Friday the 13th: The Game Ultimate Slasher Edition Review – Hunt or be Hunted

Friday the 13th: The Game Ultimate Slasher Edition

Have you ever wanted to take on the role of slasher-movie icon, Jason Voorhees, from the Friday the 13th movie franchise? If you are anything like me, that’s a hell yes, and now you can, and on the Nintendo Switch nonetheless. Friday the 13th:The Game Ultimate Slasher Edition is just that. It is the ultimate edition of the game that has been on the PS4 and Xbox One for over two years. So, in typical Jason Voorhees style, the game has been resurrected – this time for Nintendo’s “little box that could”.  But hey, Jason continues to come back in the movies, so why not the game with the same name as the movies?

This game is exactly what you would hope it would be for a game based on the Friday the 13th movies. It is an online multiplayer experience where you run around Camp Crystal Lake murdering camp councillors OR you run for your life from a guy in a hockey mask. The focus is on the online multiplayer, but at times I found it hard to find a server to join and was stuck waiting for 10 minutes for a game. But do remember, we are reviewing this title before it is officially out, so that was to be expected. Once I got into a game though, things were fairly intense and I found that I had a great time.

Hunt…

There are eight variations of Jason to choose from, spanning from Friday the 13th – Part 2 all the way to the 9th film in the franchise. You need to unlock the different variants by levelling up. The more you play the more abilities you are able to unlock including signature skills and different weapons of attack. Jason comes with four initial base skills that recharge after each use. This includes ‘morph’, which allows Jason to instantly teleport to another spot on the map. ‘Vision’ is a temporary thermal vision that allows you to see potential victims nearby and see if they’re inside or outside. There is a ‘zoom’ feature that assists you in catching up to a running counsellor, and lastly you have a ‘stealth’ skill. When playing as Jason, the goal is to search for your next victim all while your mother reminds you to “kill them all” and “make your mother proud”.

…Or Be Hunted

The other side of this online game is of course, playing as the camp counsellors, who have always died by the dozens or more, in the movies. If you take on their role, you will be able to develop skills that will assist in your ability to run, hide, and hopefully escape certain death. You essentially have limited options though, as you run away and hide, search for car parts to start a car, or try to find a way to contact the police for help.

Being able to play as both Jason or the camp counselors allows for different feelings of exhilaration. Running around as Jason, searching for your next victim, and finally getting that perfect kill, is a rush. But trying to start a car while Jason is right behind you can be just as thrilling. The sound only enhances the atmosphere by limiting it at times and increasing it when the situation is emotionally high. The only downside is that players might not be as immersed in the game if they choose to play on the Switch undocked, when playing docked is more immersive on a television screen with the lights off and sound up. Regardless though, both ways control fairly well. As a side note, the game does not offer much, if any, of a tutorial mode, so you’ll be learning a lot of the ins-and-outs of the game on your own, either online or offline.

Speaking of offline play, it is surprisingly enjoyable as well. It is a great way to improve your skills and contains a virtual cabin tour filled with goodies including movie trivia. The best thing about the offline mode are the challenges though, which are Hitman style missions where you, playing as Jason of course, have to kill a camp counsellor (Game A.I.) in a specific way. These challenges gives you a way to learn the various methods of killing someone, which you can then use when playing online.

While the game’s controls are smooth, the visuals are nothing to marvel at. At times the graphics can be ‘bloody’ beautifully detailed when Jason gets a kill. Unfortunately though, the in-game locations, such as the woods, campsites, and cabins, are not as highly detailed as they could have. The camp counselors faces can also be a little wonky too, as they just didn’t feel ‘finished’ or ‘polished’ in terms of their look.

The Friday the 13th license is both a blessing and a curse. Why is that you ask? Well, it is a blessing because the franchise is simply an icon in the horror genre; however, the game is limited in such that you play by Friday the 13th rules and the game has only Jason as the killer. Could you imagine if you could have taken on the role of his mother, or a jaded camp counsellor?

Friday the 13th: Ultimate Slasher Edition is not perfect by any means, but it is a perfect representation of the movie series as a whole. By providing players thrills and tense moments any Nintendo Switch owning horror fan should enjoy it, even with some of its deficiencies. The additional DLC extras, offline mode and various goodies all add to the package, and developer Black Tower Studios’s effort is one that would make even Mrs. Voorhees proud.

*** A Nintendo Switch code was provided by the publisher ***