When Behaviour Interactive announced that it would be publishing a Supermassive Games title set in the Dead by Daylight universe, I was skeptical about how it would work. This is a developer that makes incredible horror games, but I wasn’t sure how the rich lore of this asymmetrical horror title could be translated in The Casting of Frank Stone.
We recently had the opportunity to play the demo for Supermassive Games’ upcoming title, and I’m happy to say that it nailed the brief on every mark.
The Casting of Frank Stone is a story set in the Dead by Daylight universe and intrinsically linked to its lore. I don’t want to spoil how, because you’ll find out for yourself if you play the demo, but I want to clarify that this isn’t a game that does its own thing in a beloved world with established lore. It takes that lore and brings it to life in a new way while making it feel familiar, as if this has always been part of the multiplayer game you love.
A classic cast of characters and mechanics
The game sets the scene with a spooky opening in a lumber mill. Police officer Sam Green shows up looking for evidence of a missing infant and enters the night watchman’s booth to chat with Tom in there. It’s not long before you take control and start to see what the game’s about. Sam wants answers, but Tom isn’t forthcoming. You get to choose his approach, whether he’s curious or skeptical, altering the path of the conversation and future options you can access.
Soon, Sam notices some booze in a drawer, making him (and you) question Tom’s answers without either of you saying a word. You can address the alcohol in a choice, or leave it alone. Tom’s the sort of man who seems like he might have a short fuse, so I chose to leave it and ask more questions. By opting to keep things civil with Tom, I don’t hear any grief from him when Sam begins taking a look around the mill. He only says to keep an eye out for his dog.
Conversations are just one aspect of the gameplay in The Casting of Frank Stone. Soon after the encounter with Tom, I get full control over Sam and can wander the mill’s grounds as I please in search of a way in. The lighting, sound design, and well-timed audio cues kept me on edge for the entire time I was playing.
Some survival horror games fail to hit the mark on atmosphere, making you feel easygoing while exploring because you don’t know if you should be afraid or know that you’re safe. This game forces you to be wary, as if someone is watching you at all times.
Exploration is absolutely something you should be doing, though. The demo is littered with Dead by Daylight easter eggs to find in nooks and crannies. From chess pieces with lore entries to full busts of the original Killers from the game, each one is contextualized to make it fit in the world. The chess pieces, for example, all fit into a toolbox that will fill up as you find each one, and the busts look like effigies carved by the titular killer I soon met.
After entering the mill, Tom catches up with Sam, and the pair find Tom’s dog. This ‘friendly’ beast takes one look at the men, growls, and runs off. It was eating some rancid meat off the ground that, upon further inspection, appears to hold an ear at the very least.
Tom greets Sam without a word of anger, but I know if I’d been less careful in my earlier conversation with him, this situation could have gone a completely different way. I can’t help but wonder that if I’d pointed out his booze, he’d be shouting and upsetting his dog right now.
The tone changes now as the pair realize the missing child could indeed be at the mill. The next section requires you to find a tool to move a grate and enter a new area, and shows off some of the QTEs (quick-time events) used to make the experience much more interactive than a simple playable movie.
Opening a door or inspecting an item always requires an extra click or a drag, and surprises that spook Sam trigger the same skill check meter from Dead by Daylight and use the same sounds for successful checks. All of it serves to make the game more of a tactile experience, but definitely one that’s going to appeal more to fans of Behaviour Interactive’s asymmetrical horror title out of pure nostalgia.
Deep in the mill, Sam meets the one and only Frank Stone, and you get a taste of what combat and the more intense encounters will be like. Stone is a big dude and quickly disarms Sam, meaning you’re on the back foot. You can fight the killer off through quick tapping or aiming punches, but the action ends in what might be the best moment of the entire demo for me: a good old-fashioned hooking.
The demo’s ending hints at what’s to come in the story, and is something Dead by Daylight fans should see for themselves first-hand, so I won’t spoil it. Even if you haven’t played or dislike the multiplayer horror title, though there’s plenty to love here. This is a horror game through-and-through, but it’s more of an evolution of the type of releases Supermassive Games is known for.
Throughout the game, you’re given clues about moments that impact the story. They tell you that your Fate has been changed, but it’s not until after the battle with Frank that I see a message telling me my Fate has been sealed. I suspect those earlier moments open up or close various paths, but the bigger, more poignant ones alter something much more impactful for a playthrough.
I love a good horror game, and The Casting of Frank Stone has all the makings of one. It feels fresh, scary, unsettling, and engrossing. I can’t wait to see the next chapter and then the next, all the way to the finale. Even then, I know I’ll load up a new game to try out all the different choices or use the Cutting Room Floor to speed the process up.
If you’re eager to sink your teeth into a new horror game with some potential, check out The Casting of Frank Stone‘s demo from August 26, 2024, on Steam ahead of its September 3, 2024 release date. If you’ve been aching for something to keep you busy before Silent Hill 2: Remake, this is it.
