A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a peculiar choice for a video game adaption. After all, the long-running franchise’s many films (bar the 1974 original) have failed to impress critics or attract significant interest at the box office. Perhaps it’s best, then, that this game is based on the first movie.
However, any symbiotic benefit between film and video game has been squandered in this uninteresting asymmetrical survival horror experience that falls disappointingly short when it comes to chills and thrills.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre review: Story
While there is a narrative that underpins the gameplay, it is paper-thin. It merely serves as the backdrop for the multiplayer carnage. Essentially, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre‘s story can be boiled down to a simple premise. College kids are captured by a family of cannibal crazies (including Leatherface) and must escape.
It does little to inspire interest in the game’s limited world and is reserved almost entirely for its introductory cutscene. What’s left of the plot must be deduced from individual characters, the gameplay, and its setting.
Characters
Sadly, there isn’t too much going on with the game’s characters, either. There are two “factions” in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, with every match pitting them against each other in a cat-and-mouse struggle for survival. The ‘Victims’ are a group five young people – Connie, Leland, Ana, Sonny, and Julie.
Each have their own backstories in the form of written bios. If you care enough, you can take the time to read these. Ultimately, who you play as only matters when it comes to the characters’ physical attributes and abilities. Victims have five key attributes: Toughness, Endurance, Strength, Proficiency, and Stealth.
Each Victim also has their own special ability. For example, Connie can pick locks instantly and Ana takes reduced damage. While these do influence gameplay and offer obvious tactical advantages, they feel rather inconsequential when compared to the ‘Family’ and its members’ ability to commit brutal murders.
The Family is the game’s second faction, made up of five maniacal killers. They are Leatherface, Cook, Hitchhiker, Johnny, and Sissy. A sixth member – Grandpa – is also featured during matches but is unplayable and provides additional advantages to Family members if given blood to drink. Members of the Family have three key attributes: Savagery, Blood Harvesting, and Endurance.
They also have individual abilities, such as Hitchhiker’s proficiency with traps and Johnny being able to see fresh tracks left by Victims. As mentioned, however, it’s the Family’s ability to kill that stands out.
All Victims and Family members have access to ability and perk loadouts which can be customised to suit different playstyles and tactical approaches. Similarly, character’s have Skill Trees where players can spend Skill Points to unlock new perks and abilities. This gives you something extra to work towards, particularly if you favour certain characters.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre review: Gameplay
This brings us to the gameplay, which is creepy at best and boring at worst. Matches take place on three maps, each with day and night variants. They are the family house, a gas station, and a slaughterhouse. Unfortunately, there are few notable differences between them and each match feels largely the same no matter which map you play on.
As a Victim, you awaken in the basement area of each map. You must carefully and quietly move around by crawling, hiding, and scavenging. The aim is to make as little noise as possible to avoid alerting the Family, so you must be quick and cautious.
Eventually, you will make your way upstairs and outside where you can mess with Grandpa and attempt to escape. Things can be easier if you work together with other Victims, although this increases the likelihood of being detected.
Playing as a Victim is when The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is at its scariest. Hearing the terrifying utterances of the insane Family and nerve-shredding buzz of Leatherface’s chainsaw is enough to spook even the bravest of gamers.
Conversely, assuming control of the Family is largely dull, plodding, and chore-like. Much of your time is spent shambling around trying to find Victims. This gives way to long stretches with nothing to do. Once you do stumble across a Victim, you must give chase. Often, this guarantees the death of a Victim who, aside from run, has no viable recourse to survive.
A few well-placed hits from a Family member and the Victim will be vulnerable to instant killing blows. Once all Victims are dead, it’s game over. In the numerous games I played for this review, the Family won every single time. This was notable because Victims have the four vs. three advantage, so they should stand a somewhat equal chance of coming out on top.
Graphics and performance
Visuals in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre are suitably grim and dingy but also dazzling bright when the moment calls for it. Despite this, they are mostly unremarkable even though ambient lighting adequately infers the danger that lies within the game’s interior environments.
Outside, players will sneak through undergrowth that sways as you move. Likewise, the hot Texas sun beams down and drenches dilapidated exteriors and creates thick black shadows.
The game performs well and seemed to maintain a stable 60 FPS in Performance mode on PS5. While character animations and movement feels somewhat clunky and unresponsive, the smooth frame rate added to the high-standard of final polish the game has received.
With that being said, online matchmaking leaves a lot to be desired. I played a number of matches prior to the game’s release and many more afterwards. It was quicker and easier to find a lobby before The Texas Chain Saw Massacre‘s launch than it was after it, which was curious indeed.
Often, I would search for a match and wait a while only for a message to appear stating: “Unable to connect to game server, please try again.” This happened frequently and grew increasingly tiresome. There was no obvious cause or solution.
To make matters worse, after finding a lobby, it was common to spend a lifetime waiting for players to ready-up. I found this regularly prompted negativity in the lobby chat and spammy behaviours, which certainly dampened the overall experience.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre review: Verdict
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a decent way to spend a few hours if you want a few simple scares. Although, I imagine that is all it will provide for most players.
Its maps lack any real variety and the core gameplay loop is repetitious and boredom-inducing. It’s a glorified game of hide and seek that has little to offer outside the novelty of its source material. If it were not for the movie it’s based on, it’s hard to imagine anyone having much interest in it.
With a long-term commitment to deliver regular new content and game modes, I could see The Texas Chain Saw Massacre turning into something more interesting and enticing. But, for now, it’s a half-baked attempt to capitalise on a franchise that hasn’t turned out anything “good” in almost 50 years. And you can add this game to that long list of disappointments.
Overall Rating: 5/10
Version played: PS5
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