It’s been quite some time since the last State of the Saw. In that time there has been a new victim added to the roster, some balance changes, cosmetics, a new map, and I graduated college, which explains a portion as to why my new analysis is a bit late on this latest update to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
She Sure Talks a Lot, Doesn’t She?
Gun Interactive is always striving for greatness and, in their latest victim character, boldly outdid themselves in character design, functionally and visually. Meet Virginia! A nurse looking for her missing son, Jesse, she ended up in the clutches of the vicious Slaughter family. If you are a die-hard horror fan like me, you might even recognize her by voice or face because she is voiced by horror actress Barbara Crampton. Barbara has starred in horror films such as: Re-Animator, You’re Next, The Lords of Salem, and even appeared in video games with Back 4 Blood.
Virginia also boasts some new abilities for players to try and escape the clutches of everyone’s favorite cannibals, and she is quite possibly my favorite victim to date. Virginia can use Sissy and Nancy’s flower stations to utilize her ability, “Boon.” This allows her to poison blood or throw a concoction on the ground that will leave family players blinded, giving Virginia the opportunity to get crafty when caught out in the open.
With her new ability come some awesome new perks that allow her to fill all kinds of niche roles in your squad, or even if you are just playing by yourself. With every new character, I thoroughly enjoy how Gun is branching out creatively and making new playstyles that could have potential in the future.
Not to be Confused with the Location in that Horrid 2013 Film
The second bit of new content to discuss is the new map, “The Mill.” Just like with “Nancy’s House,” the developers need to be praised for the level of detail present in their level design. With a bigger focus on layered vertical spaces, The Mill presents one of the most balanced maps currently in rotation. With rigid junk, barrels, and thick overgrowth, Victims have plenty of spaces to hide, and family members have reasonable space to hunt their prey.
Both of these pieces of content are incredible additions to this lovely asymmetrical game. And, although it was plagued with a rocky release, it is safe to say that Texas Chainsaw Massacre the Game is currently in the best state it has been.
Us vs Them
There is always this discussion of “Us vs Them” present on socials and communities around the game, but I have found the game to be as immersive and fun as ever. Virginia adds a welcome piece to high-level play, and, with the tuning of some perks and mechanics like grappling, I feel that player interaction is at an all-time high, which is what you want in a game like this. Dying in the first few minutes of a match is never fun, and neither is beginning to patrol a map and hearing the basement exit open. By encouraging more player encounters and keeping mechanics like stealth relevant, it is adding to the immersion to matches. I can project this will only get better.
Now to talk about the elephant in the room which has plagued TCSM since it was released: Lobbies. Players will often disconnect from lobbies, and the reason behind this can be any number of things. Yet, this has skewed matchmaking, making it a very difficult experience at the time of writing this review. The great news is that, as of May 14th, there is going to be a disconnect penalty applied to lobby dodging in hopes that Gun can better assess how they can improve the lobby experience for players. This does come with some worry in my analysis, because it only applies if you leave the lobby. If you play any multiplayer game, we have all seen it, but many players will use any opportunity to mess with other players’ experience. And I think the lobby issue will just be harder to decipher once players realize they just need to load into the match before quitting to menu and research for match.
With all of this in mind, there is one more factor the community is always talking about, and that’s Johnny. Since the buff to the perk, Scout, and even before then, many players have been complaining Johnny feels a bit over-powered. I would like to disagree, but I do find some merit to the criticism, and I think he may need some tuning. Playing against Johnny can feel oppressive, even at high-level play. Though these moments can be attributed to bad decisions in game, I personally feel his speed and damage can eliminate player-to-player interactions, which can be responsible for some feelings of helplessness. I do trust we can continue to see a balance change in due time, and I look forward to seeing how the game grows with the next content drop.
Gun Interactive has also recently announced partnership with Art Bully Productions to push more cosmetic content, and we are just starting to see that relationship blossom into new additions to characters with the recent skin of “Sissy” Ana outfit pack and the Mother’s Day outfit collection for Jason and Nancy. Seeing new content is never a bad thing, and I look forward to seeing just what Gun Interactive is cooking.
