The first “early-alpha” gameplay footage of the anticipated Friday the 13th video game has been released ahead of E3, showing the player behind the mask of veteran slasher Jason Voorhees as he dismembers and mangles a bevy of hapless teenage prey!
Our latest peek at Friday the 13th: The Game (working title “Slasher Vol 1: Summer Camp”) comes in the form of a world gameplay premier and from the start reeks of the 80s cult horror movies many of us (including I myself) grew up on and even features the authentic feels of those classic VHS tapes that we were probably too young to be watching!
The trailer confirms what every slasher film fan was hoping for – the chance to finally play as Jason from a third-person perspective and to take out a bunch of those annoying camp counsellors in a variety of sick and creative ways. Examples in the video footage include crushing of throats, slamming bodies into rocks and bashing heads into the side of a building, and of course there’s mommy’s special boy’s signature machete on hand for the ultimate kill!
As well as playing as the movie franchise’s main maniac there is also a well thought out Counsellor mode which puts you in the shaking shoes of “The Preppy Guy” or “The Girl Next Door” who are in charge of running Camp Crystal Lake and appropriately sporting clothing in the unique style of the 80s (picture the typical horror movie clichés!)
This mode screams back to the Friday the 13th NES tie-in from 1989 which was focused on the counsellors running away and out-witting Jason and in this new game acts as a literal game-changer switching it from hunt-and-kill to escape-and-survive with just one threat to fear. This kind of gameplay experience can be even more frightening than facing a horde of foes as was proven by the awesomely atmospheric Alien: Isolation. Where Jason’s on-screen display reflects his hunting skills and kills options, the camp counsellor OSD benefits from a trusty map and knowledge of the location for best hiding spots.
Thanks to the crowd-funding origins of Friday the 13th: The Game, additional perks have been unlocked on its way to full backing including many different looks for Jason charting the changes to his outfits and hockey masks throughout his 26 year reign of terror on the silver screen. Developer Gun Media has even brought in Jason’s original creator, the horror FX maestro Tom Savini to direct the kill scenes – so you can really see why gore fans are losing their heads waiting for this one to be released!
The trailer also confirms that Friday the 13th: The Game is now available to pre-order at F13Game.com and more will be seen of the gameplay at E3 which officially begins tomorrow.