“Friday the 13th: The Game is a third-person horror, survival game where players take on the role of a teen counselor, or for the first time ever, Jason Voorhees. You and six other unlucky souls will do everything possible to escape and survive while the most well-known killer in the world tracks you down and brutally slaughters you.”
In the early hours of May 26th the world was introduced to the latest installment in the Friday the 13th franchise. No, the Platinum Dunes team did not secretly drop Jason’s next cinematic adventure into theaters without your knowledge. This is even bigger than that, folks. The masterminds over at Gun Media finally released “Friday the 13th: The Game” to the masses and it is spectacular.
In case you all have been living under a rock, we here at Icon Vs. Icon have been frothing at the mouth since the game went live on Kickstarter. Jason and I (along with Acid Pop Cult‘s Producer Danielle) swept in and laid our small claim very early on in the project and have been sharing project updates on the podcast when available. So Friday morning was Christmas level for us. And I have to say, this game does not disappoint!
It seems many “fans” of the series would disagree however, as a trip to Friday The 13th: The Game’s Facebook page would lead one to believe that the makers of this game have joined ISIS and decided to reign down on your childhood. If 2016 was the year of mock-outrage, 2017 has decided to double down and bring faux-rage into the mix. This small group of indie gamemakers are currently under an attack as if they killed Christ himself. but why?
When the game launched in the early hours of Friday, May 26th, many horror fans and basement dwellers flocked to their gaming devices to flee Camp Blood, or crush the heads of those would-be fleers if you were lucky enough to be the masked killer himself. A game with this much anticipation was sure to crash a server, and crash it did. And then the bugs infested Crystal Lake, but nothing out of the ordinary for a game this size with a crew that small. In the weeks leading up to the drop date Jason and I talked at length about expecting growing pains upon release. Big and small. But our entitled horror community would not stand for such atrocities, folks. Instead of waiting for their hot pockets to cool down, they unleashed the “my hard earned money” battle cries of the idiotic.
Have I been in a match, readying my escape, to have the system fail and lose all my XP gained? Sure. Does it matter? No. Is it annoying? Not even that much, really. Everyone needs to calm down and take a step back. These dudes have been busting their ass for years putting together a very entertaining game. A game that surprisingly not only creeps me out, but legit scares me at times. My only complaint is you can’t randomly break off from the camp with your Heavy Hanger girlfriend for an intense sex act. But I’m a purist.
Seriously though, folks, this game is nothing short of amazing. I don’t know a single person in my life that loves and cherishes this franchise more than me. I’m so happy with it. Biased. But happy. The love and care that went into crafting this game, the honor to the character. Its insane. Kane Hodder is amazing as Jason, even though it is a little jarring to see him as Jason from parts three, six, and definitely my favorite Jason, Ol Bag Head from deuce. My one regret…I didn’t purchase the Savini Jason. That thing is insane.
From the bottom of my heart, sincerely, THANK YOU to the creators, the motion captured actors, Sean S. Cunningham, Tom Savini, Harry Manfredini, and most importantly, Gun Media. I doubt you’ve had any sleep since Thursday. Take five and have a beer. You honestly deserve it!
Jeremy Morrison – Staff Writer
Co-creator/host of the Acid Pop Cult Podcast, film reviewer, screenwriter, Jeremy has more than eight years experience in television and film production. His childhood fascination with the naked breasts featured in the “Friday the 13th” franchise prepared him for absolutely nothing in life. J-Mo lives by one motto: #wecantallbezacksnyder
Twitter: @acidpopcult
IG: @almostgothim
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
