The Casting of Frank Stone is a narrative horror game produced by Supermassive Games and published by Behaviour Interactive, set in the same universe as Dead by Daylight and expanding a little more on the story of the classic multiplayer game.
The title is scheduled for release today (September 3, 2024) for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. IGN Brazil had the opportunity to test The Casting of Frank Stone and explore the cosmic horrors that the Entity holds.
Everything the Same and Everything Different
We found several similarities with Dead by Daylight, but the game is a completely original proposition, with new characters and an expansion of the universe, so don’t expect to dive into the familiar, but rather the unknown.
We will see many familiarities, such as generators, action noises, skill checks, and, of course, horror. But it is a new story, with new characters and a different gameplay style.
The Entity is still the big problem in all this, but we also get to see a bit more about the multiverse surrounding Dead by Daylight and the cultists that connect with the Entity.
We find collectibles in The Casting of Frank Stone, both small pieces and dolls of known killers. The gameplay and the outcome do not change when you discover a collectible, but perhaps if we gather them all, something may change in the story and new paths may unlock…
The Weight of Choices and Replayability
Simple choices can cost a character’s life, altering the structure of the game and its ending. We can access the Assembly Room in the main menu and replay parts of the story, opting for new choices, unlocking new paths, and consequently, new endings.
In this room, we can see the number of choices per scenario in a true web that extends over various paths. Although the number of endings is well defined, the possibilities along the way can provide valuable information about the entire universe.
We play with various characters in different periods, and don’t be fooled, everything is connected and not immutable. Your choice at one point in time can affect the future.
As for gameplay, it follows the standard of narrative horror games. We explore dark environments with a tense atmosphere, discovering important parts of the story that we might miss when investigating, and this can change the outcome of our choices.
Some action moments, where we have quick-time events, are also present and can determine the survival of characters in critical moments.
Engaging Story and Characters
The vast majority of characters are quite charismatic, with well-established personalities and a purpose in the story. You will likely become attached to at least one of them and may also dislike some. Just think about the best alternatives for them to survive.
As for the story, The Casting of Frank Stone manages to keep pace with other narrative games, especially in the horror genre. It’s hard not to want to know what happens next, especially if you are a fan of Dead by Daylight and enjoy the game’s lore.
We see a true expansion of the entire dynamic of the Entity and a little more about its cult. It’s also possible to get a better sense of its power and the limits of the Dead by Daylight universe, along with various surprises.
Immersive Experience, But Not Risky
The Casting of Frank Stone bets on a “safe” narrative and does not take many risks regarding the expansion of the universe and the gameplay. But perhaps that is exactly what makes it a good game.
A positive point is that there are many clichés and references to famous horror works, but everything is done coherently and well integrated, leaving the story complete and closed.
Although the story doesn’t go very far, the experience is very immersive, and we want to know more each time. Unfortunately (or fortunately), even with the different endings, The Casting of Frank Stone leaves us with a taste of “I want more.”
If you are a fan of Dead by Daylight, you certainly want to know much more about the lore and context of the Entity’s realm. This game leaves us with more questions and doubts than answers and certainties.
The Weak Points
I only found two errors throughout my gameplay. The first was a dialogue where the audio switched from Portuguese to English for a short period of time and then returned to normal.
The second was with the subtitle, which became duplicated, meaning the sentences appeared twice, one below the other. I didn’t encounter any other bugs in The Casting of Frank Stone.
A weak point of the game is its short duration, as it took me between 5 and 6 hours to complete it the first time (not counting replayability, of course). This can also be a strong point, depending on the player’s perspective.
As I mentioned earlier, I would have liked the story to take more risks and show more of the lore, leaving us with more answers than questions, but that didn’t happen. Again, this isn’t necessarily a weak point and may be exactly what fans want, especially since the DBD community has a habit of finding small details to forge elaborate theories that sometimes are correct.
The Casting of Frank Stone expands the Dead by Daylight universe, but leaves more questions than answers. With a “safe narrative” and concrete gameplay, the horror and narrative game manages to be a valuable addition for fans of the work or the genre.