The Casting of Frank Stone Review
Summary: An exciting crossover for both newcomers and Dead By Daylight fans alike.
4.3
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
The Casting of Frank Stone is an exhilarating horror adventure that effortlessly weaves the substantial lore of Dead by Daylight (DbD) into an experience that is both welcoming to newcomers and a treat for long-time fans.
Set within the world of the popular asymmetrical multiplayer game, Supermassive has created a compelling side story using its trademark style.
The result is possibly the team’s best work since Until Dawn.
Using DbD’s existing lore Supermassive has successfully woven an original tale that explores the mythos behind the mysterious Lovecraftian being known only as the deity and how both killers and victims are drawn into its neverending game of cat and mouse.
Throughout The Casting of Frank Stone, Easter eggs are everywhere, from creepy collectible dolls to granular details in the environment, and plenty of references within the dialogue and setting.
It’s all very smartly done and is presented as an original tale with plenty of cool details, devious twists, and an incredibly satisfying finale that fans of the series will love.
It’s clear Supermassive has done their homework while making Frank Stone and series stalwarts will love picking over the finer details.
Set over sixty years Frank Stone follows the legacy of a notorious serial killer who murdered dozens of victims in a small town in Oregan in 1963 before being gunned down by a beat cop called Sam after he unwittingly tracks the killer to the rundown Steelworks where Frank has been working during the day and dismembering his victims at night.
The story then flicks to the modern day where three seemingly unrelated individuals a recently bereaved woman called Maddie, a slimy entrepreneur called Stan and a horror director called Linda are all called to an English manor house by a mysterious collector called Augustine who wants to buy reels of a cursed student movie called Murder Mill that allegedly causes everyone who sees it to fly into a murderous rage.
Finally, the game takes players back to 1980 in a small town in Oregon where a group of teens are making an amateur horror movie shot on location at the steel mill where Frank Stone committed his heinous crimes.
This being a Supermassive game the writing and performances are top tier. All the main cast have clear motivations and although the plot bounces around several decades it’s presented clearly and the through line is easy to follow despite its numerous twists and turns.
Each of the main characters is given plenty of time to grow and all feel well fleshed out and defined. While the overarching plot clicks along at a steady pace, while making sure the major set pieces and revelations have time to hit home throughout its six to eight-hour run time.
Though to see everything will take considerably longer seeing as there are 17 endings including two secret ones.
Death is never far away in The Casting of Frank Stone and your actions have palpable consequences later, whether it’s how characters relate to each other or the chances of them getting shanked.
Towards the end when the tension really starts to ramp up screwing up a simple QTE (in the same style as DbD) can have disastrous consequences, and the game does an excellent job of keeping you engaged.
The gameplay is similar to Supermassive’s other titles with you taking control of various cast members as you navigate the world in third-person, examining objects, hunting for collectibles, completing simple puzzles, and running for your life whenever the killer comes knocking.
In a nice twist though, whenever you’re doing something DbD related like fixing a generator or ducking a homemade machete the prompts are presented in the same way they are in DbD proper with players having to press the button at the correct time, and getting an extra boost if they manage to hit that ever-elusive sweet spot. It’s a small but clever addition and the kind of thing that will make fans of the property smile.
Visually Frank Stone impresses in the way that Supermassive games always do. Masters of mocap and creating realistic characters and gorgeous settings Frank Stone is no different, the Saw Mill is dank and foreboding, the main cast likeable and fleshed out, and Frank Stone is a monstrous presence throughout (and eventually just a cool monster that’s bound to end up in DbD).
There are moments that if you squint you would swear you were watching a live-action movie. One shot that pulled into a character’s eye was particularly jaw-dropping as every reflection, line, and blood vessel was recreated in exacting detail.
Final Thoughts
Behaviour and Supermassive are a match made in hell. Two developers with a love of all things horror that work well together and I hope the pair continue this partnership.
The Casting of Frank Stone is a great introduction to the world of Dead by Daylight for newcomers and a love letter for long-term fans.
Even if you’re only looking for a decent survival horror game, I recommend checking it out. It’s well-written, engaging, and tells a well-paced and creepy tale without overstaying its welcome.
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