Friday the 13th: The Game

When you're playing as Jason, this is unquestionably the best Friday the 13th game ever made. I really appreciate the genuine love for the franchise on display here. Hunting down players and executing them in spectacularly gory scenes is an homage that warms my lifelong Friday-fan heart. But the fun of its asymmetrical multiplayer-only action is heavily skewed toward Jason, which means you'll mostly be stuck playing as teens rummaging through drawers. Despite that lopsided gameplay and some pretty heinous glitches, there is some dumb fun to be had here – which is all the movies ever really offered, anyway.

A week after launch, Friday the 13th remains the buggy and sometimes-broken game it was on the day of its release.

A thrilling and creative multiplayer horror, Friday the 13th's compelling emergent play is hindered by a half-baked launch.

It needs more maps, but right now Friday the 13th is a gory game of hide-and-go-seek that's fun with funny people.

Encounters between Jason and counselors should be the high point, but they're often just dull and repetitive

The cat-and-mouse gameplay is exciting and captures classic horror-movie moments – when the game actually works, which isn't often enough

There aren't many games that can offer a camaraderie aspect to the survival horror genre, and Friday the 13th delivers in that regard. It could certainly use a lot more fine tuning and adjustments, but for now, it delivers on a solidly campy experience.

Players can absolutely see the incredible potential of Friday the 13th: The Game. When the game works without issue, it provides a fantastic, tense experience unlike other asymmetrical horror games on the market.

It’s a rare thing when a licensed game can give me a greater appreciation for its source material, but Friday the 13th: The Game is a rare exception. After gaming sessions, I would often find myself switching over to the Hulu app to reacquaint myself with the films. It’s a testament to the love and passion developers Illfonic and Black Tower Studios have for the brand.

It certainly earns its mature rating, with a level of gore and violence that would make most people sick to their stomach, but for fans of the horror genre, this is their bread and butter. The experience of being Jason Vorhees is captured perfectly, and all of the feelings of panic and dread are still felt even after hours of playing. If you enjoy being scared out of your pants on a consistent basis, be prepared to scream.