Highlights

  • The Casting of Frank Stone blends Dead by Daylight lore with Supermassive Games' interactive story style for branching narratives.
  • Players' choices in The Casting of Frank Stone affect who survives and who meets a gruesome fate in an abandoned steel mill.
  • While the industrial setting of The Casting of Frank Stone may seem predictable, it could surprise players with supernatural twists.

The Casting of Frank Stone is the first single-player entry set within the Dead by Daylight universe, which looks to combine the series’ lore with co-developer Supermassive Games’ interactive story formula. The title follows a group of teens who attempt to secretly film a horror movie based on the legend of a local killer while trespassing in an abandoned steel mill. Like previous Supermassive titles, players' choices will steer the narrative, directly impacting who lives and who meets a grisly end. While The Casting of Frank Stone’s unique elements set it up to deliver a compelling supernatural-horror narrative, its traditional setting could betray its scares.

The Casting of Frank Stone is the result of a partnership between DbD developer Behavior Interactive and Supermassive Games, adapting Dead by Daylight’s lore into an experience akin to the Dark Pictures Anthology and The Quarry. The title’s group of survivors attempt to make a movie about Frank Stone, a legendary serial killer from their hometown of Cedar Hills’ past. Little do they know, the threat is very much alive, and the teens soon find themselves crossing paths with a host of threats both corporeal and supernatural. Where the title’s branching paths will lead remains to be seen, but its setting may give away some of the deadly encounters its survivors will face.

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The Casting of Frank Stone's Industrial Setting is Nothing New

The Casting of Frank Stone will be a major departure from Dead by Daylight's asymmetrical horror roots, replacing its PvP threats with life-or-death set pieces. Supermassive Games has mastered these scenarios over the years, with titles such as Until Dawn and The Quarry delivering truly horrifying ramifications for players' poor choices and QTE failures. The Casting of Frank Stone appears set to follow suit, with its local serial killer and industrial setting offering plenty of grisly fates for its teen protagonists. Unfortunately, this commonplace setting also sets its biggest scares up to be highly predictable.

The Casting of Frank Stone's Cedar Steel Mill is nothing new to the genre, with myriad films and games exploring the horrors and potential deaths found within abandoned steel or sawmills. Both Supermassive Games and Dead by Daylight themselves have featured these settings, with Until Dawn's shed setpiece making players direct a massive wood saw toward one of two characters, and DbD's Ironworks of Misery forcing players to dodge a serial killer in a smelting factory. The Casting of Frank Stone's steel mill setting seemingly leaves little room for surprise deaths or survival setpieces. However, the nature of Dead by Daylight's universe may see the title's setting subvert expectations.

The Casting of Frank Stone’s Setting May Subvert Expectations

While The Casting of Frank Stone’s setting paves the way to predictable scares, the title could subvert expectations by playing into them. Beginning as a traditional slasher, The Casting of Frank Stone could set up expected setpieces, only to fake the player out and move in a different direction. Given its Dead by Daylight foundations, the title’s chief threat could be much more supernatural. Local serial killer Frank Stone’s legend could give way to a connection with the greater DbD mythos, opening the door to endless supernatural threats, killers, and locations.

It remains to be seen what horrors await players in The Casting of Frank Stone. The title's industrial setting offers plenty of options, with its equipment and lurking serial killer posing a threat to each of the young filmmakers at its core. The Casting of Frank Stone's decision to play its setting straight or give way to a larger supernatural universe will make all the difference. Regardless, Dead by Daylight fans are in for an experience unlike any other, when The Casting of Frank Stone launches later this year.