Texas Chain Saw Massacre Review
In our Texas Chain Saw Massacre review, we discuss how the asymmetrical online game has become a surprise hit, blending terror and unintentional hilarity for one of the funniest multiplayer games of 2023. The Sumo Nottingham game is a joyous, blood-splattered celebration of Horror, and one that feels like it could have emerged from the 80s alongside the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film from 1974.
In Texas Chain Saw Massacre, you’ll either be one of three bloodthirsty killers, or one of the four hapless victims. The gameplay is less tedious than similar horror games, making it more fun despite still being terrifying. You can check out our Texas Chain Saw Massacre review to read about how the game struck us, and I’ve spent some time playing both as a killer and a survivor to see how each side of the game feels.
Playing as a survivor, you’ll need to complete objectives to escape each map, while being chased by unpredictable killers. The sense of terror never lets up: killers appear at any moment, and sound effects add to the feeling that death is always near. Mundane tasks can quickly turn into disaster as a killer appears, with you and your friends screaming at each other as you panic and run for your lives.
You’ll scream at your friends for running in circles and getting you killed, you’ll slap each other for falling down wells, and you’ll all find enjoyment in yelling words of encouragement as you try to avoid the killers’ rusty blades. Playing as a killer is similar, but you’ll instead stalk your prey, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Despite the fear, Texas Chain Saw Massacre is also fun. Falling down a well is funny (unless you’re the killer, who gets to watch you plummet and then gleefully walk over your body), and the slapstick moments created by the game’s sound effects are also enjoyable. The game encourages a level of fun-loving camaraderie in the face of bleak circumstances.
Perhaps most importantly, dying doesn’t mean the end – you’ll spectate and offer advice to remaining players. This creates a sense of community, and I’ve found myself cheering people on rather than just playing for myself. The game strikes a balance between honouring the source material and providing a humorous and terrifying experience, and it’s one that I’ve found myself coming back to over and over again.
You can read our Texas Chain Saw Massacre review to see how we think the game handles its source material, but I will say that it strikes a balance between being scary and funny that I wasn’t expecting. It’s not just a flippant, blood-soaked tribute to the classic horror film; Sumo has clearly created a very faithful adaptation, with a foreboding atmosphere and great characters. It’s a great tribute, but it’s also a great game.
If you want to play as one of the three killers, you’ll need to remember that your job is to instil fear, not simply to kill. You’ll stalk your prey, waiting for the right moment to strike, and then you’ll either grab them to cut their throat, or you’ll sneak up behind them to strike them dead. Stand still for too long, however, and your victim will be alerted to your presence, and their fear will cause them to run – and that means they’ll escape.
