After everything that went down with Friday the 13th: The Game, I doubt anyone expected Halloween: The Game to actually go anywhere. Yet, development appears to be progressing smoothly. It’s going so smoothly in fact that the developers have opened pre-orders and are showing off a new map now. So far, so good, right?
Much like Friday the 13th: The Game, Halloween: The Game is an asymmetric multiplayer horror title wherein four players attempt to escape from the map while one tries to take them all out as an unstoppable killer. It’s likely players can expect something very close to how Friday the 13th: The Game played, actually, because it’s the same team making it.
That’s right; Illfonic is making Halloween: The Game too, so here’s hoping they’ve gotten the rights properly secured this time. Anyway, as things currently stand, the game is set to launch on October 6, with pre-orders opening today. There will be a standard edition for about $40 and a collector’s edition for about $150
Buyers of the standard physical edition will get a poster and a special clown skin for Michael Myers along with their game, while those who go for the collector’s edition will get that plus an action figure, lenticular art, two extra civilian cosmetics, a Samhein skin for Michael and potentially more later on.
As for the new map shown in the trailer above, Illfonic describes it thusly:
“Relive the events of 1978’s Halloween Night as either a civilian trying to protect Haddonfield’s townsfolk from The Shape in 1v4 multiplayer…or take up the knife as Michael Myers himself, stalking victims one by one in either multiplayer or the single-player story mode. Today’s map reveal shows off a new, haunting location: Orange Grove Estates, an upscale neighborhood in one of Haddonfield’s affluent corners.
Multi-story houses surround a playground and basketball court, and expansive yards turn every fence and hedge into a fresh hiding (or hunting) ground. The map’s open layout reshapes how players move between structures, opening up new opportunities for collaboration while widening the lines of sight that can give a hero (or The Shape) away. The larger, multi-story homes also introduce precarious upper-floor encounters that every player will need to account for.”
Again, so far so good. There’s just something I’m wondering about. Halloween: The Game is coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, with the physical editions launching only for the two consoles since, you know, PC has been digital-only for years now. However, since it’s still possible to craft one’s own physical discs for PC games (so long as you get the executable files), I wonder if it’s actually worth buying on PS5 or Xbox anymore. After all, Sony is killing physical media on its platform and it’s doubtful Microsoft won’t do the same.
Both will be free to exploit their customers just like every other holder of a walled garden platform, so why wouldn’t they? So, why continue to buy from them if PC is going to ultimately be the more economical choice? Sure, the upfront cost is (or used to be) much greater than consoles, but between greatly staggered upgrades, game prices, free online functionality and, most importantly, control, who wouldn’t find it more attractive?
Well, anyway, Halloween: The Game should be great for anyone who missed out on Friday the 13th: The game, so mark it on your calendars if that’s your kind of thing.
Image is official promo art