The asymmetrical survival multiplayer genre is, much like the concept, pretty asymmetrical in its own right. While whales like Dead by Daylight thrive, a lot of new games fail to get a piece of the action be it from poor timing or bad design. And even when one does manage to find some success, the longevity of high player counts is yet another hurdle to overcome. The risks (and rewards) of the genre are nothing new to Gun Interactive with Illfonic’s Friday the 13th being a big name in their publishing record. Now, they’ve teamed up with Sumo Digital to tackle The Texas Chainsaw Massacre universe, which first started back in 1974 and introduced the world to the iconic terror of Leatherface and the Sawyer family. After playing the game for a week, I can speak to its faithful execution, and though I can’t speak for how long it’ll stay revving, I sure hope it lasts.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (TCM) is very faithful to the source material with almost every part of its presentation being influenced by the movies in some way. The opening credits are reminiscent of the original film’s introduction and the end of every match is a call back to the film’s iconic chainsaw dance. One of the notable aspects of the 1974 movie is that it had a dirty quality to it like the film itself was damaged. In the game, when you’re approached by a member of the Family your screen starts to become scuffed up and blurred like dirty film cells. And the music is also just as fitting, matching on-screen events with good timing. In that way, the game is an authentic treat (if you can call it that) for fans of the series.
I actually had the chance to take part in the game’s technical test a few months ago and one thing that surprised me then (and has remained intact now in the full release) is just how intense the game is. Asymmetrical survival games are always designed to be that way but The Texas Chainsaw Massacre does a great job at making you feel like you’re one of the unsuspecting hot people who are tormented by Leatherface and his family in the movies. Creeping around the basement and hearing the rip of the chainsaw or hiding in a bush as Sissy runs excitedly by makes you involuntarily hold your breath in anticipation. This also makes the experience of playing with friends that much better.
On the note of friends, I want to take a quick detour here to mention two key points about this game’s release that will be valuable in the longevity that’s oh-so-very important for games in this genre: Xbox Game Pass and crossplay. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre releasing day-and-date on Game Pass was a fantastic move because it opened the game up for so many more people. Even if just one person (like me) had an interest in the game, they could easily invite another friend who has Game Pass (like Nick) to join. And that’s exactly what I did. Playing the game solo is intense but sharing in that tension with friends on any platform is a blast. Not to mention that playing as the Family is satisfying in its own sadistic way. I can speak for both of us in saying we were not expecting to laugh or scream nearly as much as we did that night.
While it is asymmetrical, TCM is not as asymmetrical as Evil Dead: The Game or Predator: Hunting Grounds. Matches need seven players with four victims and three family members. And if you include the Father, who’s an NPC the Family can feed to highlight moving Victims, then it’s pretty much a four versus four. Everyone has an ability that they can use on a timer that helps them survive or hunt. In the pre-game lobby, you can not only customize how you look from a handful of skins that unlock as you play, but you can also select unique attributes. For example, as someone who likes to play stealthy, I mainly play as Connie when I’m a Victim. Connie has the ability to instantly pick locks. Pair that up with something like Sneaky Pete, which increases stealth, or Must Have Been the Wind, which makes less noise when getting tools and opening crawl spaces, and she becomes a quiet survival expert. I have already seen people sharing character builds and while I didn’t indulge in it too much past what was necessary, fans who are really hooked can experiment with different combinations to find one that best suits their playstyle.
I don’t think the game is without its flaws, however. Controlling the characters can be a bit stiff and the animations for certain actions can feel similarly robotic. Furthermore, while the steps to success are shown before each match (and entirely unskippable), I think it’s easy for players who aren’t familiar with the genre to get a little lost. Having no playable tutorial is an odd decision and it really hurts the onboarding experience for new players. Throughout a given match, things will be highlighted and sounds will be heard, and the game just expects you to figure it out. I have seen devs share helpful pointers on Twitter (or X if you care) but you can’t really expect players to use that as a meaningful way to understand the game.
There’s also the matter of content to discuss. The game is entirely online, so keep that in mind for anyone hoping for any offline action of any kind. It’s clear that the game is going for the feel of the TCM movies rather than retelling a similar story, so players expecting any campaign mode will be disappointed here. But talking about what is there on launch for the one main game mode, the slim map variety is unfortunate. It’s cool in the beginning to escape the lower levels and see what horror awaits you up top but that fades fast as you get a lay of the land over the course of a few matches. Also, while the game does let you queue up as Victim or Family individually (along with Quick Play which has both), there isn’t a lot else in terms of variety in the package. I really hope we get more meaningful seasonal content from Sumo Digital moving forward to entice players back into the game.
That all being said, there are also some decisions I have grown to appreciate about the game too. There is no victory or defeat screen in the game on either side. For Victims, this means that it’s survival of the fittest. Just like in a slasher movie, it’s up to you if you want to help out a fellow victim or use their death as a distraction for your own escape. Making alliances is based entirely on the people you’re playing with and is not all mandatory. It’s a good thing then that if you’re witty enough, escaping even as the last person standing is not impossible. As the Family, they make do with what they accomplish. Whether they brutally murder one person or all four, Leatherface is dancing with his chainsaw either way.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an incredibly faithful adaptation of the movie. What it lacks in content variety, it makes up for in fun and intensity. Its asymmetrical survival gameplay manages to capture the terror of scripted horror games when playing as the Victim and chasing down said victims is brutally gratifying when playing as the Family. It can be vague to its own detriment but that doesn’t matter too much when you queue up with a friend or two. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A code was provided by the publisher for review.
