Friday the 13th: The Game - Single player added (and delays)

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I've been re-watching all of the Friday the 13th films (and sharing trivia while I do so). Halloween may  be close, but my main influence for doing so was all of the recent news on Friday the 13th: The Game. Just in case you've been hiding under a bed inside a cabin and missed it, here it is.

Friday the 13th: The Game has been delayed. Now, before you start throwing a tantrum - which I'd completely understand - there's a few reasons why it's actually a good thing.

Firstly, and most importantly, Gun Media and IllFonic are working on a Single Player mode. See? Told you it was good. This mode was originally only going to be possible if the crowdfunding stretch goal was reached, but the team have managed to find a way to add the feature within the budget they have (which, to be fair, is sizeable). Little is known on the details of this mode, but we do know that it means the game's release date has been pushed from Fall 2016 to Spring 2017. 

Personally, I'm more than happy to wait if it means I'm getting more content for the same price (since I was one of the backers), and the PC beta is planned for Fall 2016 so we'll still get to don the iconic hockey mask this year. That is, if you've backed or pre-ordered the game before then. 

As an added bonus, those that receive beta access will also receive four extra beta keys for their friends. Since I have no friends outside of Twitter actually interested in horror, that means you guys. I'll probably hold a giveaway when the codes are sent. Keep your eyes peeled.

The team also announced a new playable character — one that has had a big impact on the franchise; Tommy Jarvis. They haven't yet clarified which Tommy Jarvis this will be, as he first appears as a child, and is later played by two different actors, but we do know that "he'll return ready for battle." In addition, Packanack Lodge, the setting of Friday the 13th: Part 2 has been revealed as the third playable map in multiplayer. The other two maps are Camp Crystal Lake itself and Higgins Haven (Part 3).

As a result of the delay, the team shared the new timings for beta, multiplayer and single player release. "The release schedule is roughly as follows: 

• Fall 2016: Beta Release
• Spring 2017: Multiplayer Release with Tommy Jarvis and Packanack Lodge as the third playable map 
• Summer 2017: Single Player Release and Offline AI Bots

I'm hoping that the beta itself will last for the rest of the year once released, giving the team lots of quality testing/feedback, and giving the rest of us a distraction until the full multiplayer release in Spring of 2017. Only time will tell.

Speaking of time, Wes Keltner, the studio head and co-creator of Gun Media, issued a statement about the positives that the delay will bring:

"The first thing people are going to read here is 'delay'. We want everyone to be assured that coming to our decision to delay was no easy matter, but we believe that the positives far outweigh the negatives. We've been reading day in and day out on our social media feeds that single player and Tommy Jarvis were in such a demand that we couldn't ignore our fans. After securing funding, we're here to tell you that it is a reality and we're making this game even bigger. It sucks that there's a delay, but the wait won't be too long and it's going to offer more for fans in the long-run!"

Other than the release date itself, the single player mode also affects the price of Friday the 13th: The Game (for those that didn't back or pre-order the game before the announcement). The digital version is being bumped up from $30 to $40 (approx. £30), while the physical copy is staying at $60 (approx. £50). 

Alongside this, the team stated that:

"We believe that digital prices should include a savings for those that purchase them, and those that want to hold a physical copy in their hands can pay more for it, since it costs more to produce, manufacture and distribute. It's logical and we at Gun Media scratch our heads when we see digital pricing for games that matches the physical pricing." Well said.

Excited? Upset? Saw the delay coming? Either way, let's make sure you're on the hype train for Friday the 13th: The Game by watching some of the more recent footage; multiple kills, a close-up teaser of Jason at Higgins Haven and even pre-alpha gameplay:

Kills montage:



Jason in Higgins Haven:



Pre-alpha gameplay footage:



As an added bonus, here's CharminEXSoft discussing the gameplay footage after an interview with Keltner, which offered up more information about Jason's abilities: