PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

Halloween: The Game takes full advantage of the best features of the top titles in the asymmetric multiplayer horror genre, but manages to create its own identity, something that other similar games have failed to achieve. The option for a single-player gameplay in a short but very rewarding campaign is a great advantage. The overall package isn't perfect in what it sets out to do because it suffers in some general aspects, including chaotic AI, technical instability, and graphical limitations.

Halloween needs some massaging. There are bugs galore, its Civilian onboarding isn’t great, and leveling up to unlock new color tints on sunglasses, or a new shirt or hat, isn’t the best motivation. But when I’m actually in a match, all of that fades away. The bugs aren’t game-breaking and blend in with IllFonic’s feature-not-a-bug jank, like one where another player and I hilariously moonwalked when we ran instead of sprinted. Learning what to do as a Civilian doesn’t take too much time, even without any helpful context built in-game, and cosmetics don’t affect how I play. What matters in Halloween is the scares I’m delivering and receiving, and the joy I’m feeling through it all. Death has arrived in IllFonic’s latest, and while the fear is abundant, so too is the fun waiting in the sleepy little town of Haddonfield.

The asynchronous multiplayer is crazy, with vicious murder and stalking on the Michael Myers side, and careful strategizing, influence and steep uphill climb from the neighbours side. What easily could’ve been unexciting and banal, the PVE along with the abilities and teamwork make Halloween: The Game a treat, but be sure to excuse its clunkiness to get the most out of it.

Halloween: The Game truly understands the fantasy it aims to deliver, whether you're controlling Michael Myers or desperately trying to survive him. The campaign is short, yet serves as an effective introduction that recreates iconic moments from the 1978 classic, while the multiplayer sets itself apart through NPCs that push the experience beyond the traditional 4v1 formula. Even while stumbling with progression bugs and shallow structural variety, the end result is a violent, entertaining slasher that delivers a solid homage to the original film.

Halloween: The Game is a title aimed primarily at fans of the films and games like "Dead by Daylight." Michael Myers is a horror movie icon, and this newly released title gives him the chance to leave a lasting impression in the gaming world as well—provided the developers continue to roll out new content, dye characters, and maps to ensure the gameplay doesn't become stale after a month or two. It may not be perfect, but it is nonetheless an entertaining multiplayer horror slasher.

Halloween: The Game resurrects the asymmetrical horror gameplay of Friday the 13th, while carving out its own franchise identity. A campaign mode offers a short, sweet Halloween treat. But the multiplayer is a bit of a mixed bag. Still, its bold stab at prioritizing NPC rescue over player survival mostly slices through the competition.

Halloween: The Game has its issues, from poor onboarding when playing as a survivor to simply feeling rough around the edges. But on the plus side, it perfectly captures the essence of the film it's based on and puts a new spin on the traditional asymmetrical multiplayer horror format, making it fun to play whether you win or lose.

Halloween: The Game does a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the classic 1978 movie. Multiplayer can be a lot of fun once you actually figure out how to play. Unfortunately, the game is also rough around the edges with bugs and glitches that hamper the experience. Halloween: The Game isn't as classic as the original film but I would say it's a very respectable Halloween H20. It has its problems but is still very fun.

Halloween: The Game has a solid and entertaining foundation for those who enjoy the slasher genre. Its biggest hook lies in letting us experience both sides of the massacre, though playing as Michael Myers proves far more satisfying. It has a few minor flaws, and it remains to be seen whether post-launch content will keep the game afloat.

It tries too hard to make Michael Myers the monster compelling, when it’s the man himself who should be terrifying. Repetitive gameplay only makes matters worse, and grisly executions can’t sustain the thrill for long.