After the release of the movie Killer Klowns From Outer Space back in 1988, the IP wasn’t touched for quite a while, but the cult following grew more and more over time. Finally, the niche franchise is back with Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game. After a long wait, this video game gives fans a way to experience the wackiness they love in a whole new way. Does the game live up to the expectations of long-time fans, or are the developers just clowning around with this one? Let’s take a look at every goofy gag and bloody kill to find out.

The Good

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is easily one of the most faithful movie-to-video game adaptations out there. Not only are the Klowns and settings completely recreated, but so is the overall feel of it. The humor and horror are perfectly blended. There are countless details pulled straight from the movie, and these recreations completely immerse players into the cult classic film.

Both teams, the humans and the Killer Klowns, are extremely fun to play. Being a human trying to be sneaky and escape the Klowns can be suspenseful and terrifying. Playing as a Klown and hunting down humans to turn them into cotton candy cocoons is especially satisfying. Looking at other asymmetric games from Illfonic, like Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, this is not quite the case. While it’s fun to play as a Ghostbuster, it’s much more entertaining to be the ghost. In Killer Klowns, both are equally fun.

There are a lot of customizable options that can be unlocked, allowing players to create their own human characters and Klowns. Unlocking them by playing is extremely satisfying, and they allow players to be creative which is fun in itself. Where the game is still new, folks mostly have the same few things unlocked, but over time, it’ll become tough to see characters who are identical. On top of customizing characters’ looks, there are also different archetypes to unlock for both teams that can be unlocked. They help to create the character of your choice and have them feel different from everyone else.

There is a welcome variety of Klown gadgets to use to take down the pesky humans. From cotton candy ray guns to popcorn canons and even balloon animal dogs, there are so many goofy gizmos to use that shake up the gameplay a lot. In addition to the vast weaponry of Klown gadgets, there are also “Klowntalities” to choose from for finishing moves to eliminate humans once and for all. You can impale them with balloon swords, cover them in toxic pies, or just smash them with a giant mallet. They’re all entertaining.

Something that’s a bummer in many online games is that when you’re eliminated, you’re sort of left waiting for the match to finish. Here, there are still things to do while waiting. A human who either is eliminated or escapes early can still participate. They get to play fun carnival-based minigames like whack-a-klown, basketball, and balloon darts in order to get goodies that will help the remaining human teammates survive. The fun doesn’t stop just because you’re out of the match.

Teamwork and communication actually pay off in this game. Humans can work together to survive. The reward for humans cooperating prevents some teammates running off on their own and screwing everyone else over like in other online multiplayers. The proximity chat feature works wonders for this while also adding to the immersion of it all. It genuinely feels like you’re a group trying to escape a horrific scenario together.

The wait between each match is not long at all. It’s super quick and easy to get into the next match. You can even stay in the same server and keep playing with the same group to make the wait even shorter. After playing so many games that take a painful amount of time for matchmaking, this is extremely welcome.

The game’s music is absolutely incredible. It sets the tone perfectly. While you’re creeping around as a human, the score is appropriately quiet and creepy. The music that plays as the Klowns are about to start the Klown-poclypse is somehow both intense and wacky. Even the menu music is something that would play in someone’s nightmares.

The Bad

In its current state, the game is rather buggy. There are objects that, when dropped, float in midair. Not only is it distracting seeing a baseball bat just sort of hovering, but it also gets in the way when trying to run past it. It’s also unfortunately easy to get stuck on the environment. Getting stuck on a park bench or a tree branch when trying to run away from Killer Klowns is a terrible way to be eliminated. There have also been a handful of crashes during my time with it so far. Thankfully, these issues can all be patched out. Hopefully they are soon.

While the game mostly feels well balanced, there is one Klown, Shorty, feels a little too overpowered. It feels like there’s a fighting chance against the other Klowns, but Shorty is faster and stronger than the rest of them. He could be toned down a bit.

It’s truly a fun game, but there is only one game mode. The gameplay is shaken up by the different teams, character archetypes, weapons, and abilities, but I could see someone finding it a little repetitive. Perhaps more game modes or maps will be added over time to keep things feeling fresh.

Conclusion

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is an extremely faithful adaptation that’s tons of fun to play for long time fans and newcomers alike. It brings both the laughs and the scares. The gameplay is extremely addicting for both the human and Klown teams. There are some clear issues that could be fixed later, but until then, it’s still wildly entertaining.

Rating: 7.5/10