Summary
Friday the 13this a horror franchise with some of the most film entries throughout its near 45-year-long existence. Officially, there are 12Friday the 13thmovies, with the 2009 remake being the final entry to date. Despite having a long catalog of films,Friday the 13thhas struggled to gain a foothold in the video game medium with only four games dedicated to Jason Voorhees, including 1986’sFriday the 13th: The Computer Game, 1989’sFriday the 13th, 2017’sFriday the 13th: The Game, and 2018’sFriday the 13th: Killer Puzzle. However, Voorhees may have his time in gaming’s spotlight again soon with recent rumors of an upcoming linearFriday the 13thvideo game.
Rumored Friday the 13th Video Game Explained
According to insider information from CineStealth, two games based onFriday the 13thare currently in development, including a new multiplayer game, possibly similar to 2017’s Illfonic’s asymmetrical survival horror game, and another that features more linear gameplay. No developers or release windows for these games were detailed, nor have these rumors been confirmed byFriday the 13th’s current owner, Horror Inc. However, Horror Inc. did announce that moreFriday the 13thgames and other content is expected to be announced later this year whenthe new Jason Universe initiativewas announced in May.
Since this new Jason Universe debuted, only two newFriday the 13th-related projects have been announced. A few days after Jason Universe was announced, Warner Bros. Games revealed that Jason Voorhees was coming tothe fighting gameMultiVersusas a part of the game’s Season 1 Battle Pass in late May. By early July, Jason Universe’s second announcement was of a 4K UHD rerelease of the 2009Friday the 13thfilm remake. No other announcements for the hockey mask-wearing slasher have been officially revealed yet.
The Potential of a Friday the 13th Linear Game
Linear horror games have brought some of the most terrifying and skin tingling moments in the whole horror genre. Games such asAlien: Isolationmade players crawl for the entirety ofSevastopolstation in fear that the slightest noise would cause the xenomorph to crawl from the ship’s many vents to attack them. Likewise,Outlastconstantly kept players on their toesas they tried to stealthily avoid the crazed maniac of Mount Massive Asylum and discover what secret experiments were being conducted at the facility. AFriday the 13thlinear game could make Jason Voorhees as menacing as the unrelenting Alien or the hulking Chris Walker.
In terms of gameplay, theFriday the 13thgame could play more similarly toAlien: IsolationthanOutlastin that players could use some tools and small weapons to attempt combating Voorhees. While most campers or civilians never survive Voorhees’ rampages, several do attempt to fight him to at least give their friends time to run away, such asTommy Jarvis’ many endeavors to kill the slasher. If the game is set at Camp Crystal Lake, the player could use the Camp’s various tools and sports equipment like oars, bows, and hammers to try and temporarily knock out Voorhees during numerous encounters. They may also use the Lake’s various cabins, houses, and facilities to try and hide, similar to the lockers and desks ofIsolation.
The Potential Story of a Friday the 13th Linear Game
AFriday the 13thgame has lots of options for its story and setting. It could be an adaptation of any of the 12 films or be set after the core films but before the futuristicJason X,simply depicting one of Voorhees’ many unseen massacres. If Jason Universe staff want to more directly connect this game to some of the films while being able to tell its own story, though, the game could be set as aprequel toJason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.
At the end ofPart 8,Voorhees is seemingly destroyed by toxic Manhattan waste, yet he appears physically intact inFinal Friday. ThisFriday the 13thgame could have a narrative of campers returning to Crystal Lake but coming across Voorhees reconstructing himself and causing mayhem after floating his way back to the Lake. The protagonist could survive and later set up the FBI ambush inFinal Friday.
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Fridaywas the first Voorhees film made by New Line Cinema after the character’s rights were sold byFriday the 13thfilm series progenitor Paramount Pictures in 1989.
