After months of awesome update to the “Friday the 13th: The Game Virtual Cabin“, Gun Media has released the beta for the real game. We captured a full match of gameplay featuring Jason from “Friday the 13th: Part 3” slashing away at teens.

Early impressions are really good. The core gameplay loop is solid, and even though Jason is extremely powerful, I was knocked over and avoided a few times. Having 7 teens go up against him also makes sure the match isn’t going to end in ten seconds.

After using the controversial teleportation-esque ability, I think that even though it’s a tiny bit too powerful, the way it’s kept in check by not allowing you to stop flying around once you start is good. Also, it’s very tough to control and Jason’s turn radius is very wide, so it’s easy to get stuck behind a tree or a wall.

One issue I noticed is that the tactic that the survivors in “Dead By Daylight” love to use, jumping through a window and making the killer chase them around in circles is making its way into the “Friday the 13th: The Game” beta. Jason’s abilities help him counter better than the killers in “Dead By Daylight”, but it kind of breaks the illusion a bit and gets tiring quickly.

Playing as the survivors is fun, and while it’s definitely reminiscent of “Dead by Daylight”, the skill check mini games for doing things like fixing the car in Higgin’s Haven are more interactive and actually make sense.

Speaking of Higgin’s Haven, the map design is one of “Friday the 13th: The Game’s” strongest aspects. It feels like a summer camp. Twigs and leaves crunch under your feet as you walk around, there’s a light fog rolling over the lake and the light shafts of moonlight are the perfect extra little touch. Graphically, the game looks good, but not great. The objects and density are awesome, but the textures look a little muddy in both the characters and the environment.

Gun has been boasting Kane Hodder’s involvement in the game for months, and from what I’ve played they deserve to. The way Jason moves as he lumbers around hunting down counsellors is extremely convincing, and when you can get a kill shot that goes beyond just slashing away with an axe, it’s brutal.

Now for the giveaway. Gun was kind enough to provide us with TEN Steam keys for the beta, and entering is very simple. All you have to do is make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube channel. Once you’ve done that, leave a comment on the video embedded below and you’re in! I’ll be giving away keys throughout the day so that you actually get a chance to play the beta before it ends.