The Texas Chain Saw Massacre comes alive like never before in a brand new survival game that serves as a worthy entry into Leatherface’s legacy.
The horror gaming genre has seen its fair share of spine-tingling releases over the years, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Game is no exception. Developed by Sumo Nottingham and published by Gun Interactive, this highly anticipated title plunges players into the heart of terror as they navigate the nightmarish world of Leatherface and his cannibalistic family.
Will this horror title survive this daunting task of an online-based survival horror game? Or will it be a lamb to the slaughter? Let’s dive in…
Texas Chain Saw Horror at Its Best
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Developed By: Sumo Digital, Gun Interactive
Platforms: PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Consoles, PC
Release Date: August 18, 2023
From the moment you boot up the game, it’s clear the developers have wasted no effort in creating a haunting atmosphere. The game’s visuals are drenched in blood and turmoil, illuminated only by the slightest bit of hope to survive like the flicker of a lantern. The environments are meticulously detailed, from the decaying walls of the Sawyer family farmhouse to the eerie, fog-laden woods surrounding it.
There are multiple locations to play in this game, which makes the experience feel fresh depending on who is on your team. The Family House, Slaughterhouse, and Gas Station give players an unsettling feeling while creeping silently through these areas. The added sound design further immerses players in the horror, with the distant howl of the wind, the creaking of floorboards, and the ominous hum of a chainsaw echoing through the air. It’s a masterclass in building tension and unease.
The developers did an amazing job I’m making this game feel as horrific as possible. When playing as a Survivor, there were multiple times that I would walk up on a family member, and completely lose my shit. Few things are scarier than trying to hide in the Sawyer family’s house, only to open a door to find Leatherface himself revving his chainsaw towards you. Sure, Friday the 13th had a layer of ‘fear factor,’ but Texas Chain Saw Massacre takes it to an all new level; making your blood pump like never before.
Though The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is fictional, as a Texan myself the story has always really given me the heebie-jeebies. When I was young and saw the film for the first time, it left a lasting impression of what true horror is. Playing a game like this where you are forced to interact with the thrills/chills adds 10 times the fear that the movie usually added.
The development team put a ton of work into crafting the small details bringing to life the horrors of the Sawyer Family. No matter which member of the family is chasing you through these levels, you always have a sense of terror and fear as they taunt you through this horrific bloody, and gory wonderland that they have made for themselves.
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF AN ONLINE BASED GAME
As with Gun’s previous movie-based horror game (Friday the 13th), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an online survival game. While I understand why some fans were wanting/hoping for a single-player mode, this style of game is meant to be enjoyed with others online.
Matches consist of three family members and four survivors. You’re only goal as a survivor is to escape before being killed…You can guess what the goal of the family members are. On top of the primary objective, there are a few side-goals which can boost to your experience points. Though, when you’re being hunted around these three locations (as a survivor), it’s very easy to forget some of these side-goals.
This is where Gun interactive and Sumo succeed best in this genre. Even though the online players who are playing the family members start with low-level characters; they can be upgraded over time. This gives those characters better agility, focus, and savagery. This factor alone can make you forget about your side XP quests as running for your life becomes a tad more important.
Survivors aren’t entirely helpless as they also can level up to grant improved agility, better silence for sneaking, or even the ability to stun a family member for a longer duration of time. When you play as a survivor you have the opportunity to dig through lock boxes to gather tools, take down traps, and bone shanks. You can also hide from family members in different areas and locations as you’re being pursued.
Somehow, I’ve played as Leatherface online a total of 18 times. This is great for me personally, as I’m only two plays away from getting the final “skin” for the character. Playing as a family member, however, completely changes the dynamic of the game.
You go from having a sense of fear, to an animalistic bloodlust. Your goal as a family member is to protect your grandfather, set traps to catch survivors, and of course, hunt them down before they escape. Leatherface on the other hand, is a pure killing machine. Once you increase the Leatherface endurance and savagery, it is very hard for the survivors to slip your grasp.
The fun thing about playing as Leatherface or a family member is the chase itself. This is where the online aspect of the game gets fun. When chasing down the survivors you can hear the other players through their mic yelling or screaming “here he comes!” as they try to hide/flee.
When players had their mics enabled this took the gory aspect of the game away and added a cheerful fun I didn’t expect to have. From funny moments of survivors getting lost in the basement and screaming as I chased them, to having survivors yelling for help as one of the other family members puts them out of their misery. This is where the game shines and is the perfect game for any charismatic streamer looking for something crazy for their viewers to watch them play.
By and large, it’s very good and very fun. The problem I found, however, is finding people who stay in the matches. I did not receive my code for the game until the 15th, one day after the review embargo went up. At this time there were more than enough players online, but when matches get tough people start leaving the game. I don’t know if this was because I was playing it on a console or that players were just rage-quitting. All I know is that every other game I jump into, multiple people will leave in the middle of a match.
There’s nothing more irritating when you finally get a chance to play as one of the Sawyer family members and 5 minutes into the match three of the survivors have disconnected from your match. The engrossing environment, sound design, and overall horror of the game are just thrown out the window like a dead body chopped to bits by Leatherface.
It is a very irritating issue that seems to be plaguing the console version of the game and has left a bad taste in my mouth for the overall experience of the game. It would be one thing if this was a direct issue of the servers just becoming overwhelmed, but I do not believe this is the case. This style of game is meant to have fun while streaming or playing with friends.
