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Movie-based video games are always a tricky prospect. Although each case is unique, they generally require a delicate balance between staying true to the source material and adjusting certain aspects to better fit the gameplay. With a film franchise as well-established as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, this can be an especially difficult task. However, despite its pedigree, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game struggles with this very concept. While the experience is fun and reminiscent of the movies, a lot of the good in the game is bogged down by poor gameplay mechanics, subpar matchmaking, and slow matches that tend to drag on. In this review, we’ll discuss how The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can be a great experience with friends, though taking on the Family alone may not be worth your time.
What Is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre?
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a new addition to the team-based survival horror genre by Gun Interactive. The studio had previously published Friday the 13th: The Game, showing off some strong previous experience for the genre. However, instead of the usual “one versus many” format in entries like Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre mixes things up with 3v4 matches. With this interesting new design choice, as well as a wonderful faithfulness to the original movies, this horror experience has a lot of good things going for it. If players are only looking to live out their own personal Texas Chain Saw Massacre experience, then this may be a perfect game to try. However, if players are seeking a strong horror game experience, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre fails to deliver.
Story: Your Own Personal Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Being a primarily multiplayer game, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shifts away from having a focus on a story. Everything begins very similarly to the original movie, with scroll text and narration describing the current situation. Based on a previous ARG surrounding the new game, the narration describes a girl, Maria Flores, who suddenly disappeared. Her sister, Ana, and a group of her friends now attempt to go rescue her. However, they are soon captured by the Family, who are trying to hunt them down and harvest them for their blood. Besides this premise setting up each match, there is little to no story, save for a few character descriptions.
While most of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s characters are new, we see the return of a few familiar faces. Of course, gamers can play as Leatherface, the iconic antagonist of the franchise, played by Kane Hodder, who returns from Leatherface: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre III. Leatherface is required to start each match, so expect to see him often. The Cook and Hitchhiker also return from previous movies, with Edwin Neal reprising the latter role from the original film. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre also includes two original killers, Sissy and Johnny. These characters were discovered through the game’s ARG and fit into the main cast well. Overall, each of the Family members is distinctive in both appearance and voice acting. The accent work and tone of each character is phenomenal, causing them to stand out in a unique way.
For victims, we have Ana, joined by Connie, Julie, Leland, and Sonny. All of these characters are new and only have a short blurb describing their personalities. Compared to the well-designed killers, these characters are a big step back. Each of them has little depth, making them feels generic. Sadly, little sets each survivor apart besides their stats and abilities.
Gameplay: A Big Confusing Blood Bath
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a purely multiplayer game and includes no single-player or story mode. Each match takes on a 3v4 format, with three Family members attempting to hunt down 4 victims trying to escape. The killers win if they can find and kill all the victims, while the victims win if they can successfully flee the property. To aid in their task, every character has a special ability. For example, Sissy can leave poison gas to harm victims and cut off their path, and Ana can take reduced damage for a short period. Players will also need to find supplies hidden across the map to aid in their adventures.
Arguably, the best part of the game is playing as the killers. It seems like a lot of focus went into this aspect of the game, as everything handles well and is satisfying to pull off. Using Leatherface’s chainsaw is especially fun, even for those who aren’t big horror buffs. The gameplay of the killers captures the spirit of the original movies by requiring players to think about their planned slaughter rather than mindlessly chasing after each victim. Speaking of which, one of the most boring parts of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is tracking down victims. Most of the time, victims can be almost impossible to find if they’re playing correctly, even with the Cook or Johnny’s abilities. To find them, players will need to harvest blood to track them down. This mechanic is tedious and grinds every match to a stop whenever it’s necessary.
The main gameplay for victims in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre revolves around stealth and slowly making your way through the map. Overall, this leads to a fun and tense atmosphere, especially when the killers are close. Minigames are required to complete most tasks and add to the tension by taking up extra time and potentially making noise if done incorrectly. Sadly, the game is a bit unbalanced for the victims at times. Since it only takes a few swings to take a player down, oftentimes, only one encounter with a killer will do you in. With three killers hunting you down, making one small mistake can be fatal.
Graphics & Audio: Great Graphics Where It Counts
Overall, the aesthetics and atmosphere of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre are a perfect fit. The winding mazes, cave-like hallways, run-down cars, and bloody farming equipment help players feel like they’re in the movie. Plus, the models themselves, especially those for the Family, look outstanding and have fluid animations. One of the graphical highlights is the Family’s executions, which are performed when killing a player. These are both brutal and creative and are sure to please fans of the source material.
Similar to the graphics, the music of the game borrows some cues from the original movie. Overall, it fits perfectly, using creepy droning tones to help build tension and a palpable atmosphere. The voices and acting are magnificent, especially with standout performances coming from the Family. While the audio isn’t a huge part of the game, it is a lot better than I had thought it would be.
Conclusion: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Makes a Strong Gaming Debut
In the end, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an experience you should check out for two reasons. First, if you’re a fan of the source material, the game captures The Texas Chain Saw Massacre extremely well, with strong voice acting, character design, and graphics. The other reason to check it out is if you love asymmetrical horror games, like Dead by Daylight. However, after further review, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre sadly suffers from many problems, including balancing issues and boring lulls during matches, that stop it from reaching its full potential.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Reviewed), Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Review copy given by the publisher.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (PC Reviewed)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre sadly suffers from many problems, including balancing issues and boring lulls during matches, that stop it from reaching its full potential.
Pros
- Faithful to the license
- Can be fun with friends
