Written by: Ryan Dailey
Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical game of hide and seek/freeze tag in which a killer, both original and licensed, stalks survivors, again, original and licensed, as they scramble to repair generators to power an exit gate. The survivors either succeed and live to face another trial of the malevolent god known as The Entity, or they are sacrificed to the mysterious deity by being hung on hooks scattered throughout the landscape.
Hollywood can stop even considering making a film set in the Dead by Daylight universe. Developed by Behaviour Interactive and developed by Supermassive Games,The Casting of Frank Stone is an interactive video game narrative set in the world of Dead by Daylight. The Casting of Frank Stone IS the movie fans of the original intellectual property want and deserve. The game is not perfect, nothing is, but this offering to the franchise delivers.
The story centers around a group of teens shooting an independent film in the same foundry that child kidnapper/killer, the titular Frank Stone commits his horrendous crimes. There is another plot line running through the game that may spoil the game if written about here.
From a technical standpoint, the game looks great and runs smoothly, the character animations are fluid and natural. The dialog is cheesy and some plot devices are dubious, but it all fits so well into the story, as the narrative of the filmmakers centers on a group of teens in 1980. This is genius. This setting enhances the at points, cringey words and special effects found in the game.
Frank Stone is a love letter not only to fans of horror films, but Dead by Daylight players as well. This game is how to provide a “cinematic” interpretation of a video game franchise. Given the poor performance of Borderlands, perhaps film executives should pick up a controller and a notepad and pay attention.
If the horror nation is looking for a solid title with branching paths, multiple endings and an entertaining story, The Casting of Frank Stone is worth not only the money to buy it, but the time one invests into a playthrough.The Casting of Frank Stone is available on Steam, Playstaion 5 and the Xbox Series.