TCM / Killer Klowns Proves This Is the Asym Golden Age

Horror fans are sure to appreciate these iconic additions.

This spooky season featured some big news for horror fans. Both The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Game and The Killer Klowns from Outer Space game are paying homage to some of the most influential people in horror. First, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre dropped the Giallo inspired event, Rush Week, on September 26, 2024.

If you aren’t familiar with the particular subgenre, stop what you are doing and go brush up on your horror history. Giallo is an Italian suspense genre that is defined by its use of eroticism and horror. A defining feature of this subgenre is that the killer is not revealed until the final act of the story. If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because Giallo is the foundation for modern slasher storylines.

So, this makes it a perfect addition to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre rotation. In classic slasher fashion, six sorority girls must survive the night while being chased down by a sadistic killer named Johnny. Players are automatically assigned roles and must utilize the house structure to win the match.

However, as a fun little addition, the player controlling Johhny grows stronger with each young life he consumes. Alternatively, the college students become increasingly frightened as the night continues. This allows Johnny to smell their fear, making them easier to track. The event also offers several free cosmetic items for the sorority sisters. These items can still be purchased after the event ends for $1.99.

Nobody's gonna put me in a balloon again! - Debbie Stone, Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Alternatively, The Killer Klowns from Outer Space game is taking a more direct approach in drawing in players. Instead of focusing on an important genre, the game brings in two characters who shaped the world of horror as we know it. The game's latest DLC offers Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and Tom Savini: The Master of Horror.

Elvira is most likely the most notable horror host for most genre fans. Played by Cassandra Peterson, Elvira would blend sex appeal and campy fun in a way that no one else has been able to master. Her wild antics elevated the character from a time slot filler to an American pop culture icon. The persona became so popular that she even received two feature length films. Even if you never watched her show, Elvira Mistress of the Dark is an instantly recognizable icon in the world of horror.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the master of special effects himself, Tom Savini. This man single handedly shaped the world of horror special effects. His work includes Friday the 13^th, Creepshow, Day of the Dead, and so many more. If you have seen an amazing special effect in a horror film in the past 40 years, you probably have Tom Savini to thank for it.

Tom was inspired to create special effects by the work of James Cagney in the film Man of a Thousand Faces. However, the carnage he witnessed during the Vietnam War also played a heavy hand in the way Savani would tackle realism in his career. You may not instantly recognize the name, but few people have shaped the world of horror in the same respect as the legendary Tom Savini.

This is an amazing time to be a horror fan. As these asymmetrical genre games continue to grow, their fan service really shines through. The only thing to do now is figure out which of these amazing games is going to dominate the long dark nights that are about to be upon us.