The Cult Classic Reimagined
I was shocked when Illfonic (Makers of the woefully underrated Friday The 13th Game) announced their next game was Killer Klowns From Outer Space, primarily due to the fact that this franchise truly is a relic of the past. But I’m sure glad they did. As in their previous games, Killer Klowns follows an asymmetrical format with a unique twist. Instead of the standard one enemy versus four survivors, Killer Klowns creates a real fresh experience with its format. Pitting seven terribly dressed and styled teenagers against three of the titular Klowns is an absolute blast. This decision really makes this game stand out amongst a plethora of horror titles. The games I have played over roughly my 20 hour playtime so far have been a mixture of chaos, laughter and nail biting moments.
With this being a licensed title, it’s important that the game itself honours and respects the original film and Illfonic have not disappointed. Everything looks like it has been plucked straight from the film itself – from the cotton candy ray guns, player outfits and right down to the Klown death animations; this game is a truly faithful homage to the film. You can really tell the developers themselves are true fans of the original with all the love and care that has been poured into the game. With this being a purely multiplayer title, there is no real story or narrative for the game to follow other than the simple premise that both the humans and the Killer Klowns have for themselves. For the human team, your goal is to escape the Klownpocalypse and survive the night, where as the Klowns’ ultimate goal is to capture and kill every last human in their invasion. It’s a simple narrative but one that works wonderfully in an asymmetrical game like this. More background to the film and additional narrative is found through collecting lore tapes that are scattered across the maps. These tapes provide backstory for the characters, weapons and locations that I found were really interesting and captivating for me to discover, plus these tapes give you a ton of xp – a welcome bonus. It’s important the gameplay loop matches the goofy and silly energy of film, and Killer Klowns From Outer Space does not disappoint!
Cotton Candy Chaos
The gameplay in Killer Klowns is best described as fast, frenetic fun. Each 15 minute game feels chaotic, silly, goofy and just a downright good time. Playing both the Klowns and the humans feels vastly different as these are essentially two different games. The goal for the humans is to escape and this is achieved through brilliant map design, with multiple escape routes making it thrilling and exciting. Fill up the boat or power up a portal; these are just some of the options available to you. For the Klowns, your goal is to track down the humans and eliminate them all, or trigger the Klownpocalypse to end the game prematurely and wipe out every remaining human left in the game. To do this, you have to power up stations with cotton candy cocoons. These cocoons not only help trigger the end of the game if all 20 are placed, but also spawn lackeys. These lackeys are small NPC’s but can attack and injure players which help the Klowns pinpoint where humans are on the map – a really cool and unique addition.
Movement and gunplay feel serviceable for the Klowns as they are deliberately slower than the humans but its the abilities and classes that help keep it fresh. Across both sides there are five playable classes ranging from tank type builds that focus on strength and melee or speed based builds to help you track down enemies or evade them. The class system is solid and enabled me to test out various builds to find my style. Playing as the Klowns became my preferred choice, although the game employs a randomised team selection per game which really makes every game unpredictable. Klown abilities also are impressive, ranging from teleporting across the map to luring an enemy into a stun. These abilities helped me greatly in stopping the enemy team and are vital to victory.
Playing as the humans garnered mixed results for me personally. Movement and controls are solid but nothing new to the genre, whilst gunplay can feel a bit clunky at times using the shotgun or the pistol. There are a variety of melee weapons for the player to use, making this element of combat my preferred option. I loved getting into a fight with a Klown using my baseball bat or my fire poker, and killing the Klowns using a sharp weapon felt especially satisfying, but only when in a fight with one of them. Playing as the human can be frustrating when getting ganged up on by Klowns, particularly when the Klowns just dodge and weave your attacks. Whilst these are frustrating parts, playing as the humans has some amazing elements that diversify the gameplay. What I adored is the introduction of the mini games when you have either escaped the map or died. These mini games range from shooting hoops, whack a Klown, bursting balloons to memorising sequences. Upon completing the mini games, you are rewarded with an in game item that either you can gift to a player who is still alive or save it for your loadout in-case the resurrection machine is activated. This addition is absolutely fantastic and helped keep my interest even when I had been killed. A fantastic creation by Illfonic.
Straight From The 80’s!
Graphically speaking, this game is never going to blow you away with its visuals but they are good enough to not to ruin the experience. In my time playing, I had a few minor technical issues ranging from crashes to some minor texture pop ins but nothing that really affected my view too much. Each of the five locations look different and very large in scale due to the amount of players in the game. My personal favourite is the amusement park which has wonderful lighting and scale to it, with the rides at the park illuminating the map itself. The locations themselves are populated with vibrant pink cotton candy blocking areas of the map which look fantastic and true to the original. Character models themselves are fantastic, with the Klowns looking superb. The level of customisation available is also a strong point and allows you to create your Klown or human in true 80’s fashion. A solid effort in presentation and design by the development team! The only minor issue I have with the locations themselves is that they are so big that you can easily get lost and separated from your team. Whilst the Klowns do have an in game map to access, the humans don’t, which is an understandable choice as it’s meant to heighten tension and fear but can occasionally boil over to frustration.
The music and sound design in the game are other high points. Chase music ramps up as Klowns get closer to humans, creating real cinematic moments whether you’re being chased or chasing your prey. The soundtrack itself is composed by the man behind the original films soundtrack, John Massari. The main theme is a wonderful homage to the original ‘Klown March’ track from way back in 1987 and feels right at home. Again, it shows the true love and passion the developers at Illfonic had for this game. In terms of sound design, its crucial in a multiplayer game like this that the design is top notch and I’m thrilled to say it well and truly is. Footsteps are crisp and clear, with the Klowns’ shoes squeaking everywhere they go which is both hilarious and terrifying. The ray guns sound excellent, whilst in game voice chat is some of the best I’ve seen in terms of its ingenuity. Proximity chat is deployed but it’s the little things such as when you are cocooned, your voice sounds realistically muffled to other players. They are small details but ones that I greatly appreciate.
Verdict
For fans of the original film, this game is a true love letter to the original through wonderful sound and character design. Brilliant and innovative additions to the asymmetrical multiplayer genre and strong and unique map design help make this game stand alone in a plethora of available titles. Whilst the game can be frustrating at times due to balancing issues, its overall package is strong enough to overcome this. A relic of the past with a fresh twist. Send in the Klowns!
