IllFonic Pulls Back the Curtain on "HALLOWEEN: THE GAME" With New Developer Diary [VIDEO]

Written By: Luis Vox

Developer IllFonic just dropped a new developer diary diving deeper into their upcoming "Halloween: The Game." The video showcases a trailer for the single-player experience, in which we play as "The Shape" himself, escaping Smith's Grove Sanitarium. It starts with Myers killing an orderly and seemingly starting the riot that allowed his escape at the beginning of the 1978 film. Another scene shows Myers in the Haddonfield hardware store, where he stole his iconic mask while picking up a knife. This most definitely piques our interest, as the game is filling in the gaps as to what Michael was up to before he brought death and darkness to the fair town of Haddonfield.

The video also showcases the maps that will be featured in the game, with both new and familiar locations like Smith's Grove Estates, Haddonfield Heights, and Haddonfield Town Center. The game expands upon these familiar areas by adding depth and previously unseen locations, such as a bar near the hardware store and just about everything surrounding Smith's Grove Sanitarium. The environments look lived in and are highly detailed.

Lastly, IllFonic broke down the game's asymmetrical 1v4 multiplayer gameplay. As The Shape, you can stalk, terrorize, and ultimately butcher the residents of Haddonfield, using the environments and locations as your own personal playground for bloodshed and death. The video introduces a feature called Killer Sense, a first-person view mode that lets you see through the devil's eyes himself, placing the player directly behind the mask. This feature allows Michael to build his Stalk level, giving him even more options to brutalize his victims. We see him pin someone down on a weight bench, which we assume won't end well, before crushing another hapless resident repeatedly with a refrigerator door.

WATCH THE LATEST DEV DIARY BELOW

Michael will also have special targets that provide additional rewards if they're killed within a time limit. IllFonic also explained the new traversal feature called Shape Jump, which allows him to stay in the shadows, stalk more efficiently, and move much quicker through the map. This ability does come with a tradeoff, as the player must remain out of sight of any potential victims or stay concealed by darkness. While using Shape Jump, Michael can also perform a Shape Dash, allowing him to close the gap on his prey in an instant or suddenly appear in front of them for jump scare-style kills.

Staying in the light is going to be a very important objective for the residents of Haddonfield as they attempt to survive the night He Came Home. But the Boogeyman is cunning enough to shut off lights, cut power breakers, or even cause temporary blackouts, making sure his victims don't see him coming until it's far too late.

As the body count rises and bodies are discovered, local authorities will begin filling the map, giving the residents one final opportunity to fight the evil plaguing their town by picking up arms. They can band together in an attempt to destroy The Shape once and for all. But even if they manage to gain the upper hand, they'll soon find out what we've all known for years.

You can't kill the Boogeyman.

As would-be survivors, you're tasked with trying to survive the night while saving others from a cruel and bloody fate. You'll need to find NPC residents, convince them of Michael's intentions, and escort them to randomly located escape points throughout the map. Each player-controlled civilian features unique traits, stats, and personalities. There will also be different gameplay systems and mechanics to help diversify the experience, ensuring no two matches play exactly alike.

Weapons, telephones, hiding spots, and other clues will all help you survive the night. Successfully convincing NPCs of the impending doom can grant access to calling the authorities, recruiting NPCs to help fight off Myers, or even securing hiding places. Once enough civilians have reached safety, you can make your own attempt to escape. But doing so will alert Michael to your exact location.

If you meet your end at the hands of The Shape, your mission isn't over just yet. You'll have the opportunity to respawn as a sheriff or even as Dr. Loomis himself in one final attempt to put an end to Michael's reign of terror.

As mentioned earlier, Michael cannot die. But with enough manpower, resources, and determination, it is possible to stop him, have him detained, and send him back to Smith's Grove. Pulling that off, however, will take everything the residents of Haddonfield have... and possibly even more.

IllFonic also announced that Halloween: The Game will receive two physical editions. The standard edition comes packed with DLC skins and a poster, while the Collector's Edition includes even more extras. Along with additional DLC skins, the Collector's Edition features an exclusive Shape Jump Variant action figure from Trick or Treat Studios. The figure stands eight inches tall and recreates Michael's appearance while using the Shape Jump ability.

Halloween: The Game releases Sept. 8 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.