In my constant search for quality multiplayer and co-op games, I have found that few things I enjoy more than asymmetrical games. There is a certain level of unpredictability that makes them special – all they need is the right set of tools to allow players to create unique, rich experiences for each other. And something about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre gave me those tools and I had a great experience with this game even after many hours of playing. This is our Texas Chainsaw Massacre review.
Many horror franchises have tried to create their own game in this style, but only a few exist now. There are several reasons for their lack of durability, be it limited material or limited gameplay, but each new one seemed to me to promise more than the last, adding complexity and fresh ideas. Sumo Digital’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre felt like a man who has finally figured himself out, despite the relatively closed world the movies have created.
In 1974, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre shocked audiences with its brutality, gore, and realistic depiction of a simple, outback family defending their homestead in their idiosyncratic fashion. This month, Gun Interactive released a game based on the iconic horror movie that successfully recreates the atmosphere in an asymmetrical style of team survival.
Story
In April 1973, a young college student named Maria Flores went missing in Central Texas near Newt. With the investigation into her disappearance, Maria’s younger sister, Ana Flores, stalled, and a group of her closest friends searched for her. Unfortunately, the sadness over Maria’s disappearance pales compared to the despair they soon discover over the nightmare awaiting them. The events surrounding Maria’s disappearance were just one of many bizarre crimes later known as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Although the story differs from the original film and the remake, it still captures the essence of both: a group of teenagers being hunted by Leatherface and his family. However, what sets this story apart and makes it more than just a one-shot story is the well-crafted characters of Ana and her friends, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, that help them get through the terrible nightmare they find themselves in. trying to do the right thing.
Repetition-based gameplay
With its mechanics and style, the new Texas Massacre game resembles another cult project – Dead by Daylight, with which everyone tries to compare this game. Both campaigns allow us to try to escape from the clutches of maniacs or live the story of the killer himself, mercilessly cutting his victims. Both games recreated Leatherface, the protagonist of the Sawyer or Hewitt family films, as they featured in the 2003 remake.
The new game from Gun Interactive consists of two factions or opposing sides – “Family” and “Victims.” Each has three family members (Leatherface is included by default in every Maniac campaign) and four victims. Players who choose the villain’s side are offered five heroes – three from the original picture and two new ones.
Each character has their own unique style. The hitchhiker, for example, runs erratically around the house, setting traps, while Sissy sprays poison around the perimeter, luring those who try to hide.
The main goal of family members is to search for and destroy victims. At the beginning of the game campaign, time is given to set traps and traps, barricade the house and even feed Grandfather, the head of the family and the best hunter and the best assistant in the search for victims. The more blood he spills, the more family members will be able to see the distant silhouettes of their hostages, which will minimize their chances of rescue.
The gameplay of the victim in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Game consists of only two components – escape and survival. Each player is doomed to start the game tied to the ceiling in a basement, where they need to escape using a skill-based mechanic that balances speed and noise.
If you use the run button too often, the victim will make more noise, which will attract members of the cannibal family. This system is recreated in almost all the quests performed by those who decide to try on the role of an escape – from picking a lock to searching a pile of dubious purity for a skeletal bone shaped like a knife. The balance between speed, decision making and stealth is the key to victory. And this component in the game works great.
Each side has a variety of ways to approach their goals, and you’ll find that each match will play out differently, which is a huge plus for asymmetrical horror games. It refreshes the monotony of other asymmetrical horror games that require you to repeat the same actions repeatedly. Unfortunately, I’ve found that the team aspect isn’t as common as I’d hoped, at least with Victims, and I often found myself doing tasks on the edge of the map alone. At the same time, the other three are spread out and minding their own business because the Victim’s perks are better if you’re alone. However, using the in-game voice chat with a microphone is recommended to communicate with other victims so that you still feel connected to them and you can help them escape the house if you have already escaped.
Each victim is endowed with a unique skill (like each family member) that can help out in a difficult situation. Sonny can spot the outlines of anyone still on the map, Connie is great at opening doors or gates, and Lelland can push and topple an assassin for a few seconds.
Compared to the same Dead by Daylight, Texas Chainsaw Massacre Game has thought out more options that allow you to make a successful escape, and each subsequent step in the role of a victim becomes no less exciting than the previous one. The game has a huge role in strategy and your ability to notice what your opponents are doing.
Progress is the element where interest in the game fades away. In its current form, there’s little to be expected from a replay. It’s an asymmetric horror game, after all. The more you survive, the more your account gains experience, and after that, you can distribute it among all the characters and the best part is that at any time, you can completely remove your distribution of points and distribute them to a new one or for a character convenient for you.
What about personalization? Texas Chainsaw Massacre Game has added several attributes that can be changed in color or design when selecting the same prey multiple times. At the same time, the clothes themselves remain unchanged, but perhaps in the future the developers will be able to come up with something.
At the moment, the game has three large maps: “Family House”, “Slaughterhouse,” and “Gas Station.” Despite the detailed elaboration and chic appearance, each of them, reminiscent of the original films, does not differ in any way when passing through and understanding where everything is. Opportunities for how to escape on all maps are almost the same, only the location and paths to loot change.
A level system and an ability tree have been developed for any character from the family and survivors. Alas, it is not the most detailed, the highest level of each hero is 10. And in terms of progress, players receive character points and abilities that give certain bonuses. But I liked the most that each character has stats that determine how long the character can run, how many hits he can take, and more.
The game has a problem with the process of choosing a hero for a family. Before each run, the game prohibits duplicate characters. If you spent all your accumulated points on Connie and someone else has already chosen her, you’re just out of luck. Your last chance is to send the second player a request for an exchange, but in practice, it is easily rejected, which means that you will have to choose one of the remaining ones.
As a system of balancing and a variety of roles, this works perfectly, but even so, you can hardly avoid disappointment after you have spent a bunch of points on a character that needs to be ceded to others in the next game visits. So you need to create 2-3 characters before you get enough points to pump every one to the maximum. And judging by how much time it takes you to get the coveted points, it will not be fast.
Final thoughts, and how does the game feel
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a very decent multiplayer horror game. There is something to like about it. And because the game is very fresh and has been warmly received by the community, it opens the door for future DLCs and expansions.
The game has some issues with small frame rate bugs, but I hope all this will be optimized and improved soon.
What we can all be thankful for is that the game has opportunities for both team and solo play, and they are limitless, and the fact that each match involves 3 family members and 4 exits on each map opens up huge opportunities for survival.
For fans of asymmetric horror, for those who like to tickle their nerves, and just for those who are looking for variety and games where you don’t have to memorize 35 different killers and their abilities or 150 meta-perks, this game is a must, and many will want to return to its gloomy world again and again.
This review was completed thanks to a key provided by PR.
