Terrifier: The ARTcade Game – A Bloody Night In Hollywood With Art and the Gang
Terrifier: The ARTcade Game was announced, and you could almost hear the collective groan from horror fans. Another cheap, cash grab on a cult horror favorite again? But hold on to your tiny top hats, because this one might just surprise you.
Terrifier Slashing or Button Mashing?
The premise is delightfully meta and exactly what you’d hope for from the Terrifier universe. Art the Clown finds out that Hollywood is cashing in on his gruesome murder sprees, and he is not having it. So, what does a self-respecting, homicidal mime do? He gathers his crew of misfits—the unhinged Victoria Heyes and Chris Jericho’s orderly character—and goes on a rampage through film sets. It’s a brilliant excuse, and the self-awareness is thick enough to cut with a hacksaw.
Terrifier: The ARTcade Game is crafted as a classic side-scrolling beat ’em up. You walk to the right, you punch, you kick, and you occasionally dodge. It’s simple, but almost too simple. Don’t go in expecting the complex combo systems of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World or the deep mechanics of a modern brawler.
The real fun comes from the sheer novelty of it all. You can switch between four playable characters, and you’ll want to try them all just to see their own gruesome, movie-inspired finishing moves. The woman, Victoria, has a feral, animalistic fighting style that is so ridiculously over-the-top. But watching Chris Jericho team up with Art, his own murderer, to pummel security guards is strangely enjoyable and almost…perfect. It’s a weird, surreal turn of events.
More Than Just Gore: The Style of Terrifier
Despite the chances of this being a low-effort mess, Terrifier: The ARTcade Game has a surprising amount of style. The pixel art is detailed, and the character sprites look fantastic. Sure, the combat animations can feel a bit stiff at times, but the crunchy sound design and controller rumble help sell the impact of every blow.
There is also the drop-dead toe-tapping soundtrack by the legendary Cody Carpenter. The man is a wizard with the music, elevating familiar themes from the films with high-energy tracks that make you want to keep cracking skulls. And with all the elaborate and severely laborious killing Art does, you are gonna need some sick beats to keep the party going.
Big Gory in a Short Run Time, But Worth the Big Price?
Now, let’s crack the nutshell open: the game is repetitive; the mechanics are shallow; and there are no upgrades or combo movies to discover. The campaign is mercifully short, so the repetition doesn’t become a deal-breaker, but it does hurt the replay value. Honestly, the price of $19.99 USD (Steam pricing) might be the scariest thing.
But, hey. Guess what? This game isn’t supposed to be a profound, life-changing experience. It’s meant to be played with a friend, sitting on a couch, laughing your head off as you tear Hollywood a few new ones. It’s a pixelated sandbox for you to turn your brain off and indulge in some mindless, gory fun. In that respect, it’s a perfect translation of the “Terrifier” franchise’s style.
Final Thoughts: Art Takes Hollywood!?! I Could Go for a Stroll
Terrifier: The ARTcade Game is a straightforward arcade-style murder spree that doesn’t sprinkle anything profound or evolutionary. It’s simple, short, and looks like a heck of a bloody good time! While the reviews are mixed on it being worth the price, the gameplay is mindless fun that we can enjoy every once in a while. You don’t need to worry about upgrading your knivies or repairing your chainsaws. Just have a night on the town with one of the most sinister manics of all time and be done before dinner.
