Another classic horror film is coming to the realm of asymmetrical multiplayer gaming, though it's definitely not one you'd expect. Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game will take the campy, goofy cult classic from The Chiodo Bros. (Stephen, Charles & Edward Chiodo) and turn it into a wild multiplayer experience through Teravision Games. The game was announced Gamescom Opening Night Live and features Randy Greenback, the executive director of another horror adaptation in Friday the 13th: The Game, at the helm.
The Gamescom announcement came with a trailer filled with 80s nostalgia and nods to the darkly comedic horror flick. Starting with a teenager jamming out in his bedroom while chaos unfolds outside, the footage captures the knowingly goofy vibe of the film. When he goes to the door to receive some pizza he ordered, it's already too late as he's greeted by Klowns who zap him into cotton candy. The actual gameplay footage shows plenty of locations from the town of Crescent Cove, from Big Top Burger to the Klowns' circus tent ship where they store the cotton candy cocooned humans for future consumption.
The 3v7 game pits a group of humans against a number of klowns from the film. From the trailer, it seems all the most notably klowns, namely Jumbo, Fatso, and Shorty, are playable in the game, each with their own powers and weaponry for harvesting humans. Meanwhile, the humans are tasked with finding some way to defend Crescent Cove and the rest of humanity, finding and crafting weapons that can take out the extraterrestrial harlequins. To keep each match fresh, the layout of the map is randomly generated each time, and it boasts a number of dynamic elements relying on both PVP and PVE, opening up plenty of ways for a match to end.
The Chiodo Bros. are also attached to the game as executive producers with John Massari, the film's original composer, coming back to provide his musical talents once again. Already, his work can be heard with the iconic theme from the film playing over the trailer. With news of a Killer Klowns from Outer Space game, the brothers released an official statement celebrating the occasion:
When we first heard that someone wanted to make a Killer Klowns From Outer Space game, we all had the same initial reaction: finally! But nothing could have prepared us for the experience that the Good Shepherd Entertainment and Teravision teams were creating. We are thrilled by the sheer passion these folks share for the world of Killer Klowns and the care they have invested in bringing it to life in surprising new ways. We know our fans will be excited to be able to step into the oversized shoes of the Klowns for the first time… Because we are.
Their iconic film grew on audiences over time, now standing as a fan-favorite among the campy horror films of its era thanks to its effects and creativity. Starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, and John Vernon, the film centers on an invasion of parasitic aliens who come to earth to harvest its inhabitants. Rather than opt for typical horror movie methods, the klowns act like pranksters who conceal people in cotton candy, shoot popcorn canons at them, and consume them with shadow puppets.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game releases on PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in early 2023, but you can sign up to participate in the beta at the game's official site. Check out the trailer below.