Summary
Michael Myers may have slashed his way through Hollywood butnow he’s stalking a different form of entertainment in a new officialHalloweenvideo game. Despite having a major impact on genre filmmaking and establishing a devoted fanbase,Halloweenhasn’t made a dent in the video game industry; in fact, the franchise has only received one interactive adaptation in the form of the self-titled 1983 game for the Atari 2600. That’s about to change as legendary filmmaker and series creator John Carpenter is working to bring Michael to consoles.
PerIGN, Boss Team Games, the developer behind the cult-classicEvil Dead: The Game, announced thatit’s secured the rights to create two games based onHalloween, both of which are being developed with the help of several producers of the movies. Carpenter, a legendary horror director and self-professed gamer, is contributing to at least one of the titles that is being built in Unreal Engine 5. While details on the projects are scarce, the descriptions note that Boss Team Games wants to allow players a chance to “relive moments from the film” and play as beloved, recognizable characters.
Halloween: Why Michael Myers Is Called The Shape
The first Halloween film referred to Michael Myers as “The Shape”, and there’s an interesting origin to the name that fits the character quite well.
Michael Myers' Video Game History
Not As Big A CV As One Might Expect
It’s worth noting that the description particularly mentions the singular “film,” suggesting thattheHalloweengames will take most of their inspiration from the 1979 classic rather than the entire series. That could just be an error, but it’s still interesting that Boss Team Games may be focusing on faithfullyrecreating the original installmentin the franchise rather than trying to squeeze in every sequel and reboot. NeitherHalloweengame has a release date but they’re likely still a ways off.
Despite Michael Myers' impact on horror, the twisted killer doesn’t have a prolific career in video games. Beyond the aforementioned title released on the Atari 2600,The Shape has largely served as a guest character in other properties, most notablyDead By Daylightwherehe’s one of the playable killers. The Shape has also appeared inCall of Duty: Ghosts,Terrordrome: Rise of the Boogeymen, and evenFortnite. Rumors have swirled for years that he’s been in the running to feature inMortal Kombatbut these have never come to fruition.
It’s difficult to say what kind of genreHalloweenwill tackle with its video game adaptation. Boss Team Games has a history of developing asymmetrical multiplayer horror experiences andgiven the genre’s popularity, this may be the direction it takes. Whether that’s true remains to be seen butone has to imagine a survival horror game in the vein ofAlien: Isolationwould also be great fun.
