Summary
- Slender: The Arrival's anniversary update brings significant changes, including a brand-new story chapter and multiplayer mode for up to four players.
- The update maintains the essence of the original game while adding new features, and a 3-chapter DLC is planned for 2024.
- The 2013 edition of the game has received a complete visual overall in the 10th anniversary update, showcasing the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5.2 and creating a creepier gameplay experience.
Slender Man is back with Blue Isle Studio's Slender: The Arrival's anniversary update, 10 years since 2013's Slender: The Arrival sent shivers down many players' spines with a complete re-imaging of Slender: The Eight Pages. The Slender: The Arriva l anniversary update brings in some significant changes alongside brand-new features, but many long-time fans and newcomers may be curious about what to expect from the horror game 10 years later.
Slender Man's comeback brings huge upgrades in the form of a substantial visual overall, a brand-new story chapter, and some first-time franchise additions in the shape of multiplayer and more. The Best War Games recently interviewed Brenden Frank, Co-Founder and Technical Director at Blue Isle Studios, about the update's key features, which can give players further information about how the 2023 anniversary update compares with the 2013 edition.
Slender: The Arrival's Anniversary Update S: The Lost Chapters And New Additions
One of the main changes in the 2023 Slender: The Arrival anniversary update is the addition of a brand-new story chapter, aptly named S: The Lost Chapters. Here, players can experience a new kind of Slender Man story, taking the blank trope horror gameplay to both somewhat familiar and new places, as players explore a different kind of atmospheric location. Frank explained that S: The Lost Chapters allowed the team to "try out some new techniques [we've] learned over the years", as well as "give the fans something new to be excited about." Understandably, Frank didn't go into any further detail, as it's likely something for fans to experience for themselves. However, without going into spoiler territory, players can expect some creepy new horror gameplay tricks, plus additions to the lore.
While players can still play Slender: The Arriva l through single-player, another big change in the anniversary update is the addition of multiplayer, enabling the game to be experienced as an online co-op horror game for up to four players. Other new additions include a new cross-platform mod kit that lets players create and share their own Slender Man scenarios. That's also just the beginning, with more DLC on the way. Frank also spoke about how the update preserves the original game while adding new features,
We worked really hard to maintain the essence of the original title, choosing to “add” rather than “remake”. This is why we added a new chapter and have announced a 3 chapter DLC coming in 2024.
Slender: The Arrival's Anniversary Unreal 5 Engine Visual Overhaul Versus The 2013 Edition
In addition to the new chapter, The Slender: The Arrival 10th Anniversary update also lets players relive the story and gameplay from the original 2013 Slender: The Arrival game with a complete visual overall. The 2013 game was made in Unity and still holds up pretty well, but Unreal Engine 5.2 brings the experience up to date. Fans can expect to revisit 2013's locations and landmarks while following the same story, such as Kate's house, but with graphical improvements through Unreal Engine 5.2, including design and atmospheric upgrades. It's another game that showcases the frighteningly realistic capability of Unreal Engine 5 in horror games, with the visual changes making the gameplay experience feel creepier than ever.
In addition to pushing the game's 'visual fidelity', when speaking with Co-Founder and Creative Director Alex Tintor at 2023's Unreal Fest, Frank also talked more about how Unreal Engine's 5.2's Nanite and Lumen technology enabled the team to finally create the horror game experience they always imagined from a visual standpoint, including replacing every art asset from the original to essentially rebuild the entire game from the ground up.
Slender: The Arrival is available now for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The Slender: The Arrival 10th Anniversary update is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.