Review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre Is a Scary Good Time

There’s nothing scarier than the sound of a chainsaw. Haunted houses know it. That’s why they pack Halloween mazes with the sound of pants-wetting terror. It’s also the reason why Texas Chainsaw Massacre has remained a cult classic all these years later. Though I would never want to run into Leatherface in real life, running from the horror villain is a scary good time in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Game.

A Willing Victim

In a lot of ways, Texas Chainsaw Massacre plays similar to Friday the 13th, in that you have an iconic horror character trying to hunt you down. However, by comparison, the Crystal Lake counselors have it easy. For one, the victims of the Sawyer family in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, begin the game already tied up in the basement. While counselors could find refuge in cabins from Jason, the victims have very few places to hide.

The environment and sound play a bigger factor here. If you move too quickly or attempt to perform an action like opening the door too quickly, then the Sawyer family will be able to easily find you. Fortunately, you can use the environment to your advantage by squeezing through gaps or crawling through holes to help put some distance between you and the cannibals.

The goal of the game is a simple one – find a way to escape. While there are four of you in total, Texas Chainsaw Massacre lets you lone-wolf it if you choose to. Sure, it’s easier to complete the objectives needed to open the outer gates if you stick together. But, sticking together often led to my death in several matches. Other players would run down the dimly lit hallways and lead Leatherface straight to me.

On another occasion, I managed to make it all the way to the gate, only to have the hitchhiker sneak up behind me and stab me before Leatherface finished the job. Actually escaping felt like an accomplishment. Now I know how Sally felt.

Rev up your Chainsaw

Players can select whether they want to play as the victims or one of the members of the Sawyer family. While playing as a victim was pulse-pounding, being Leatherface or one of his family members can be just as diabolically fun. While Leatherface is obviously the star of the show, players shouldn’t sleep on playing as the Cook or Hitchhiker.

Related: Will Texas Chainsaw Massacre Game Cause Dead by Daylight to Lose Leatherface?

All three characters have their own strengths and weaknesses. Leatherface is overly strong and can make quick work of victims, but he’s also slow and loud making him easy to avoid. Meanwhile, the Hitchhiker is more of a constant threat, able to squeeze in gaps after the victim. He also has traps, which I exploited by placing at doors. Watching as a victim tried to pull themselves to freedom while I sliced wildly was a solid tactic.

Meanwhile, the Cook acts as more of a Scout, trapping players behind additional padlocks and able to lock into noise to expose careless players from a distance. If you’re going to win, it really takes a family to come together and stop anyone from escaping. Johnny might be the star of the show with his ability to track down players via their footsteps. Meanwhile, I’ve played the least as Sissy, but she has has a range of traps and proved to be formidable when playing as a victim.

Over all the leveling system, can be a little confusing at first, but over time, it started to click. Building your victim or killer with perks makes the game easier, but both sides felt evenly balanced no matter how long I played. It’s be or be killed.