Kane Hodder, the actor best known for his role as Jason Voorhees in several Friday the 13th films, will play the killer in Gun Media’s Slasher Vol. 1: Summer Camp. The upcoming game casts you as either the sinister serial killer or a scrappy teenage camp counselor in an homage to classic, ’80s slasher films. The “Vol. 1” implies that this is the first in a series of slasher games.
Hodder joins a development team that includes horror special effects legend Tom Savini, who worked on the Friday the 13th films. Savini will work with Hodder to record his motion capture performance as the vicious murderer. Acclaimed Hollywood composer Harry Manfredini, who composed Friday the 13th‘s score, is also on board for the soundtrack.
“Everyone has their own skills. One of mine happens to be killing people on screen,” explained Hodder about his casting. “When … the team behind Summer Camp came to me, I jumped at the chance to bring my skills to gamers around the world. Combined with the fact that Savini is on board and Manfredini is doing the soundtrack? This is a no-brainer.”
Like the imminent shooter Evolve, Summer Camp focuses on multiplayer that pits as many as seven campers against one, relentless psychopath in a camp much like 13th‘s Crystal Lake, replete with a lake, forest, and cabins. The game is an aesthetic homage to that era of films as well, with visual artifacts reminiscent of those found in VHS tapes.
“This is my love letter to the Friday the 13th film series,” said lead designer Wes Keltner.
In broad strokes Summer Camp sounds very similar to another recently announced game, which explicitly adapts Friday the 13th into another intentionally unbalanced multiplayer experience. That one features the creative input of Sean S. Cunningham, who directed the original 1980 film. Both projects have strong ties to the original franchise, giving ’80s horror nerds plenty to get excited about.
Developer Gun Media, based in Lexington, KY, is a self-described “video game think tank and publisher all acting as one.” CEO and creative director Keltner intentionally keeps the permanent staff small so the studio can remain nimble, only bringing in consultants and freelancers as needed. The company’s previous project, Breach & Clear, was a mobile tactical shooter developed in partnership with Call of Duty alumnus Robert Bowling, who recently shuttered his independent studio, Robotoki.
