The new The Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game invites you to choose between the two factions present in Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror classic. One of the teams is composed of the cool hippie teens we see trying to survive in the film. The other is Leatherface’s family, a hungry bunch hellbent on eating the hippies. Who are the good guys? There may be no way to tell, but I’ll be giving the hippies the benefit of the doubt and sharing a few important survival tips for anyone trying to avoid a grisly death.
First room basics
As the game starts, you’ll see Leatherface murdering a poor character that no one liked enough to choose for the round. I recommend you ignore that cutscene because not only should you not indulge in watching such a thing, it’s not really a cutscene — it’s gameplay. Your time is already running out when that takes place.
Use that time to free your character while Leatherface is busy. As soon as you free yourself, immediately lock the wooden door near you. That will slow down the bad guys much like any good Dead By Daylight obstacle would. Try to avoid having to resort to that door again, as that might lead to some deaths caused by “door doesn’t open from this side”-itis.
Once you’ve dealt with the door you should look for shortcuts in that room. The number of shortcuts will depend on the map, but there might be up to two of them. These are very useful as you can use them much like the imposters from Among Us would use that game’s vents. Just be warned that a few of the family members can also use them, and you should still maintain an advantage over the enemy team.
Stealth tips
You must choose wisely between doing things quickly or quietly. Doing things quietly will not bring the enemy’s attention toward you, but your actions will take longer. The noisier approach might prove riskier, but, depending on how far the enemy is, could make for a quicker escape. You’ll need to instinctively find the best option on a case-by-case basis.
Also, be mindful of “low-budget surveillance equipment”. I’m talking about hanging bones that will make noise and, worst of all, chickens. Yeah. They’re everywhere, they’re hard to spot, and they’re always near important objects. Don’t underestimate chickens, the natural world’s security camera.
Use mind games to stay ahead of your enemy
Leatherface and his family are a nightmare, but the people of today are far less helpless than the troupe we see in the original — we have thousands of hours of experience in Dead by Daylight, Friday the 13th, and even Fortnite. There’s no way we’ll make it easy for cannibals who aren’t smart enough to first use the charm of a Hollywood leading man to lower our defenses.
You need to open doors to get away, but open doors also help the bad guys to predict your location. Plan out your route and consider closing some of the doors you’ve opened. That will surely confuse a lot of your enemies.
Know your characters
As you’d expect in a class-based team game, each of the victims has at least one specific skill. Some will raise your team’s navigation, spatial awareness, and some will help you deal with obstacles. All special abilities have different cooldown times, so be aware of that.
All characters also have different attributes. Yes, even though it looks like a simple game of human cat and mouse, you should also pay attention to the game’s skill trees. You can use them to either make your character more of an all-rounder or even more of a glass canon.
Know your items
There are three types of items in Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Those that will heal you, those that will inconvenience the enemies, and those that will help you to unlock new areas. They can all be of use in specific circumstances, but the Unlock Tools that you find on blue toolboxes conveniently scattered all over the map are always important. Prioritize those above all others.
