The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Everything We Know

It seems asymmetrical multiplayer games have become all the rage over the last several years or so, thanks to the likes of Friday the 13th, Evil Dead, and Dead by Daylight coming to bear the torch for much-needed video game adaptations. And as it turns out, that very line of adaptations is about to gain a plus one, with Gun Interactive now looking to translate The Texas Chain Saw Massacre into a full-fledged video game for modern consoles.

Of course, this isn’t the first we’ve seen of the cult-classic movie treading water in our corner of the world; the Atari 2600 actually had its own version that came out back in 1983, wouldn’t you believe? It makes sense, then, that a reputable developer would want to come swooping along several decades later to reignite the flame, if only to keep Tobe Hooper’s vision alive and kicking. And as for the core details that you need to know about the upcoming project, here’s everything Sumo Digital and Gun Interactive have let slip to date.

What Is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre?

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an upcoming third-person asymmetrical survival-horror game by Sumo Digital, a UK-based firm known for games such as LittleBigPlanet, Crackdown, and a myriad of Sonic hits. The upcoming video game adaptation will be published by Gun Interactive, a well-known outfit that has helped serve up universally acclaimed entries including Friday the 13th and Layers of Fear 2.

Furthermore, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will serve as a tribute to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 movie of the same title, and will base its gameplay around the characters, settings, and events from it. Curious to know more about it? Here’s everything we know about the story, gameplay, and its current development status.

Story

The burning question that many fans of the movie will want to know is simple: will the video game reflect the movie plot, script, or characters? To make it short, the answer to this is not really. Or at least, not entirely. Instead, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will be based more around the multiplayer gameplay itself, which will in turn sacrifice a huge chunk of whatever story Sumo Digital might’ve initially planned for it.

Like Dead by Daylight, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will not focus on the story, per se, but more the settings and characters from the movie, which will in turn translate to a series of asymmeical survival-horror experiences that allow players to traverse iconic locations while playing as their favourite survivors or even Leatherface himself.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is set in the western region of the state, in a place called Muerto County. The story, which follows the dying efforts of younger sister Ana Flores as she attempts to find her waylaid kin, will feature in part in the upcoming video game adaptation. As for how much of this will find a place in the upcoming adaptation is unclear, though we expect to hear more about it over the first half of 2023.

Gameplay

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 4v1 asymmeical survival-horror game that pits three custom survivors against the notorious Leatherface in a series of iconic locations as seen in the 1974 movie. Goal-wise, survivors must work together to unearth clues, traps, and possible routes to escape while also engaging in a blood-bumping cat-and-mouse chase with the killer. The killer, with the use of traps and barbaric tactics, must snuff out the collective and eliminate the possibility of them ever escaping to freedom.

“As a victim you must use your wits and stealth to stay out of the Family’s reach and find the tools you need to lead to your eventual freedom,” the official Steam listing reads. “Slaughter Family players must seek out, track down, and stop their guests from escaping. Players of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can finally find out if they have what it takes to survive.”

Development

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is being developed by Sumo Digital, a British studio that’s made ground in the gaming industry through a variety of genre-defining hits such as LittleBigPlanet, Crackdown, and Sonic. Kentucky-based publisher Gun Interactive, known for Friday the 13th and Layers of Fear 2, will also be on board to help ship the project.

Gun Interactive revealed during the announcement trailer back in June 2022 that the game would be coming to both ex-gen and current gen consoles at some stage in 2023. It wasn’t confirmed when exactly it would be coming, but several rumors seem to suggest that it could be towards the end of the holiday season. It’s probably best to take that with a slight grain of salt, though. Chances are, either Sumo Digital or Gun Interactive will reveal more on the release date a little later into the first quarter of 2023.

Trailer

So, has Sumo Digital revealed any trailers for the game yet? Yes, they have! Thanks to Gun Interactive’s official YouTube channel, fans of the franchise can now get a hands-on preview of the next-gen survival-horror. You can see it for yourself in the embed above, along with an in-depth look at the gameplay style it will adopt.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will launch on an undisclosed date in 2023, as confirmed by Sumo Digital. According to the devs, the game will be available both physically and digitally on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. It hasn’t been confirmed whether or not it will be coming to Nintendo Switch, though typically, Switch ports tend to arrive twelve or so months after the initial launch date.

The good news is, Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have immediate access to the game on day one. PlayStation Plus members, however, will have to seek alternative options, as Sumo Digital revealed during the unrated gameplay trailer back in 2022.

For more information on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, be sure to follow the official social feed here. We’ll be sure to drop any new details on the upcoming game right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.