Horror franchises are nothing new in gaming. There was a Halloween video game adaptation for Atari 2600 in 1983. Then, in 1989, Friday the 13th debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System. That same year, Nintendo also released A Nightmare on Elm Street for the NES. All three are classic horror franchises.
But the Friday the 13th series continues to stand out in horror gamers' minds, likely a result of the debacle that affected the franchise's 2017 video game release. Marred by lawsuits and other issues, the game fell short of being the game it could have been. Still, the franchise deserves its due in video game form, and perhaps that should be a single-player experience.
The most recent Friday the 13th title, Friday the 13th: The Game, was released in 2017 to a mostly lukewarm reception. Despite this and its initial online issues, the game was a massive commercial success. Players praise its authentic gameplay. The ability to control series lead Jason Vorhees is a fan's dream come true. The experience of playing as a camp counselor is also genuinely frightening.
Unfortunately, the fun ended when the game's developer, Gun Media, became embroiled in a legal battle with the screenwriter of the original movie. This prevented the developer from creating any further content, save for a Nintendo Switch port of the game. As such, the game hit a roadblock and left fans wondering what was next for the franchise.
Hopefully, it still involves gaming. There are a number of reasons why the Friday the 13th series may be ripe for a single-player experience. Specifically, game studio Supermassive Games has developed two titles in recent years that could lay the groundwork for such a game. The first is 2015's Until Dawn. The game involves Friday the 13th-style survival in which several characters must survive a cold and particularly scary night until their rescue. Furthermore, the studio's recent release, The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, is another example of horror narrative done (largely) right. Its choice system is similar to that of Until Dawn and is something that a potential single-player Friday the 13th game could draw from.
What makes this even more of an opportune time to develop and release a single-player Friday the 13th installment is the advent of streaming integration. By allowing players to stream such an experience, viewers would get to watch and potentially take part in the game's playthrough. Streamers, of course, would find themselves with the experience as such.
Above all, aside from the game's most recent release, the series has been largely dormant in the film industry. It's been a full decade since the last Friday the 13th movie. There doesn't appear to be a new movie on the horizon any time soon, despite rumors and whispers. A well-made game would boost the brand's popularity. It could also inspire the movie industry to consider developing a new movie, which would be a pleasure to longtime fans.
Friday the 13th has been the subject of quite a bit of misfortune in recent years. Between a long absence in the film industry and unfortunate occurrences regarding the 2017 title, it has been a bumpy road for Voorhees and the franchise. A single-player experience inspired by some of the most innovative horror games in recent times, paired with advents like streaming integration, could revive a dying franchise.... just like Voorhees continues to rise time and time again.