The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the video game based on the classic 1974 horror film, is finally out. Are the gameplay and sick visuals worth a buy? Read our review to find out.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Review and Score Explanation
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Score Explanation
| Overall Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74/100 | ||||
| Story | Gameplay | Visuals | Audio | Value for Money |
| 5/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Overall | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre immerses you into the chilling psyche of a relentless murderer whose only goal is to eliminate their victims one by one. The gameplay is balanced in that anything can happen under the noses of both the victims and the murderers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Every player is compelled to embrace tactics and to be quick on their feet - or else they’ll die. This brings us a game that’s both shocking and placid, blunt and strategic with how much high-level thinking can go into hunting prey or evading predators. For a multiplayer game, it’s quite deep. |
|---|---|
| Story | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre does not have much of a story to speak of, but it captures the bloody and violent atmosphere of the 1974 film it is based on very well. Characters from both the Slaughter Family and their victims have their own backstories, rudimentary as they may be. |
| Gameplay | This is the game’s strongest suit. Both the Victims and the Family have their own strengths and weaknesses. No side has a particular advantage over the other that can’t be countered, so players must work together to achieve their goals. This is where tactics and map knowledge come into play. When these factors collide, the resulting battle of wits gives each match a feeling of variety that perfectly hides the game’s low map count (three at the time of this writing). |
| Visuals | The game’s graphics are quite good in that it doesn’t try to be realistic. Instead, it boldly embraces the spirit of the 1974 film. That’s why we have Leatherface looking grotesque as all hell, with his man-skin mask and bloody apron, and blood and guts around the map. It’s also why almost all the characters are wearing bell bottoms. The game even kicks things off with an opening intro that uses the same font as the original film. In their goal of capturing the feel of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre movie, the graphics of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game does quite well. |
| Audio | Just like the graphics, the music of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game also aims to replicate the dread of the film itself. The Main Menu music is an eerie mix of door screeches, bass drops, and the wails of the damned, playing in the background as a peaceful-looking farmhouse sits at the bottom-right of the screen. The characters themselves all have their own custom voice lines that go off in reaction to certain in-game events or, if you’re playing a member of the Family, just to show how crazy they are. |
| Value for Money | At $40, the Texas Chain Saw Massacre offers good value, presenting you with a surprisingly complex game. There are also unlockables you can get for just playing the game, such as behind-the-scenes pictures of the original 1974 movie, and support from the developers in the form of new content. Unlike other multiplayer games, there is no need to purchase a separate battle pass to enjoy additional features - everything in the game can be unlocked through gameplay alone, with the exception of certain cosmetic items. |
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Review: Enter the Minds of Killers
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre may be a licensed video game, but that doesn’t mean that it’s just a plain-old cash grab. The publisher, Gun Interactive, have already proven themselves capable of putting out good games based on intellectual property with Friday the 13th. Now, with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, they have done right by its source material once again.
The game is, in essence, an extreme form of hide-and-seek. You have two teams, the Slaughter Family, and its Victims. The Victims must hide from members of the Family and escape the Slaughter property, while Family members must hunt the Victims down to the last man or woman before they can get away. At first glance, the battle may seem lopsided in favor of the Family, but each Family member (and each Victim) has their own strengths and weaknesses that complement each other.
This forces both teams to work with one another and employ tactics to reach their goals, and it’s when the tactics of both teams collide that the real battle begins. Whether you’re a member of the Family or a Victim, the game becomes rife with chase sequences, close calls, and grisly murders. One wrong move can spell either escape for a Victim or death at the hands of a Family member.
You will really have to channel your inner killer (or victim) to get the win, and you get to do that with your teammates. Few other games can give such an intense experience.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Full Game Review
Pros of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
| Things The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Got Right |
|---|
 Great and (Mostly) Balanced Gameplay Game Captures the Look and Feel of the 1974 Film Deep Progression System Encourages ‘Building’ Characters |
Great and (Mostly) Balanced Gameplay
There’s a certain degree of tactical freedom when you’re playing either as a Victim or a member of the Slaughter Family. If you’re a Victim, you can sneak around, make noises, creep between narrow floors, unlock doors, and lead killers away from the rest of your teammates. If you’re a Family member, you can lock doors, destroy barricades, search hiding spots, activate traps, padlock doors, and use scare tactics to herd Victims into a specific area.
This tactical freedom is because of the asymmetric nature of the game - each character on both sides has their own strengths, weaknesses and goals. For instance, on the Family side, Leatherface deals high damage, but he can’t creep between narrow walls. On the Victims’ side, Leland is the strongest character and can shake off most chasing Family members, but he’s not the stealthiest victim either. But there are characters on both sides that can complement these shortcomings - the wiry Hitchhiker can creep into spaces out of Leatherface’s reach, and Connie can easily unlock doors for Leland to run through.
Though this concept has already been done in other multiplayer action horror games, like Dead By Daylight or Gun Interactive’s own Friday the 13th, it’s the teamwork requirement that really sets this game apart. You will feel like you’re a member of a family of killers, and you will feel like you’re in a group of victims who need to escape, all because the game makes it necessary for you to roleplay a bit to achieve your respective goals.
Game Captures the Look and Feel of the 1974 Film
The game flawlessly captures the chilling atmosphere of the iconic 1974 film it was based on. Each map within the game is meticulously designed to replicate key locations from the movie, such as the Gas Station, Basement, and House of Bones. Even the game's intro sequence mirrors the original film, complete with that unmistakable yellow serif font.
The attention to detail extends to the characters themselves, closely resembling their on-screen counterparts, like the half-balding Cook in his grey shirt and pants and the twitchy Hitchhiker sporting his green tee and string bag. And let's not forget about Leatherface and his unforgettable man-skin mask, apron, and signature chainsaw. The decrepit Grandpa is in the game too and, just like in the film, he wants to drink fresh blood.
The smallest details scattered throughout each map adds to the eerie atmosphere of the game. Bone fragments hung ominously in strategic spots work as noise traps that alert Family members to any suspicious movement. Lampshades crafted from bones adorn the corners, with lanterns fashioned into haunting human faces. To top it all off, at the end of every round, Leatherface treats players to his iconic chainsaw dance that fans of the film will surely appreciate.
This remarkable homage truly immerses players into the world of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and adds an extra layer of authenticity I rarely see in licensed games (let alone multiplayer ones).
Deep Progression System Encourages ‘Building’ Characters
As you play the game, you will earn both EXP and Skill Points. You can then spend Skill Points to buy Perks and extra Attribute Points from the Skill Tree. The tree has branches that spread out according to what you picked earlier, leading to different archetypes and specific builds for characters.
For example, on the Family side, the character Sissy already has great stamina, ensuring that she will be able to outrun most victims. But if you also get the Rubber Legs perk, then her special ability (a poison gas cloud) will slow down any Victim that inhales it for 10 seconds, giving anyone playing Sissy time to catch up and dice them with her razor blade. This turns her from her original role as a sort-of support character in charge of getting blood for Grandpa to a chaser who will never let escape the Victims she’s barreling down on.
Or, if you’re using the Cook, you can turn him from a weak old man, only good at tracking down Victims with his hearing, to a heavy hitter who can now not only find his Victims, but kill them in a few attacks.
The great thing about all this is that you can respec your Skill Points freely, encouraging you to experiment and see what build works best for your playstyle.
Cons of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
| Things That The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Can Improve |
|---|
|
Game Becomes Imbalanced Once Players Disconnect Game Still Has Crashes and Bugs |
Game Becomes Imbalanced Once Players Disconnect
In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, matches are between 3 Family members and 4 Victims. The Victims will win as long as they manage to escape, while the Family has to kill them all before they do. This is manageable if you have 3 Family members on the team, but becomes tough if even one person from your team disconnects, and nearly impossible if two people from your team disconnect.
With around four exits to keep track of on the map, you’ll be hard-pressed to cover all of them with just one Family member, and will be forced to quit the match. Fortunately, you get to keep the EXP you earned so far from that specific game but, hopefully, the game devs will figure out a way to at least deter people from quitting matches mid-game.
Game Still Has Crashes and Bugs
For some strange reason, every time I quit the game, the Unreal Engine (the game’s engine) shows me an error report even though nothing really went wrong with the game itself. There was also one match where my character froze in place for a minute or two before I was suddenly disconnected. We can only hope that patches will eventually address these issues.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Overview & Premise
In the spring of 1973, a young college student named Maria Flores vanished without a trace around the quiet town of Newt. Her disappearance sent shockwaves throughout the community, leaving her younger sister, Ana Flores, and her group of friends desperate to unravel the mystery. Little did they know that their search for answers would lead them down a dark and twisted path. Instead of finding Maria, they stumble upon an unimaginable horror - a series of gruesome murders and disappearances that would forever be etched in infamy as the Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Who Should Play The Texas Chain Saw Massacre?
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is Recommended if You Enjoy:
• Dead by Daylight
• Friday the 13th
• Left 4 Dead 1 and 2
For fans of older asymmetrical horror games like Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a great game that brings its own unique twist to the "Escape the Psychotic Killer" formula by making teamwork essential to survival.
This is also the reason why fans of Left 4 Dead 1 and 2’s multiplayer may also like this game. Just like the "Infected vs. Survivors" dynamic of those games, each team will have to complement each other to achieve their respective goals. L4D multiplayer fans will feel at home, especially if you enjoyed playing as the Infected.
Is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Worth It?
A Fun and Suspenseful Romp for $40
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre gives good value for its $40 price tag. You have a complete multiplayer game that has all the features you need for an enjoyable experience. There are no battle passes or special in-game currency to be found so far, with in-game purchases only being necessary if you want certain cosmetic items, like a clean chainsaw for Leatherface.
The game is a solid and fun multiplayer game that is not designed to siphon money out of your bank account. So far, at least.
How The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Matches Up to Recently-Released Games
| Games That Came Out Recently | Why Get The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? | Why Get the Other Game? |
|---|---|---|
 Baldur’s Gate 3 |
TCSM is a great game to play if you want to be terrified (or to terrorize others) with friends. There’s a tactical and role-playing element to it that can make for an intense Friday night, especially if you’re all playing together as a party and competing against another team. | Baldur’s Gate 3 meanwhile offers a cooperative Dungeons and Dragons-like experience instead, full of fantasy and role-playing. If you don’t like TCSM’s competition aspect, then BG3 might be for you. |
 Atlas Fallen |
TCSM can accommodate a set of friends with its 3v4 matches, while still offering a somewhat deep progression system that’s reminiscent of RPGs. | Atlas Fallen, on the other hand, is good if you have just one pal with you who’s willing to jump into your game. Also, it doesn’t have a competitive aspect either, so you can focus on adventuring with your friend instead of winning. |
How The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Matches Up to Similar Games
| Games Similar to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | Why Get The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? | Why Get the Other Game? |
|---|---|---|
 Dead by Daylight |
TCSM does a lot of what Dead by Daylight does, but with the added teamwork aspect. If you want to play as a group of murderers instead of just one murderer, this is the game for you. | Dead by Daylight meanwhile has the benefit of being a relatively older game that’s had a bunch of content updates over the years, while TCSM is still in its infancy stages. |
 Left 4 Dead 1 & 2 |
TCSM has a very similar villain teamwork dynamic that the original Left 4 Dead had with the Infected in its multiplayer mode. But TCSM’s is much more refined because of the progression system that allows you to build your villains in a way L4D never did. | But Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 (especially 2) still have solid communities who play the games, as well as a glut of content mods that add a unique flavor to each match. |
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Trailer
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Product Information
 |
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| Title | THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 18, 2023 |
| Developer | Sumo Digital |
| Publisher | Gun Interactive |
| Supported Platforms | PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC |
| Genre | Co-Op Action Horror |
| Number of Players | Up to 7 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature 17+ |
| Official Website | Texas Chain Saw Massacre Website |
