Highlights
- Ghostface is known for being a realistic slasher, able to be hurt and killed in each film entry, making the character a perfect fit for a role as a horror game antagonist.
- A potential Scream horror game could involve two hidden Ghostface players and six random survivors.
- Each map in the game could be based on famous film locations, with players having the ability to recreate iconic kills.
Since the late 2010’s, several iconic horror films and characters have been adapted into the world of video games within the asymmetrical multiplayer horror genre. This ranges from 2017’s Friday the 13th: The Game to the recently released Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game. Throughout these games, players embody the horrifying killers as they prowl maps inspired by classic film locations to track down and kill struggling survivors. Meanwhile, other players often have to work together to craft items, repair damaged communications outlets, or gather weapons to try to escape. However, there’s still one well-renowned horror series that hasn’t had an asymmetrical horror game of its own: the Scream franchise.
For nearly 28 years, audiences worldwide have been terrified by the endless suspense of the Scream movies and their iconic Ghostface killers. Beginning in 1996, Scream focuses primarily on the life of Syndney Prescott and her friends as their families’ histories cause enemies to don the Ghostface mask to gain revenge and killer fame. However, in each film, the identity of Ghostface remains a mystery, with any of the films’ cast of characters potentially being the new primarily knife-wielding killer. While the silhouette and mask of Ghostface appear in each of the six films, new characters always embody the killer in each subsequent film.
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The Potential of a Scream Horror Game
The History and Tropes of Ghostface
Ghostface is known for being a relatively realistic slasher, as compared to the nearly invincible Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th or the comedic, supernatural Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on ElmStreet. Ghostfaces can be hurt and have been killed in every film entry to date. That’s not to say they aren’t as dangerous as other slashers, however. Each Ghostface uses their hidden identity to manipulate their targets and use their surroundings and available weapons to torment their prey. From garage doors to under-the-counter shotguns, anything can be used by Ghostface to complete their goal.
How a Scream Horror Game Could Play
A potential Scream asymmetrical multiplayer game could play similarly to others in the genre but with a Scream twist. In most maps, two players could play as hidden Ghostfaces, while six others play as random characters from the films, such as Sam Carpenter or Dewey Riley. The two Ghostfaces could appear to be normal people at first but could change into Ghostface when they’re about to make a kill, similar to mechanics in Deceit or Among Us. Since Ghostfaces have been known to work as a team, the two may also be able to see each other’s perspective or at least hear what they’re doing over a radio to better coordinate.
The non-Ghostface players could work together to look for clues to try and determine which player is the killer or search maps for potential weapons or traps. Meanwhile, the Ghostfaces could intermittently speak to all players with Ghostface’s iconic Roger L. Jackson voice to taunt them while hiding their identities. In certain areas of the map, both the survivors or the Ghostfaces could initiate specific animations to kill a killer or a survivor. These could recreate iconic kills such as Stu Macher’s famous death by TV in Scream 1, similar to how Jason Voorhees players could recreate iconic kills in certain areas of Friday the 13th: The Game.
In 2023, rumors appeared of Supermassive Games developing a
Scream
video game similar to
Until Dawn
or
The Quarry
.
Map Options and Ghostface Appearances in Other Games
Each map in a potential Scream horror game could be based on some of the famous films’ locations. For example, one map could be the Macher house and another could be the Windsor College theater. To add variety to the gameplay, certain maps could change how many players could play as Ghostface in a match.
While no asymmetrical multiplayer Scream video game has ever been made yet, Ghostface has appeared in other games in the genre. In 2019, Ghostface joined other iconic film slashers in becoming a playable killer in Dead by Daylight. Unlike other film slashers in Dead by Daylight. However, this Ghostface is an original character not seen in the Scream movies, called Danny Johnson. A Scream-specific game could draw inspiration from this iteration of Ghostface, while expanding the killer’s tools to create gameplay more reminiscent of the films.