The Ideal Friday The 13th Video Game

The ideal Friday the 13^th video game 

Many of us know that an official video game based on Friday the 13^th is coming supposedly this year. At this stage some things about it are unclear when it comes to who is developing the game, how good is the game developer in charge, what kind of game design will be implemented and so on.

While the wait for any new and solid details go on, I wish to share to you readers and fellow Friday fans what in my view would be the most ideal Friday the 13^th video game.

What do I have in mind? I can imagine a Friday the 13^th video game that has an open-world environment with Crystal Lake as the foundation and the game will use certain game design and gameplay elements from notable open-world games like Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto V. For night-time atmosphere, taking inspiration from Alan Wake would be best.

Why an open-world environment for a video game that’s about Jason killing people?

An open-world environment is ideal. Firstly it can be a very, very large environment in which players get to play an original character who will not only encounter (or be hunted by) Jason (the in-game villain obviously) from inside the cabin to Crystal Lake and whatever places can be found in the vast forest. Such an environment can add a good amount of gameplay variety.

Secondly, the open-world environment will create several opportunities for gamers in terms of exploration and activity. Just imagine you play a character who wanders around Camp Crystal Lake and explore (out of curiosity) places about past killings done by Jason or his mother. Go to another part of the camp and you hear someone screaming for help compelling you to decide to help out or avoid the incident. Imagine yourself searching for Jason’s shack (or underground lair) encountering the traps he set up as you get closer.

Most noteworthy is the experience of being hunted by Jason. The open-world environment can be utilized by programmers to present Jason’s in-game action in very creative ways. Imagine your character hiding behind something and trying to get out of a large room with Jason just walking around searching – this is where stealth gameplay comes in – and once he spots you he will strike not only with the weapon he has but also with his fists or use nearby items to hit you.

Outdoor action? If an armed Jason can’t get close enough to you while hunting you, he can try hitting you from a distance by using a bow-and-arrow, or a harpoon gun or throw his machete at you. Oh yeah, imagine how the gameplay would be like if Jason runs and chases your unarmed character.

Remember Jason in the movies throwing bodies through windows or pulling a girl out the window (in The Final Chapter) to her death? Imagine if Jason uses those tactics on you as you explore. Also I wonder how the gameplay experience would be like if Jason crashed through the window and grabs you from behind like what he did to Ginny in Part 2.

Thirdly, the open-world environment will give game designers (especially those passionate with the mythos of Friday the 13^th) that rare opportunity to create a large in-game world that has Camp Crystal Lake as the most notable destination as well as other places that can be found along the stretch of Crystal Lake. Imagine you get to visit the nearby summer camp counselors training facility in Friday the 13^th Part 2 or Higgins Haven in Friday the 13^th Part 3 or the Jarvis House in Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter. Heck, the game might as well have that only-mentioned Lakeview (and Lakeview High School) from Friday the 13^th Part VIII: Jason Take Manhattan. Wanna explore that small town where Annie passed by on her way to Camp Crystal Lake? Also did you ever wonder just how far Alice’s home was from Camp Crystal Lake? Recreating that with close attention to detail would be something.

Lastly, the open-world can be utilized to tell stories and present characters seamlessly with gameplay. Try to imagine your character is a camp counselor who has to maintain order and good behavior in the camp. Not only will you be dealing with Jason and incidents, you will interact with campers, fellow counselors, the few local policemen passing by, a doomsayer (like Crazy Ralph) and others all under the in-game story. The cinematic storytelling of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption are the best examples to fully realize the transition from gameplay to cutscenes. In those two blockbuster games, you move great distances to visit a place and eventually trigger an in-game cutscene that moves the story forward.

What kind of gameplay?

As mentioned earlier, the gameplay can be quite varied in relation to the open-world environment. The ideal view for exploration would be a third-person view with your character fully seen in the middle, backed up with a third-person-over-the-shoulder camera angle when it comes to shooting sequences (Gears of War games should be the main inspiration in terms of look and control precision). Shooting can be done while at the same time need not be limited to guns and bullets.

More on gameplay, it is ideal to implement survival tactics, hunting and salvaging given the summer camp environment and the 2013 video game reboot of Tomb Raider is the ideal model to follow.

Apart from open-world exploration, the game could use a lot of sequences in which you get to examine and interact with objects around you. Other than getting some weapons (or items that can be used as makeshift weapons), you can also use items like first-aid kits, clothes, food, gadgets, flashlights and more.

About exploring the environment at night, Alan Wake is a great example of moving around while using a flashlight to make your way through. The flashlight itself can be advantageous and disadvantageous – you can make your way through the night with it yet the light will give a your location away to a stalking Jason (and he can shoot an arrow or throw a blade at you from a distance).

Playing the game as Jason? I’m not too hot about that concept as I believe that Jason is always meant to be the unrelenting killer whose evil cannot be matched. He definitely should be the in-game villain who will engage players with fear, sudden strikes and intimidation. Remember how intimidating Nemesis was in 1999’s Resident Evil 3? Jason can be like that, only better and more engaging.

Conclusion

By today’s standard, open-world gaming is the way to go and that particular design, when done right by talented game developers who pay close attention to Friday the 13^th as a franchise, can make the most ideal Friday the 13^th video game. Exploration, suspense, action, interaction plus encounters with Jason can be realized in ways that some people thought were impossible to do when it comes to video gaming.

Really, the open-world game design for Friday the 13^th and Jason is the way to go.