As with any popular multiplayer game, the community of Friday the 13th: The Game is a passionate one, and passionate communities are quick to express that passion, be it laudatory, constructive or even outright negative. Just a few weeks ago, when fans figured out that IllFonic, one of the game’s two development teams, was also working on another game, they were quick to doom and gloom how they had abandoned Friday the 13th.
Of course, this wasn’t the case, and IllFonic released a strongly worded statement to that effect, but anyone who still wasn’t convinced should be more than satisfied by yesterday’s series of announcements regarding Friday the 13th, including a clothing pack, a new full-size map, new counselors and new playable Jasons. But, for the first time since release, Friday the 13th: The Game has revealed a strategy for longevity that is about more than just the frills (even though the frills in this case are particularly easy on the eyes).
Yes, many people will be more than satisfied with the announcement of the Spring Break 1984 clothing pack, which features in its header image the counselor Tiffany in an unbelievably skimpy bikini. When I first saw this image, I assumed it was a fan-made joke, and then I assumed that bikini’s in the 1980s couldn’t have possibly looked like that. Of course, I was wrong on both assumptions. But as eye-popping as these new counselor outfits may be, we’ve gotten new outfits before in Friday the 13th: The Game. As an apology for launch issues, they released a Retro Jason Skin, and a new clothing pack with two new outfits for each counselor.
That said, this particular counselor skin is certainly capturing the cheesier tropes of the 80s horror movie, with the scantily clad counselors being killed by Jason Voorhees. But again, these are just frills, and they won’t sustain a game by themselves. But this upcoming update, for several reasons is much different than Content Update 1. Beyond just visuals, the upcoming changes will actually enhance how we play and enjoy Friday the 13th: The Game.
You have to mention the new counselors, which, if handled correctly, should each bring a new playstyle to the table, offering new strategies to which players will have to adjust. Likewise, the new playable Jason should feel like he brings his own strengths and weaknesses to the table. Meanwhile, all of these strategies can play out on the upcoming new full map. But, more than anything else, you have to admire Gun Media’s and IllFonic’s continued commitment to improving stability.
While their lack of expediency in this matter has frustrated even the most devoted fans, it’s nice to know that it’s still happening. Better yet, Gun Media nearly fully detailed the upcoming patch that purports to fix several game-ruining bug fixes, such as key objects falling through the ground upon death and ensuring Perks that start you with items actually work (imagine that). Sure, we don’t know the timeline just yet, but when have we ever been able to nail Friday the 13th: The Game to a specific date? Beyond that, it’s just refreshing to see that the future of Friday the 13th is secure and goes beyond superficial additions (sexy, though they may be).
