Tips And Tricks For Johnny In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Johnny can make for one brutal killer if you build him right, so here's what you need to know.

The asymmetrical horror game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre pits the cannibalistic Family against the horrified Victims, with escape or death being the Victims' only options. A well-rounded cast of characters includes Johnny, who is more of a traditional serial killer than the rest of his Family.

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Known to use his good looks to lure people back to the Family properties to meet their untimely demise, Johnny is a skilled hunter looking for prey. After you're done being distracted by his muscular arms, or wondering why his jeans are so tight, here is what you need to know about playing Johnny.

Johnny is just as sadistic as the rest of his Family, and his aggression is proven through his attacks. His attacks have a little extra power to them, slightly concussing Victims that he ends up hitting.

When it comes to his Family attribute spread, Johnny is even matched with Savagery and Endurance as his two leading attributes. The two each have 30 attribute points, giving him an advantage over other Family members that usually have to sacrifice one over the other.

Johnny certainly packs a punch, and with his decent Savagery stat, he has the ability to unleash unrelenting attacks that can make quick work of any Victim. A decent Endurance stat helps with this as well, as Johnny can usually still get in a few hits even after chasing a Victim for a while.

Unfortunately, Johnny suffers in his Blood Harvesting attribute, only starting with 16 points here. He won’t be able to carry as much blood in his blood vial, and the amount he collects from blood buckets will also be lower.

While Johnny has a decent amount of Endurance, he is more of a slow stalker - his sprinting speed isn’t as fast as others'. While his sister Sissy can continue to chase Victims all over the place, Johnny can often lose Victims that crawl through wall gaps or under crawl spaces. However, he makes up for this with his powerful ability, which is perhaps his biggest strength.

Johnny's expertise in stalking his prey translates into his Hunt ability. When you use the ability button to activate Hunt, Johnny focuses his senses and is able to discover clues left behind by Victims. You can analyze these clues to uncover a glowing trail of footprints left by the same Victim.

Activating Hunt consumes your ability charge, and there is a small cooldown before you can use it again once you turn your Hunt senses off. There are different augment paths for your Hunt ability, which you gain access to by playing Johnny and leveling him up.

Hunt Augment

Level

Description

Decrease Tracking Cost

1

The consumption rate for tracking footprints is reduced.

2

Further reduces consumption rate for tracking footprints.

3

Clues left by Victims can be analyzed 50 percent faster.

Increase Clue Range

1

The detection range for clues left by Victims is increased.

2

Further increases the detection range for clues.

3

The color of footprints changes based on how recently they were left.

Quicker Recharge

1

Increases the recharge rate of Hunt.

2

Further increases the recharge rate.

3

Increases the range of footprint trails by 100 percent.

Johnny also has a single Unique Perk called Patience. When running this perk, it reduces the consumption rate of your Hunt ability when you stand still. This can certainly be useful if you find yourself often scanning the same area for a long time.

Johnny can be a very useful addition to the Family, but you don’t want to run around like a chicken with its head cut off. At the beginning of each match, Johnny will start on the outer side of the property. Your first action should be to go turn on the power sources that protect the main road and rear gate exits for the property.

Sissy and Hitchhiker may also start on the edges of the property, so make sure to split up this work with your teammates.

Even though Johnny doesn’t have the best Blood Harvesting stat, you should still make sure to pick up blood from blood buckets in the early parts of the game. Later on, attacking Victims and killing them will become your primary way of collecting blood.

As you run around the property, you’ll notice various crawl spaces that Victims can duck under. With Johnny’s strength, you’ll be able to kick the crawl spaces closed. You should do this to cut off key escape paths for Victims, helping both you and your teammates corner them in a chase.

Victims can always re-open crawl spaces, so keep track of which ones you’ve closed. If you notice one has been re-opened, it’s a clue to where Victims might have gone.

Make sure to use Hunt as often as possible, especially when you are running through buildings or tight areas. Finding footprints can lead you straight to a hiding Victim that you otherwise might not be able to see. Even if you don’t catch a Victim right there, you can at least learn which direction they might have gone.

Victims get notified when you discover their footprints, adding a layer of fear for them. Getting close to them when they are hiding might make them act flighty, which works to your advantage if they accidentally reveal their location.

Use the above video as an example of using Johnny's ability. Johnny used Hunt to notice a Victim left a clue outside the house, meaning they were recently outside the basement and above ground. Following the tracks led Johnny to a well, where the tracks seem to stop.

This informs you that the Victim used the well to escape back into the basement, and you can then update your teammates with the info as well. Plus, if Leatherface is still down in the basement, he now knows he has a target down there.

Be aware when you are playing against a Julie. Her ability allows her to avoid detection by Hunt, so it may be more difficult to track her down if she uses it well.

Using Hunt well is only one part of using Johnny to his full potential. When leveling up Hunt, you should consider his augment that allows him to see the full path of footprints after he investigates a clue. This will save you time when you have to follow the path, especially if the tracks go in circles or in unexpected directions.

Make sure to invest some attribute points into Blood Harvesting, just to take off the edge of one of Johnny’s weaknesses. The rest can be divvied up between Savagery and Endurance based on your playstyle.

Johnny has access to plenty of perks as you progress through his skill tree that will make him very dangerous for Victims. Here are some of the best perks to add to Johnny’s build:

Name

Perk Type

Description

Activated

Perk

After being stunned, you'll deal more damage for a short period of time. If Victims keep trying to go toe-to-toe with you, this is a good way to punish them.

Confusing Mechanic

Perk

After turning on a generator, it takes Victims longer to disable it. This can buy you valuable time and put a wrench in the Victims' plans, especially since Johnny will usually be turning on at least one a match.

Fired Up

Perk

After running out of stamina, there's a shorter delay before it begins regenerating.

Serrated

Perk

Hitting a Victim causes them to take additional damage per second for a short time. These ticks of damage build up over time and can help you finish off Victims faster.

Tracker Tagged

Perk

Hitting a Victim causes them to be highlighted for all Family members for a short time, clueing your team into what's going on. Plus, this could help a nearby Family member come help you finish the kill.

Unrelenting

Perk

This perk increases your Endurance attribute, which doesn't hurt.

Don't Have All Day

Grandpa Ability

Your stamina drain while sprinting is decreased, which lets you cover more distance by letting you run longer. Plus, you'll be able to keep more stamina in supply for your attacks when you're chasing Victims.

Swinging for the Fences

Grandpa Ability

Reduces stamina consumption on melee attacks, also allowing you to hit Victims more.

Nobody Escapes Hell

Grandpa Ability

This makes it harder for Victims to unlock doors, which hinders them escaping from both the basement and other buildings.

NEXT: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Leatherface Character Guide

Hunter Mass is a writer, storyteller, and science communicator. They have been an avid gaming fan since playing Pokemon in the 90s, and they are steadfast in their love of The Legend of Zelda series.