It can’t be denied that Friday the 13th: The Game isn’t perfect. As of now, the main problems are: connection issues ranging from basic matchmaking to connection timeouts and peer hosting; bugs and glitches galore, which are slowly being fixed; and general replayability, considering there are only 3 maps and so many things to do to escape or stop an escape.
But one of the greatest things about Friday the 13th: The Game is the feeling that you are, literally, playing the film franchise. This is accomplished by how detailed the game is in reference to the Friday the 13th films. So, franchise nerd that I am, I broke down all of the film references in Friday the 13th: The Game.
First up: locations.
Camp Crystal Lake
Movie References: Friday the 13th (1980), Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (1986), Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), Freddy vs. Jason (2003), Friday the 13th (2009)
Camp Crystal Lake: where the serial-killing began. The camp was the featured location for the first film, Friday the 13th, even though it wasn’t Jason going the slaughtering. Jason had supposedly drowned at Camp Crystal Lake while the counselors that were supposed to be taking care of things were busy taking care of each other’s… things. There was an attempt to re-open the camp, but Pamela Voorhees put a stop to that by killing Kevin Bacon and company.
The film franchise returned to Camp Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives, but it was renamed Camp Forest Green to try and get past the toxic marketing involved in being a camp where everyone gets killed between arts and crafts time and softball. The camp also gets a cameo in: Friday the13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, as the boat that resurrects Jason happens to be taking a leisurely cruise down the decrepit camp’s shoreline; Freddy Vs. Jason, as the final battle happens on the construction site of the soon to be improved (until two horror icons beat the crap out of each other on the premises) Camp Crystal Lake; the Friday the 13th reboot, as the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake is where Jason hangs out at.
Packanack Lodge
Movie References: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Not every Friday the 13th movie is located at Camp Crystal Lake, just the Crystal Lake area itself. This became canon right away in Friday the 13th Part 2, as the location of the film is set just down the path of Camp Crystal Lake at Packanack Lodge. Packanack is a sort of counselor training camp, complete with a main house and cabins. Camp Crystal Lake is mentioned, and may even be where Jason Voorhees’ shack is located, but it is really only inferred.
Higgins Haven
Movie References: Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)
Higgins Haven is a vacation home that becomes the main location for Friday the 13th Part 3. What’s cool about it is that it has a barn and a decent-looking lodge. The downside is that it’s a private residence, not a resort or camp where there would be any other buildngs around, unless the game’s map was the town of Crystal Lake itself.
Jason’s Shack
Movie References: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Jason’s shack only makes a real appearance in Friday the 13th Part 2 (the reboot turns the whole camp into a dilapidated shack, so that doesn’t count.) Even though it is only one building, the setup in-game is perfectly laid out in terms of look, rooms, and, of course, Jason’s shrine to his mother.
The Graveyard
Movie References: Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning (1985), Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (1986)
Of course Tommy Jarvis is going to spawn at the graveyard whenever it is part of the map. He’s been there twice. We first saw the graveyard in Friday the 13th Part 5: a New Beginning, when Tommy Jarvis dreams of Jason rising from his grave. Later in the series, Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives, Tommy literally raises Jason from the dead, Frankenstein-style. Chad’s not a dick. Tommy’s a dick.
Archery Range
Movie References: Friday the 13th (1980)
The archery range is a simple location, but it should have an amazing environmental kill because, you know, archery range: bows and pointy arrows. It worked for a kill in the original Friday the 13th, but it would probably be tough to catch someone in such a wide open space. Maybe a distance environmental kill could be in order. Or maybe it’s there, but no one’s been able to accomplish it.
Yellow 2-Seater Car
Movie References: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
It may not be a location, but the yellow 2-seater car deserves its reference recognition. In Friday the 13th Part 2, our little yellow car did not have a pile of junk in the backseat, so any modest-sized person or two could have fit for a getaway. Unfortunately, unlike in the game, the yellow car was never used in the film for escape by even one person.