star State, as well as the exciting previews of gameplay, are sure to stir quite a commotion among fans of the franchise. Hopefully Sumo Digital and Gun Interactive will be able to keep up its relationship with the holders of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre property and avoid another unfortunate licensing issue that is out of their control.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre releases in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.