Last Year is every 90s horror movie cliché rolled into an asymmetrical multiplayer game

Despite not being a fan of horrors in general, I have quite a soft spot for movies in that genre, particularly those that came out in the 90s. Films like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Blair Witch Project, and more, terrified me senseless. Hey, don’t judge, I wasn’t even a fully fledged teenager at the time!

Watching those particular films today brings forth a sense of cheesy nostalgia. They’re all generally ridiculous, but in such a mindless way that you can’t help but appreciate them.

That’s probably why Last Year caught my attention. It’s a game that has taken every 90s horror movie cliché and rolled it into an asymmetrical multiplayer experience (via Kotaku):

In Last Year you’ll experience the nightmare together as you and 5 friends struggle to survive against one player that’s playing as the Killer. Explore familiar territory based on classic horror movie locations including Camp Silver Lake and East Side High. You’ll play the roles of 5 stereotypical high school characters while co-operating to complete objectives and survive.

When playing as the Killer you’ll utilize game-changing Predator mechanics to help you hunt down and eliminate your victims before they have a chance to escape. Players will sneak and slash their way through a suspenseful atmosphere that keeps them on the edge of their seat as they compete to be the top Killer or best Survivors.

Predator mechanics? What does that entail? Here’s a closer look at what sort of tomfoolery you can get up to as the Killer:

To become the ultimate Killer you need to master the ultimate tool: Predator Mode. With Predator Mode the environment becomes the ultimate weapon. The Killer comes smashing through windows and walls, he rigs trap doors to isolate survivors from each other, and plants gas bombs wire traps to catch and destroy lone survivors.

I’d be interested to see how Predator Mode actually works in terms of balance. Teleporting around (when out of sight) does seem a little broken to me. It is great for setting up the perfect ambush and jump scare however, which fits a game like this quite well.

My biggest concern really, is the asymmetrical nature of Last Year. Will it still be playable with strangers if I’m online alone for example? Evolve had some great gameplay – but only when there were cooperative people around. I just worry that this game follows that same road into oblivion. Here’s hoping that it’s accessible enough to keep people interested and working together for the greater good.

Last Year is supposedly due this month due mid-August of 2017.  I’m quite keen to check it out! What about you?

Last Updated: November 1, 2016