Is Friday the 13th: The Game worth getting?
Friday the 13th fans were excited when a video game based on the film came out last year, but its development has suffered many setbacks.
For horror film lovers, there are certain titles which generate an automatic level of nostalgia and appreciation. Sean S. Cunningham and Victor Miller’s 1980 classic Friday the 13th is one such film.
Having spawned numerous sequels and grown into a huge franchise over the decades since its release in film theatres, it’s not surprising that the independent video game developer IllFonic was asked to create a survival horror game to accompany its many other offshoots.
CREDIT: ILLFONIC
But due to complicated legal proceedings between the film’s original director and screenwriter, the game’s current status has been somewhat unclear amongst those who play the title.
With October being the spookiest month of the year, the game has been made free to play for PlayStation Plus members. So is it worth testing out and what went wrong in the first place?
Is Friday the 13th: the Game any good?
Initial reviews of the title tended towards the positive although some were mixed. The game review site IGN gave the title 6.9/10, praising the game developer’s clear affection for the horror franchise. However, the issues mostly came about after the title had been launched when the lack bug fixes and downloadable content became an issue.
Due to the lawsuit between Victor Miller and Sean S. Cunningham (Miller successfully sued for the US rights to the film), Gun Media – the game’s development partners – announced in June 2018 that they would not be making any more downloadable content for the title.
This has lead some fans of the game to declare it ‘dead’ (i.e. with no active pool of online players), but since making the game free this month on PlayStation Plus, it appears that a host of new players are joining the fray. This is according to @Friday13thGame who seem to be making a big effort on social media:
With @Friday13thGame being free for PS Plus members this month, a ton of new players are making their way onto the game. Some of them are really confused. We are here to help – https://t.co/cbWdvUrPQk pic.twitter.com/8ja7Dxk4Y5
— Slash ‘N Cast (@SlashNCast) October 4, 2018
