I primarily associate IllFonic with their most recent title, Killer Klowns from Outer Space. That game, also based on a classic film, won me over with its grotesque aesthetic and candy-colored visuals. It wasn’t perfect, but I had a good time with it. Halloween: The Game feels different. There is none of that grotesque humor here; the game is darker, more atmospheric – and, unfortunately, technically shoddy.

John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween has achieved cult status. It tells the story of Michael Myers, who was sent to a psychiatric hospital as a child after murdering his sister. Years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, where he stalks and terrorises local teenagers.

Out of the shadow…

Halloween: The Game uses an asymmetrical multiplayer formula built around 1v4 matches: one player takes control of a powerful killer, while four victims remain considerably more vulnerable and have very limited means of defending themselves.

Interestingly, in addition to the standard multi, the game offers a short single-player mode. It tells Myers’ story from the perspective of Dr. Samuel J. Loomis. There is not much to it: just a handful of chapters with various objectives that function more as a tutorial and an introduction to the killer’s abilities than as a standalone single-player campaign. Still, this brief campaign does a good job of highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the game as a whole.

Stalking.

At launch, there are four maps, all set around the town of Haddonfield and its surrounding areas. The dark atmosphere of Halloween: The Game practically pours out of the screen. Everything is shrouded in darkness, the streets seem eerily quiet, and somewhere in the shadows a serial killer is stalking his prey. That oppressive atmosphere arguably ranks among the game’s greatest strengths.

Myers can stalk his victims, much like he does in the film. Once he catches someone, however, he does not hang them on hooks like in Dead by Daylight. Instead, he performs elaborate and brutally violent execution sequences, with the exact animation depending largely on where he attacks and what happens to be around him.

Just an average teenager.

At the same time, the survivors need to escape their tormentor, but that’s not all – their responsibilities have been expanded. In addition to searching for items that will help them escape, they must also warn other residents of Haddonfield about the danger. They can, for example, call the police, who will promptly arrive at the scene and stop the killer for a while – unless he has already taken care of electricity.

Indeed, turning Myers into a genuinely terrifying killer is something the developers have done very well. The survivors are considerably weaker and can feel utterly helpless at times. The sound design amplifies that feeling. The game features the iconic musical theme from the film, and the music grows louder when the killer is nearby. It can literally make you jump and send you into a panic.

Nice interior, cozy and comfortable.

At the same time, I feel skeptical about the way Myers moves around the map. He walks at a snail’s pace and cannot run, but he has an ability that temporarily transforms him into something resembling a ghost. In this form, he can glide rapidly across the map while remaining invisible to other players and even pass through certain walls.

I understand the devs’ intention: Myers can appear out of nowhere, making survivors feel entirely helpless. In practice, though, the mechanic feels rather clunky. While gliding around the map, Michael can run into various obstacles and get stuck on them, because he can pass through one wall but not another. It is neither enjoyable nor particularly satisfying.

The ghostly shape of the killer.

Moreover, in order to attack someone, the killer needs to deactivate this ghost-like form, and he can only do so in the darkness. This often means that he materialises some distance away from his intended victim. Then he has to walk over to them – and because he moves painfully slowly in his normal form, the survivor will usually manage to get away anyway.

I lost count of how many times I grumbled to myself as survivors slipped away simply because Myers felt so awkward and clumsy. Perhaps the developers deliberately designed him this way as a nod to the film, but I still can’t say I like it.

It’s Laurie, one of the survivors.

More broadly, I have plenty of complaints about Halloween: The Game’s technical state. It may look suitably dark and, in places, quite attractive – the interiors, for example, look pretty good – but the performance is shockingly poor. Even in single-player, the game constantly stutters. NPCs can randomly appear on top of car roofs before suddenly returning to where they are supposed to be.

During executions, Myers’ hands can clip straight through the victim’s body and disappear into the textures. The list of technical issues could go on and on. I also played Killer Klowns from Outer Space before its release, and while it certainly was not perfect, it didn’t feel quite this rough.

Indeed, he is coming…

At the same time, a few days before launch I also encountered serious problems connecting to multiplayer matches. Waiting to get into a session could take an absurdly long time, and when I finally did find a game, I could end up in a lobby where I was the only survivor facing the killer. Hilarious. Hopefully, the situation will improve after launch.

The biggest strength of Halloween: The Game is undoubtedly its atmosphere. The developers have done an excellent job of capturing the tense, oppressive mood of the original film. They have also succeeded in making survivors feel genuinely frightened and powerless, while giving the player controlling Myers a satisfying sense of being in control of the situation.

Unfortunately, the game currently suffers from a huge number of technical problems. Performance is far from smooth, and matchmaking proves struggling as well. Hopefully the devs will address these issues over the coming weeks. Then the game will deserve a better grade.

Halloween: The Game is available now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Reviewed on PC.

A copy of Halloween: The Game was provided by the publisher.