To anyone familiar with my horror sensibilities, it is no secret that Michael Myers is the ultimate slasher icon. John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece, Halloween, remains my definitive cinematic nightmare. After pouring countless hours into IllFonic’s 2017 cult classic, Friday the 13th: The Game, I have spent nearly a decade yearning for this specific studio to bring their expertise to Haddonfield. The wait has been long, punctuated by other solid asymmetric titles, but the stars have finally aligned. With Halloween slated for a September release, I’ll have just enough time to master the Shape’s lethality before October arrives.
This upcoming project promises a significant evolution of IllFonic’s signature formula, pitting a lone Michael Myers against four Civilian players. However, the dynamics have shifted since the days of Camp Crystal Lake. In Halloween, the Civilians aren’t merely victims waiting to be slaughtered; they are tasked with summoning the authorities and safeguarding the local population. It’s a shift from “predator vs. prey” to a more confrontational struggle, where players channel their inner Laurie Strode to reclaim their neighborhood from the boogeyman.
“Halloween is a special project because it’s a pure slasher experience,” explains IllFonic Chief Creative Officer Jared Gerritzen. “We wanted to strip everything back to the core essentials: jump scares, visceral gore, and that suffocating tension of the unknown. We’re returning to the basics of what makes horror truly unsettling.”
Last month, the developers pulled back the curtain on the Haddonfield Heights map, a meticulously crafted recreation of the series’ iconic suburbs. While the prospect of civilian teamwork is intriguing, I am most eager to inhabit the mask and utilize the “Shape Jump” mechanic. This ability allows Michael to manifest seemingly out of thin air, though it isn’t a mindless exploit for easy kills.
“Michael’s knack for appearing at the most terrifying moments in the films wasn’t just a scare tactic; it was a brilliant way to disrupt the rhythm of a scene,” says Gerritzen. “We noticed how he’d manipulate the environment, like cutting the lights, and we started wondering how to translate that into a game mechanic. That’s how Shape Jump was born—a way to traverse the map undetected.”
To maintain balance, the ability is governed by specific rules. As long as Michael remains in the shadows and out of the direct line of sight of other players, he can vanish and reappear. This adds a psychological layer to the gameplay, forcing survivors to constantly scan the darkness, never knowing where the Shape might emerge next.
Honing Michael’s power may also involve a body count. Gerritzen noted that IllFonic has placed a heavy emphasis on AI-controlled bots in multiplayer. These NPCs serve as more than just window dressing; they allow Michael to “power up” and increase the stakes for human players, who must also contend with a dynamic fear system.
Perhaps most exciting is that this multiplayer experience is only half of the package. Halloween will also feature a dedicated single-player campaign, allowing fans to relive the events of the original film and its immediate aftermath from behind the mask. This marks IllFonic’s first major foray into solo storytelling, and I am ready to see if they can truly capture the essence of the night he came home.
