We’re all aware of how video games have evolved over the years, but not very many gamers discuss how our expectations surrounding them have changed as well. Since the early days of the medium, we’ve gone from embracing digital board-games where the manual itself was part of the game to accepting nothing less than cinematic experiences rivalling Hollywood productions.
I was reminded of this when playing Selecta Play’s recently released movie tie-in Terrifier: The ARTcade Game, as I was initially lukewarm on the title due to its overall simplicity. However, as time went on and I adjusted my mindset to better fit a retro arcade game, I slowly realized that this indie treat was nothing less than a highly entertaining delight for horror fans wishing to revisit the days of straightforward beat ‘em ups that anyone can just pick up and play.
Crafted by indie developer Relevo (who had previously worked on retro titles like Baboon! after becoming popular on itch.io), the first interactive entry in the Terrifier franchise is actually more of a gory action title in the vein of Splatterhouse and Mother Russia Bleeds instead of a pure horror experience.
In the game, you step into the comically oversized shoes of Art the Clown and his vicious troupe (which includes Victoria Heyes, The Little Pale Girl as well as an evil version of Chris Jericho’s orderly character) as they embark on a rampage after discovering that Art’s previous murder sprees are being co-opted by Hollywood. This results in a deliciously meta gameplay experience as you fight through trippy film sets and face down super-powered boom operators and cutthroat producers (all based on the Terrifier series’ actual crewmembers) – all the while keeping an eye out for more recognizable foes from the series’ history.
If you’ve ever played a beat ‘em up before, then you know what to expect from Terrifier: The Artcade Game. You walk right and you beat the crap out of everyone in your way, with the only real strategy involving the occasional dodge and finishing move. However, despite the game’s 80s and 90’s influences, I found myself thinking back to the golden age of Flash Games as I played through the title, with its edgy design and emphasis on style over substance harkening back to free-to-play novelties like Skull Kid and even the Xiao Xiao series rather than more complex beat ‘em ups like Scott Pilgrim vs The World or even Capcom’s Alien vs Predator.
After all, it really is the novelty that carries the experience to the finish line, as I frequently found myself switching through the four playable characters just to check out their unique animations and brutal finishing moves that reference the source material. Surprisingly enough, Victoria ended up being my brawler of choice due to her animalistic fighting style and over-the-top kill animations, though even she can’t compete with the unbridled joy of making of a pixelized Chris Jericho beat the crap out of security guards after inexplicably joining forces with the clown that murdered him.
Of course, this is all in good fun, and the game’s wicked sense of humor ended up becoming a highlight of the experience for me as I often insisted on fighting through another stage just so I could laugh at more meta gags and Looney-Tunes-inspired kills featuring Art and his ultraviolent “friends.”
Terrifier: The ARTcade Game is also incredibly stylish, boasting detailed sprites and memorable character designs that would have made Terrifer a coin-munching hit in real arcades back in the day. And while I noticed that combat animations could occasionally feel a little stiff, the sound design (and controller rumble) mostly made up for that lack of haptic oompf. Of course, it’s the kick-ass soundtrack that really ties the whole experience together, with composer Cody Carpenter using his musical wizardry to make the game even more thrilling while also remixing some familiar themes from the movies.
Unfortunately, both the aesthetic glee and the novelty factor wear off rather quickly due to the game’s repetitive nature and a disappointing lack of in-depth mechanics (there aren’t even any unlockable combos, damage upgrades or cosmetic items to be found here). And while the campaign is short enough that the experience is pretty much over by the time these things become a real nuisance -which is par for the course when it comes to retro Beat ‘Em Ups- the lack of replay value makes Terrifier’s price tag the most terrifying part of the game.
Of course, none of this really matters if you play the game as the developers intended: sitting next to a fellow fan of the Terrifier franchise willing to laugh along with you as you both rip and tear your way through Hollywood and revisit iconic moments from the movie series. The ARTcade Game may not reinvent the beat ‘em up wheel, but it more than lives up to its goal of providing players with a pixelized sandbox where you can turn off your brain for a couple of hours and explode heads with a comically oversized clown horn.
And if you ask me, that’s a perfect translation of the Terrifier experience.
Review code provided by the publisher. Terrifier: The ARTcade Game is available now on Steam, the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series.
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