I am a big fan of the Friday the 13th films, as there is just something about them that makes them stand out among slasher films. Many have debated which is the best, but overall, the films were very well done even when they delved into goofy elements. Friday The 13th has not had the best luck however, when it has come to video games. The infamous game for the NES from LJN is enough to make many warry of any game adaptation. However, things have changed recently with Jason being seen in great games, such as a guest appearance in Mortal Kombat X, which was very well received. When it comes to actual Friday the 13th games, the quality has also improved, such as with a well received puzzle game called Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle, and Friday the 13th the game.
Friday the 13th the game is an asymmetric multiplayer game where you either play as one of seven camp counselors avoiding Jason Voorhees, or playing as Jason tracking down and killing the counselors. You play in a variety of settings based on the franchise including Camp Crystal Lake, Packanack Lodge, Higgins Haven, The Jarvis House and Pinehurst. These are each from the first five films respectively and add a lot to the presentation value of the game.
When playing as Jason, you are slow and lumbering but that fits perfectly. It creates the right atmosphere and you are able to use special abilities to hunt down the teens. Playing as one of the counselors is more frantic as befitting someone running for their life. You get a real sense of panic here as you desperately try and avoid getting killed, and try to hide, avoid and even attempt to fight back against Jason. The developers got the atmosphere of the films down perfectly, and I had a blast playing online. The online experience was handled well, and I did not experience any real lag when playing. In fact, this was one of my smoothest play sessions with an online game, and that was nice to see.
Overall, the game plays well on Switch but I did notice a few issues. Firstly, there was some audio issues with some audio skipping and cracking at times, not too often but it was there. Second, when playing the offline mode I noticed some frame rate issues every so often. I didn’t notice these as much when playing online but that could be because I was more focused on my play session than looking for issues with the presentation. I do like the offline mode though, I must say, and it definitely adds some additional value for those who are unable to play online for any reason. This mode is still satisfying and I had a lot of fun with it.
This release on Switch comes with all the content previously released for other versions and a nice poster for Switch owners, costume packs and an emote pack. Overall, the game a massive love letter to one of the best slasher franchises around. It is a well balanced game and doesn’t go overboard. You get to experience being the teen running for their life and each of the teen counsellors is unique in their own way, with their own strengths and weaknesses. That was a great choice and I love that if certain conditions are met, you can play as Tommy Jarvis, the closest to a hero the franchise has. This was not just a cheap cash in like the NES game, but a loving tribute to everything we love about the Friday the 13th series. You can even play as different incarnations of Jason, and more were planned before development stopped due to legal issues that I will not go into here.
I suggest checking this out, if you like asymmetrical multiplayer games, if you love horror games, or if you just love Friday the 13th a lot. There is something here for everyone and it is truly amazing.
For those interested, we reviewed the NES game here, and the movie Friday the 13th Part II here.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Disclaimer: A review copy was provided