A few months ago we were treated to an announcement from Gun Media for a new Friday The 13th video game; the first since 1989. It was stated the game would focus on asymmetrical multiplayer.
Originally titled Slasher Vol. 1: Summer Camp, it sought to be a tribute to 1980’s slasher flicks. The developers gathered the help of Friday The 13th alumni Tom Savini, Kane Hodder, and Harry Manfredini. Eventually it came to the attention of Sean Cunningham, the director of the original Friday The 13th, who allowed the developers the right to use the successful franchise for their game.
The announcement was followed soon after by a Kickstarter campaign, designed to allow the developers to add all new content to the game. When the campaign didn’t meet all the stretch goals the Kickstarter had to offer, the developers launched a new campaign called the Slasher Backer. This can be found here.
With that said, I was able to have a few words with the developers about the game and what to expect for its October 2016 release:
Could we get a quick rundown of each character archetype?
We’ve got several characters but haven’t revealed them all just yet. We’ve got your standard archtypes that you’ve come to know and love in the movies; but you’ve seen the standard preppy dude, athletic girl and the ‘girl next door/final girl,’ concept pieces. Of course, there’s one other we’ve shown if you’ve seen some of our videos! Each character is going to have positives and negatives; some can run quicker, while others will be able to control their fear a bit better. Each character has strengths and weaknesses, and it’ll be up to you to decide how you’ll leverage your character with other players.
What exactly will the Manhattan and Space maps consist of if they’re funded?
We haven’t gotten the funding yet, so we aren’t really talking about those maps. We definitely hope to include them in the game somehow, but we’re doing everything we can to emulate the movies, that definitely goes for the maps as well.
Can we expect any nods to Freddy vs Jason?
It would be awesome, but our game focuses entirely on the franchise up until Jason X; the remake and Freddy vs. Jason aren’t being considered for this game.
Does the game work as a sequel to the original series?
We’re paying homage to the franchise, as you’ve seen with the various character models we’ve unveiled for Jason Voorhees. We’ve got new skins being developed by Tom Savini as well, but this game doesn’t have a set time in the canon, so to say. It’s Friday the 13th, in all of it’s bloody glory!
Will the game have any connections to Paramount’s new Friday The 13th movie or the supposedly upcoming TV series?
We’re not affiliated with the movies or the upcoming TV show, we’re focusing on making the game!
Besides Kane Hodder, can we expect any other returning cast from the original films or any other iconic horror actors?
We’ll see!
Will the soundtrack contain any songs featured in the movies, like Love Is A Lie by Lion or The Darkest Side Of The Night by Metropolis?
We’ve got Harry Manfredini as the composer to the game, so expect to get an amazing soundtrack from one of the biggest names in horror music!
Are there any chances for a story mode?
If we hit our funding goal for the single player experience, we know fans are going to love what they’ll get to play! We’ve got an awesome experience lined up, but it all comes down to funding. The more people hit our BackerKit campaign, the more likely we’ll get there! We’ve seen fans saying they want the campaign, but the reality is that it’s incredibly expensive to make a campaign and multiplayer. Hit us up here and let’s get this done!
This concludes our interview, and it sure sounds like Friday The 13th: The Game will definitely be something special for fans of the franchise and then some.
October just can’t get here fast enough.
Are you excited for the game? Sound off in the comment section below!