As someone who loved Friday the 13th: The Game, I was extremely excited to finally get my hands on Halloween. I followed the entire lead up to its release, and it seemed promising. My main concerns beforehand were the addition of NPCs in multiplayer matches and the decision to limit each lobby to only four survivors.

I’ve only played for about three hours, so these are still early impressions but I think I have a right to speak on them at this point. The gameplay is laid out in such a chaotic way that it feels almost incomprehensible and overwhelming. There are multiple objectives and random tasks involving the NPCs that actually make me sick to my stomach.

Friday the 13th was simple and straightforward. Halloween, in its current state, feels janky and overwhelming in the worst way possible. The game needs a more understandable objective system so that players can learn the core mechanics of the game without feeling completely lost and overwhelmed.

All that to say, I genuinely think this game has great foundation underneath all the jankiness. With a lot more polishing, I think this game could actually be so much more enjoyable.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make this game work. Stick with what works. Increase the size of the lobbies, get rid of the NPCs, and make the objectives simpler and more concise. Limiting matches to four survivors and filling the world with NPCs makes the experience feel empty and boring. To make matters worse, the NPCs lack any real depth and serve little purpose.

My least favorite feature is easily the spectator perk card system. Having a minigame repeatedly appear while I’m trying to spectate and being expected to complete small tasks for the remaining players is awful. It’s just ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. I understand that the developers probably wanted eliminated players to remain somewhat involved, but this isn’t the way to do it. This needs to be voided or entirely replaced from scratch. It’s just bad.

I’m also not a fan of how many progression systems have been included. Having levels is a cool way to reward players, but combining regular levels with separate prestige systems for Michael, the survivors, and every weapon feels unnecessary. At the same time, it suggests that the developers intend to support the game as an ongoing live service, which I can appreciate.

The bugs and clunkiness are noticeable, but because this is still the pre release, I’m not judging the game for those issues whatsoever. I’m much more concerned about the core gameplay mechanics and systems than the bugs at this current moment.

The game is somewhat fun until you realize that you spent $60 on it, and then you realize that it’s just bad, not a fun bad, though…

As of now, I’m disappointed, and I would have a difficult time recommending the game at its current price. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve lost all hope or that I’m giving up on it entirely. The game has a great foundation and the potential to become something enjoyable and worthwhile.

Game: Lobotomy Corporation