PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5 (REVIEWED), SWITCH, XBOX SERIES | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Given the insane success of Terrifier over the last few years, it was only a matter of time before Art the Clown was given a videogame of his very own. Terrifier: The ARTcade Game is a side-scrolling beat ’em up that takes hefty inspiration from the genre’s heavy-hitters like Splatterhouse and Streets of Rage, based around the idea that a movie about Art’s exploits is being made, but Art and his pals are out to stop the production by slaughtering everyone in sight.
There are four playable characters to choose from – Art the Clown, his diminutive sidekick the Little Pale Girl, demonically-possessed Terrifier 1 survivor Victoria and, because why not, Adam Burke, the psychiatric hospital orderly – but the gameplay is very much of the simple and straightforward variety that those of a certain age will remember from their days back in the arcades. Your only task is to work your way through each of the game’s eight stages, battering the oncoming enemies to a pulp using either your fists or any weapons you might find lying around. Each playable character is equipped with little more than two attack buttons that can be combined with a dash or jump, and one special move, with no room for nuances or intricacies. It’s incredibly easy to get to grips with, but feels like it becomes a bit repetitive sooner rather than later. Your chosen maniac does at least have their own unique attacks, including two executions, and it’s possible to swap between characters when you run out of lives, so if things start to feel a bit stale you can always try another character to change things up a bit.
While the game’s mechanics might be a tad shallow, The ARTcade Game makes up for this with a cracking soundtrack, over the top pixelated gore, and countless references to its source material that fans of the Terrifier movies (and, indeed, Art’s pre-Terrifier appearances) will enjoy. It takes a while for any of the enemies or bosses to overtly tie in with the films, although some of the bosses are based on members of the real-life Terrifier film crew, which is a nice touch. A handful of additional modes including Arcade, Wave and Boss Rush are available for those who haven’t quite had their fill by the end of the story, too. Terrifier: The ARTcade Game might not be troubling the top end of the “best beat ’em ups” list any time soon, but fans of the series should get a few hours worth of entertainment out of this.
