The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Developer: Sumo Nottingham
Publisher: Gun Interactive
Platforms: Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S (reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $39.99 – Available Here
Overview
I spent over 100 hours hiding in cabins and jumping through windows a few years back with Gun Interactive’s Friday the 13th: The Game. As a horror fan, the game was such a fun, involving multiplayer experience that I won’t soon forget – despite its flaws. Years later, the developer have released The Texas Chain Saw Massacre across multiple platforms, which looks to bring us more survival chaos with new mechanics in tow. Does this new take go for the heart, or is it dead on arrival? Let’s find out.
Story
A group of young adults trying to find a lost sister or relative travel to the deadliest farm in America. Yep, that is about all the story you get, but for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it works fine as story really doesn’t matter outside of simply seeing a slight purpose of why you on visiting this horrific locale. The narrative here is told through the lore of the environment, with famous easter eggs and set pieces littering each area, which will be a nice treat to fans of the movie franchise. Just like Friday before it, the players are the story and each game acts as its own script, where you fill in the blanks based off of how you play. No plot was really needed, so lets get to the true meat of this review.
Gameplay
There is something truly special about how well Gun is able to create a multiplayer title, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is no exception. The controls are tight and fluid, the action is non-stop, and my first match had me on the edge of my seat until the very last moment. Players take the role of either “The Family” or a “victim”, which is one of the five youths visiting the farm. Each match has a 4 vs 3 setup, with four victims going against three members of The Family. Let’s talk about The Family first, as both styles are dramatically different.
Being a member of The Family is a game of cat and mouse on steroids. Leatherface is of course the most powerful member, and has the purpose to kill, starting inside with the victims. Basically, your role as Leatherface is to simply track down, chase, and kill any victims you find. Leatherface has various abilities in tow, like being able to destroy escapes or road blocks that make this trio more dangerous. He also has a chainsaw, so if he catches a victim, death is almost certain. The other members of The Family are chosen from a few random insane allies or relatives to the main antagonist, and act as both support for Leatherface as well as another capable predator that can easily kill off victims based on their skill level for the map.
The Family all have unique attributes outside of power. Sissy for instance can blow poison powder and stun victims for a decent moment to gain an advantage. Others may have a bit more speed or can track or set traps in areas victims are sure to go as they try to escape. What also acts as a overlying factor for victory here is “Grandpa”, who can be fed blood (found by attacking victims or picking up blood in various locations in the map), which will show the locations of nearby victims as they try to escape if they happen to be moving. After so much blood is provided to Grandpa, the Family can easily see through walls and locate potential victims, so the goal here really is to feed and track to guarantee low survival odds for the opposing team.
The victim role is much more intense, as it kind of works like a stealth format, relying less on team work and more on independence and intelligence. Players can gather tools to pick locks, bone scraps to cut down noisemakers that identify their location, and even health to recover, but must constantly be aware of Grandpa, who will give their location away if they are moving. The game alerts victims if Grandpa is watching, where they must come to a full stop or risk detection. Its a smart mechanic that gives this end a greater challenge, as the antagonists are always on the move. The only issue I had here is that there is less reliance on team play overall on this side, as the need for communication (like we saw in Friday the 13th) is not really there, so those without mics rarely speak up like they would in the past. Once a pathway is cleared or a door is unlocked by completing several objectives, you can then escape if the coast is clear. Again, its a simple formula, but well thought out and very intense regardless of your skill level.
As players get matches in, they unlock stats and perks, allowing them a greater advantage as they become more acquainted for the game. Greater stealth, technical skill, and so on make matches a little more comfortable for the victim side, while greater vision, speed boosts, and general movement perks assist if you choose to level up “The Family”. I usually do not care about skill trees, but these feel important as the buffs and perks actually work, and the difference of play can absolutely change the tone of a match as you begin to master the mechanics. Both sides in my opinion are equally fun, but I will say I did enjoy playing a victim more as the challenge seems greater, even though a smart set of players may be able to weave around a bad set of “The Family” through experience. The net code is also decent, and while there are a few early hiccups with matchmaking (and the time you wait to actually get a full set of people), cross-platform play was done well and its easy to invite anyone on any platform into your game and party.
Visuals
I must say I was impressed with the polish presented here. While there are minor clipping issues with environments and some silly animations at times, the character models look superb. Environments are also wonderful, with this team capturing the essence of the farm to almost perfection, with locales drenched in details and lore that can take you off your game if you take the time to appreciate the love and energy put into the design of it all.
Audio
The music is also fantastic. Sure, the soundtrack may not be something you want to crank up and listen to in your car, but it will easily keep you on edge as it helps deepen the intensity in each match with its eerie beats and sounds. The sound effects are also fantastic, with the chainsaw still sounding frightening, and the characters even taking moments to give each other bits of connected and unique dialogue as they cross paths.
Overall
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre may be the best multiplayer horror game ever made. I know that is a small list as a whole at this moment in time, but the polish and care Gun and Sumo took with this license shows, and dedicated fans or newcomers alike are sure to find a new way to spend a Saturday night in this hellish landscape. The game is just a blast to play, and while I still am on the fence if I prefer it to Friday (as I am more bias to that franchise), I can say that it is great to see something in cinema translate so well into such an engaging video game experience. The future for this property is bright and its longevity should be fantastic for this title if supported properly, as there is still a lot of ideas and maps that are sure to be introduced as layers are pulled back in the future. Video games are about fun and I think that over the years we get so many tacked on multiplayer modes that it just all comes off as static. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre brings us back to basics with a simply formula that is both accessible and fun, leaving even dying victims satisfied after every match.
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