Although reaction to the fact that Gun Media and IllFonic are developing a new FRIDAY THE 13TH video game has been overwhelmingly positive, I've also seen F13 fans expressing disappointment that the game was going to be online multiplayer only, with one player as iconic slasher Jason Voorhees and the others as the new batch of camp counselors he's stalking and slashing. For them, multiplayer interactions had limited appeal compared to having a game with a story that you could play through by yourself.
The game developers have heard the request for a single player option from many fans, and now they have announced that they're going to give the people what they've been asking for. It will require the game to be delayed slightly, but a single player campaign featuring "several missions ripped straight from the films" is now in the works.
In addition to the single player experience, the game is also being enhanced with AI bots, the inclusion of Jason slayer Tommy Jarvis as a playable character, and the addition of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2's Packanack Lodge as a playable map.
Friday the 13th: The Game was originally expected to start shipping out this month. The new schedule is as follows:
Fall 2016: Beta Release including 4 additional beta keys for friends when pre-ordered (Kickstarter Backers will get an additional 4 beta keys for their friends as well)
Spring 2017: Multiplayer Release with Tommy Jarvis and Packanack Lodge as the third playable map
Summer 2017: Single Player Release and Offline AI Bots
Gun Media studio head Wes Keltner had this to say: "The first thing people are going to read here is 'delay. We want everyone to be assured that coming to our decision to delay was no easy matter, but we believe that the positives far outweigh the negatives. We've been reading day in and day out on our social media feeds that single player and Tommy Jarvis were in such a demand that we couldn't ignore our fans. After securing funding, we're here to tell you that it is a reality and we're making this game even bigger. It sucks that there's a delay, but the wait won't be too long and it's going to offer more for fans in the long-run!"
Personally, I don't mind the delay at all, and I know that this announcement has made a lot of other F13 fans very happy. While I'm sure the multiplayer experience will be fun, it will also be nice to be able to traverse Crystal Lake alone from time to time with the single player option.
Friday the 13th: The Game is being made with the full cooperation of rights holder Sean S. Cunningham. Kane Hodder has done the motion capture performance for Jason Voorhees, pulling off kills designed by Tom Savini. Harry Manfredini will be providing the game's music.
If you'd like pre-order Friday the 13th: The Game, head over to F13Game.com.