Friday the 13th The Game
In 2017, Friday the 13th: The Game was released. At the time, it felt revolutionary, featuring the four on one style gameplay, where one person functioned as Jason, while the rest were camp counselors who had to work together or go out on their alone to escape Jason. I enjoyed multiplayer games, but I’m not one for chatting, so my experience with the game was rather limited. The clunky controls were a bit off putting, but you could tell the game was made with love. There were tons of homages to the franchise, and they even got Tom Savini and Harry Manfredini involved.
I was happy when they introduced a single player mode, and I really enjoyed the update that added the cabin that you could explore on your own. Sadly, just as the game seemed to get going, the lawsuit began between the original screenwriter Victor Miller and director Sean S. Cunningham which cancelled a lot of the content and plans for the game.
It was recently announced that the game was being delisted this year and would be completely cut off in January 2025. That really bummed me out more than I thought it would. Sure, we’ve gotten an Evil Dead game that features a similar gameplay style, as well as an upcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre game, but there was something nice knowing at any time I could boot up Friday the 13th and go a little crazy.
It feels like a little piece of horror history being left to die. There hasn’t been any word on if the single player content will still function or if you’d need a disc to access it. I’m thinking the single player was all added digitally, so I don’t think the disc is going to make a difference. But come January 2025, it’ll be like the game never existed. I guess, there are probably a ton of videos on YouTube and Twitch for people to watch in upcoming years who are curious about the game.
I’m going home and downloading the game tonight. I’m going to get my butt kicked in a few rounds online and play a little single player. The game is on sale for $5 everywhere, so if you’re a fan of the franchise, I’d recommend giving this a shot while you can. Don’t expect the greatest controls, or even the simplest controls, but expect something a little rough around the edges that you can tell was made with the same love for Jason that his mother had.
