Video games modeled after films are typically chock-full of references. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, released in 1974, is one of the most famous films in the horror genre, and for good reason. So many of the tropes you see in horror movies today originate from the terrifying 1974 film.
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The Texas Chain Saw Massacreis an asymmetric multiplayer horror game that prompts you to choose between victim and killer. The game is mostly an homage to the original 1974 film, but the other movies occasionally bleed in as well. There are many Easter eggs to discover, but these are the best movie references in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
10Opening Scene, Color, And Font
The first thing you’ll probably recognize is the opening scene/credits. Yellow text appears on the screen as a narrator reads aloud. This is exactly how the first film begins, with the same color, font, and disembodied voice.
This time, the text tells a different story: one that involves a group of teenagers —Ana, Julie, Sonny, Leland, and Connie— going missing in 1973 after the disappearance of Ana’s sister, Maria. There are also five victims, just like in the original film.
9The Date: August 17-18
One of the coolest easter eggs can be found in plain sight. The game launched on August 17, which is one day before the murders occur in the original film. It’s a small detail but a great way to shout out the source material, especially for dedicated fans.
Although the murders in the game take place before the film, the victims are still killed within the same year, only months before the 1974 film takes place. Maria Flores goes missing in April 1973, suggesting that there hasn’t been much time between the two massacres if the game is canon.
8Grandpa Is The Best Killer That Ever Was
Grandpa is completely immobile and mostly non-verbal. He’s always sat in his chair observing what’s around him, just as he does in the game. In the early films, the family feeds Grandpa blood, which somewhat rejuvenates him — at least enough that he can sort of hold a hammer.
Grandpa’s role in the gameplays off of the film. The more blood you feed him, the more powerful he gets. He’s also commonly referred to as “the best killer that ever was,” which is repeated in his in-game biography. And to top it all off, he holds the same hammer he does in the films.
7Star Sign Abilities
When the game first launched, what is now known as “Abilities” was originally referred to as “Star Sign Abilities.” Each victim has a star sign ability, a special skill that’s unique to their character.Connie can pick locks,Leland can charge,Sonny has impeccable sensory skills,Ana has a high pain tolerance, andJulie’s endurance trumps the rest. The abilities have nothing to do with their zodiac signs, so this detail was purely a reference.
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In the original film, Pam, the film’s only other female character, reads from a book about star signs. It’s a short scene early in the movie while the group is traveling in the van, but it’s mentioned at other points in the movie as characters question the validity of zodiac signs.
6Jumping Through The Window
In the 1974 film, a character jumps through not one, buttwowindows. And you can’t confuse this with jumpingouta window. The windows are always fully closed, meaning the character is forced to jump through the glass. This iconic getaway is shown in some of the other films as well.
In homage to this inconvenient escape method,victims can jump through closed windows when being chased. Just like in the film, you’re only going to do this when you’re desperate to get away. Depending on which window you jump from, you may fall off the roof and injure yourself on the way down — an issue that often plagues the movie characters who try the same thing.
A dead armadillo is one of the first things you see in both the game and the film. It sets the scene, foreshadowing the Hitchhiker’s affinity for road kill, and thebleak, barren nature of the environment.
You’ll also notice an armadillo in the second film in the form of a plush toy, and one in the third film after the protagonists’ hit it with their car. These poor creatures can’t seem to catch a break, but they always signify the very beginning of the carnage about to come.
4Barely Escaping Down The Driveway
Watching a victim run down the long driveway with the Sawyer family at their heels is enough to get your heart racing. And it’s even more stressful when you’re playing it. This driveway scene is iconic. It’s been reused in other horror films, so it only makes sense for it to be included in the game.
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This is the home stretch. All you have to do is run long enough until you’re off the property. Unfortunately, it’s harder than it sounds.You’re often being chased by one or more killerswhile limping, just like in the 1974 film.
3Meat Hook
In nearly all the movies, at least one character is hung on a meat hook and killed. This starts in the very first film when one of the victims is attacked and killed by Leatherface. Since the game is so similar, it’s only right that the meat hook is present and used for killing to pay homage to this very death.
As a killer, you can capture one of the victims and carry them to the meat hook to complete the kill. The match may even begin with you killing one of the five victims on the hook.
2Chainsaw Dance
It’s rare that you see Leatherface doing anything but killing, butchering, or being pushed around by his family. He doesn’t speak, so you have little insight into what he’s thinking or how he’s feeling.
This lack of emotion is what makes the end of the 1974 film so special. For one, he switches it up by dancing. He twirls and swings his chainsaw in the air as if he’s trying to express himself. Leatherface does this same dance in the game, whether he’s won or lost.
1Leatherface Skins And Chainsaws
It may sound a bit redundant, being that Leatherface is literally wearing human skin in all of his outfits, butLeatherface has a few different character skins to choose from. Both his Pretty Woman skin and Old Lady skin are references to some of his outfits in the films.
There are also different chainsaws to choose from, as the look of the weapon usually changes in each film. Sometimes it’s a plain old chainsaw and other times it’s made of gold, so there are multiple ways to accessorize here.
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