“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”: Leatherface deserved better

2023-09-09 16:00:00

After terrorizing legions of moviegoers over the past five decades, the Sawyer family is coming to our consoles with The Texas Chain Saw Massacrea brutal, immersive game… but also redundant.

Yes, Leatherface and his gang landed on our consoles with the roar of a chainsaw and screams of agony, uttered by the victims martyred by the most famous cannibal family in the seventh art. The release of the game Texas Chain Saw Massacre was preceded by a long promotional campaign promising liters and liters of hemoglobin, barbaric carnage and a murky and anxiety-inducing atmosphere.

In short, elements that were quick to make the mouths of fans of the film franchise water.

A console regular

However, this is not the first time that Leatherface – and his trusty chainsaw – has made its way to our consoles. Some will remember a very first game intended for the Atari platform in the early 1980s. But for others, it is the presence of the famous bogeyman as a guest in the horror sagas Mortal Kombat et Dead by Daylight which immediately come to mind.

The new game, published by Gun Interactive (Friday the 13th – The Game, Layers of Fear 2), however, offers the most faithful experience to the cult 1974 film. We are immersed in the heart of scorching and arid Texas, in three mythical locations from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre saga: the Sawyer family home, the slaughterhouse and the station -decrepit service. Let us emphasize here in broad strokes, these environments have been recreated with impressive care, each of them immediately evoking memories for the most loyal fans.

Photo provided by Gun Interactive

Executioners and tortured

But before landing in these landscapes, the player must choose his side by siding with the predators or the prey. If he plays a member of the Sawyer family, he will have to get hold of his prisoners before they escape. To help him, he will be able to count on the help of two accomplices, in addition to that of the good old grandfather, whose senses will sharpen as his disciples feed him… with human blood.

On the other hand, the four victims will have to thwart the plans of the executioners, using tricks and strategies to leave the scene unharmed or, at the very least, alive.

We admit, the first minutes of play were exhilarating. We really liked the idea of freely exploring this universe, both in the shoes of an executioner and that of a tortured person. But this enthusiasm quickly faded as the experience became redundant.

Already seen

Of course, each match is unique thanks to the different strategies recommended by the players we are matched with online. But although the three places are offered in two variations – day and night – you quickly have the impression of having taken the tour. And like Dead by Daylight had proposed a similar experience by inviting Leatherface into his stable, the feeling of déjà vu soon reared its ugly head.

It must also be said that the game has been riddled with bugs since its release; server failure or technical difficulties preventing players from starting a game, characters who are sometimes unresponsive or who remain frozen in the settings… the experience greatly lacks fluidity. Fortunately, these should be fixed over time. But until then, we can’t help but think that Leatherface deserved better.