Recently a work-in-progress video game called Slasher Vol 1: Summer Camp was announced and it caused a bit of excitement across the horror community due to its homage to the slasher genre that ruled the decade through the nineteen-eighties. It also sounded a lot like the Friday the 13th films. Now the mask has finally been dropped and the plot twist revealed – Summer Camp will actually be a new official Friday the 13th video game!
The rumours are true, and after making his debut on next generation consoles in Mortal Kombat X as a bonus character Jason Voorhees seeks to rise again in his very own Kickstarter funded game developed by Wes Keltner and Ronnie Hobbs aka Gun Media and utilising the Unreal Engine 4 for super realism.
Also See: Mortal Kombat X PC mod reveals Jason’s maskless face – and it’s not that great
If successfully backed and unchained Friday the 13th: The Game will be the first direct spin-off from the slasher series to hit consoles since the last cult cartridge game on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1989. However, in this one, rather than escaping Jason’s clutches players can finally play as killer and stalk the camp counsellors and indulge in orchestrating their own gory death scenes!
Also See: Retro Replay Friday the 13th – The Video Game
So how did Summer Camp suddenly become Friday the 13th? Well, Summer Camp was only loosely based on the Friday franchise until its original writer and director Sean S. Cunningham took note and gave the game the official thumbs or machetes up. Nostalgic gore-hounds will appreciate the fact that with this seal of approval from the film’s creator the game’s authenticity is guaranteed and will feature an 80s VHS movie feel, complete with trailers, and it will also see the return of Kane Hodder – one of the most popular actors to play the role of the hockey-masked maniac Jason. Friday the 13th: The Game has also attracted the involvement of horror FX master Tom Savini and composer Harry Manfredini – both have been instrumental in making the movie series so memorable.
It’s easy to see why, for horror and video game fans, Friday the 13th: The Game is a bloody big deal and the project is already a third of the way to its $700,000 target just a day after launching on Kickstarter, with over 4,100 backers excited to experience the terror of Camp Crystal Lake on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Stretch goals will be unlocked if/when the target is reached.
Perks of backing this exciting Kickstarter project start with some digital goodies including wallpapers and soundtrack, followed up by downloadable copies of Friday the 13th: The Game, special thanks in the credits, as well as physical copies and there’s also a steel machete edition when launched in October 2016. Top rewards are available if you’re willing to fork out with the chance to have your name engraved on a headstone in the game and some supporter packages that include autographs from genre icons Cunningham, Hodder, Savini and Manfredini which will be a must-have for horror collectors.
Ch..Ch..Ch..Check out..t..t.t.. the Friday the 13th: The Game Kickstarter page for the full gory details!