Asymmetrical Horror Takes a Family to Build
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre game has been making some heads roll as of late, and for good reason. Not only is this a great asymmetrical horror game but it is backed by the innovative people over at Gun Interactive. This team has been instrumental in the game’s rave review status. What exactly has Gun done that’s inspiring fans of the genre so much? They listen to the player base.
The good people at Gun Interactive have been chatting with players and rolling out bug fixes and updates to make for a more well-rounded player experience. Their most recent update fixed stuttering, voice chat issues, xp allocation, and reinstated the 7 player requirement for matchmaking. All of this adds up to a big home run for fans who have been burned by development promises by gaming companies in the past. But it looks like Gun Interactive is intent on making their customers happy. With sales on the rise, gamers can only hope that this will lead to further additions to the game.
The well that is Texas Chainsaw Massacre is so deep that Gun Interactive could create new content for this game for years to come. New maps, playable characters, and even crossovers wouldn’t be out of the question if the game stays successful. Maybe we could finally get the Leatherface vs Jason crossover that fans have been waiting so eagerly for. Now for anyone unfamiliar with this type of game, the premise is fairly simple. The player must pick to either be a killer or a survivor. Killers attempt to murder the other players, while survivors attempt to not get murdered. Like I said, it’s a pretty straightforward concept. What makes these games so much fun is the variety of play that it offers.
The saw is family! - Drayton Sawyer
Each survivor and killer gets their own unique abilities and stats, allowing for some fun diversity and unforeseen combinations. For the survivors, we get Connie, Julie, Leland, Sonny, and Ana. The family members, aka the killers, are Leatherface, The Cook, The Hitchhiker, Johnny, and Sissy.
Connie
Connie is all about proficiency and speed. Her focused ability allows her to pick any lock in the game immediately. She can also handle tasks and heal others much faster because of her skill sets.
Leland
Leland takes the strength approach to fighting off the Sawyer Family. This mainly takes action in his ability to stun members of the Sawyer Family, allowing players a precious few seconds to get their bearings.
Ana
Ana is the toughest of the bunch. Not only does this make her immune to poison damage, but she can also take the most blows before going down.
Sonny
Sonny takes endurance to the next level. This makes him have more stamina than his fellow survivors. He also comes equipped with Heightened Sense ability, which allows him to visualize noises in the game.
Julie
Julie is the stealth character of the game. She can sneak as well as having an ability that lowers the amount of stamina that she uses while escaping the Sawyer Family.
Leatherface
Leatherface is, well Leatherface. He wields a chainsaw that is not only extremely lethal, he can use it to cut down doors and barricades. This allows him to get around blockades set by players.
The Cook
Cook may be a little long in the tooth, but he makes up for it with the ability to track down victims. His abilities allow him to listen and focus on any sounds the victims may make while trying to flee.
The Hitchhiker
The Hitchhiker is for players who like to strategize a bit more. His abilities allow him to place traps in the environment. Making for some great payoffs for those who have patience.
Johnny
Johnny is the tracker of the Sawyer Family. His ability allows him to track the footprints of the victims.
Sissy
Sissy is similar to a trap type character, only her specialty is poison. She can blow a poison cloud towards the victims, or even poison important items within the game.
One of the things that truly makes this game stand out from its competition is the ability to use three killers during a run. This style of gameplay typically involves one killer versus a group of survivors. But The Texas Chainsaw Massacre game has upped the action by allowing you to run multiple family members at the survivors.
Not only do these companies try to make this game the best possible experience for gamers, but they also add in quite a lot for horror movie fans to enjoy as well. First off, we get Kane Hodder as Leatherface. For those of you who are not horror movie buffs, Kane Hodder played Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre three. He is best known for his portrayal as Jason from the Friday the 13th films.
We also get to see the return of Ed Niel, who is best known for his role as the Hitchhiker in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This doesn’t even get into all of the hidden easter eggs that horror movie fans can find throughout the game. Players can see Leatherface recreate his iconic chainsaw dance, as well as explore the infamous Sawer House if they so choose.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox, One and Xbox Series X/S on August 18, 2023.
Sci-Fi 3D Team
Cameron McFarland | Contributing Writer
