Dead by Daylight review: kill, survive and win

Dead by Daylight is in every sense a constant attempt to prove itself. And this is not for nothing. We are talking about a title that appears in the midst of a successful crop of survival and horror games. Evolve , Until Dawn and Friday The 13th: The Game are some examples that, despite the many flaws they have, are mentioned with some respect in an increasingly saturated niche that is survival horror . Standing out in this environment is therefore not an easy task. That is why Dead by Daylight needs to be understood as a game that seeks to catch your breath. First of all his own, since he migrated from the PC to the consoles. In a second moment, it is a game that aims to bring players an experience if not original, at least differentiated when the theme is "a group of noisy teenagers fleeing a silent serial killer ". And in that, we can say, Dead by Daylight is a success, although unfortunately it is a passing success.

Five players, four survivors and an assassin

The title above could easily sum up Dead by Daylight . It is more than that, yes, but in terms of game modes it is quite limited. The main idea is always centered on the same proposal: four players must escape with their lives, while another tries to kill them. This occurs in randomly generated scenarios, in online and multiplayer matches with no time limit. Even with this limitation, Dead by Daylight allows players to customize this experience quite broadly. Deciding which side you will play on, for example, is an advantage over other titles in the genre. Although the goal of the game remains to kill or survive, this choice streamlines the gameplay and keeps players interested in it for longer.

Killer

If you choose to play as a murderer, there are some important points in terms of game mechanics. The main one is that the camera happens to be in 1st person. It can be a little confusing at first to carry out attacks from this point of view, but it is merely a matter of practice. As with survivors, there is more than one killer. Dead by Daylight offers good options for serial killers for the player to control. There are six different killers in the base game, plus at least nine others that can be purchased at the game's Store . Some refer to famous films, including Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. But that's not the most fun of it. Each creature has unique abilities and different ways to attack its victims. The Hag , for example, is a cursed assassin who uses traps to teleport to them when activated by survivors. It is quite efficient if the player is too far from the one who activated the trap. These unique skills and weapons make it easier for players to find their playing style. Although usually slower compared to survivors, serial killers cannot be killed, which makes them relentless enemies. Like the survivors, the killers have a progression system that uses Bloodpoints . See below which are the serial killers of the game:

Evan MacMillan - The Trapper
Philip Ojomo - The Wraith
Unnamed Boy - The Hillbilly
Sally Smithson - The Nurse
Lisa Sherwood - The Hag
Herman - The Doctor
Adiris - The Plague (Available on Store)
Frank Morrison - The Legion (Available on Store)
Rin - The Spirit (Available on Store)
Kenneth Chase - The Clown (Available on Store)
Amanda Young - The Pig (Available on Store)
Freddy Krueger - The Nightmare (Available on Store)
Leatherface - The Cannibal (Available on Store)
Anna - The Huntress (Available on Store)
Michael Myers - The Shape (Available on Store)

Survivors

At first glance, the survivors are weak, unarmed teenagers who basically rely on the player's agility to stay alive. However, they are not generic. You can choose from a good variety of characters, each with a story and with their own names. If you wish, you can also personalize your clothes and minimally your face. Playing as a survivor requires above all agility, focus and patience. The camera is in 3rd person, which makes it easier to analyze the surrounding environment in search of other survivors or even the killer. In comparison to the serial killer , survivors can run, hide in closets and drop objects to block the passage behind them. There is also a progression system, called the Bloodweb . It is literally a web of skills that can be unlocked using Bloodpoints . These skills guarantee your survivor a greater chance of successfully escaping the game sessions. As a web is completed, the character levels up. It is possible to obtain Bloodpoints by playing both as an assassin and as a survivor. Choosing who to play with changes the gameplay completely , which is very interesting. There are not only two different points of view, but also two different games in the same title. Your choice in this regard will depend on the style of play with which you identify most.

Causing tension is Dead by Daylight's big bet

Although Dead by Daylight is an entirely online and multiplayer game , it has a certain narrative basis. All assassins serve the Entity, an unknown being who created the dimension where the characters are trapped. This hide and seek game proposed by Ela is called a trial . Each game is a new trial , and the Entity chooses the scenarios and positions on the map that each participant will start the game. The killers ' goal is to hang all the survivors on hooks scattered around the scene. When this occurs, there is a small chance that the victims will escape. This can happen on their own merit, when struggling, or with the help of one of the other companions. If a survivor escapes and is recaptured and replaced on a hook, the chances of escaping again are almost nil. After a while suspended on the hook, the Entity appears and takes the body to another dimension. That alone makes Dead by Daylight a very tense game. The climate of distrust when playing with a survivor is constant. During much of the trial there is no soundtrack or noise except the sounds of nature. To escape, the survivors need to repair five generators scattered around the scene in order to open the exits of the trial .

Asymmetric multiplayer , but not that cooperative

Of course, the ideal would be for everyone to come together to repair one generator at a time instead of each trying to repair one of the objects alone. And here is another positive point of Dead by Daylight : it encourages cooperative work, but at the same time it gives freedom for players to act individually. Not knowing if you will have help with trials is quite distressing. At the same time, it is agonizing to see a survivor being chased by the murderer. Since it is not possible to kill him or even attack him, he can only watch or run to the opposite side. In addition, as it is observed that the victims are dying, there is that feeling that you are next. This causes genuine tension while trying to repair generators, find outlets or simply escape inevitable death. As an assassin, the adrenaline is no less. Although immortal, stronger and with resources, he remains one against four. As soon as the first generator is repaired, the feeling of anguish begins to increase if you have not yet achieved at least one sacrifice. It is no wonder that Dead by Daylight's asymmetric multiplayer style works very well. Assassins and survivors have advantages and disadvantages, which does not make one experience more exciting than the other. Despite the structural asymmetry of the game, there is a very good balance of fun, regardless of which side you choose to play on.

A simple but repetitive game

Dead by Daylight is a game of mechanics very easy to master. Two or three games as a survivor or as a killer and it is already possible to play at a good level. This simplicity is also perceived in the graphics. They are not bad, but they could be much better, since we are talking about a game from the 8th generation of consoles. In fact, the migration of the game from the PC to the consoles did not prevent bugs and crashes, especially in the executions of the victims. This can be uncomfortable for the most perfectionists, but it is nothing that serious.

Horror movie setting

The graphic problems are rewarded by the setting of Dead by Daylight . The scenarios are generated automatically by the game, and in four, five games in a row make sure that the environments will not be the same. Sanatoriums, abandoned neighborhoods, corn plantations are some of the places where the trials take place . There are good hiding options for the survivors, as well as hidden corners for the killers to wait. The sound, or the lack of it, as mentioned earlier, is also a positive point. Unless murderers and victims meet, it's all silence. Failure to repair the generator can cause an explosion and report its location. Running fast can alert the creature. Wild animals, such as crows and other birds, can take the serial killer to its victims. It is no wonder that the first time you play you will be advised to wear a headset .

Missing game modes

Dead by Daylight , however, is repetitive in its formula. In addition to the Tutorial, there are four game mode options. Half to play with friends, half to play with random players . Playing with your friends is certainly a fun experience, but they will not always be online at the same time as you. This somewhat restricts the fun, since multiplayer with random players is often quite individualistic and impersonal. Anyone with a Twitch account can connect to the game. There are special challenges that can be met by streaming your matches in Dead by Daylight . They give you special prizes, which can be exchanged for improvements to your characters. Still, regardless of the way you choose to play, it all comes down to playing as a survivor or as an assassin. After a few dozen trials , the dynamics of Dead by Daylight become a little tiring. Even with the constant additional content, there is no innovation in the main. Killing, surviving and winning ends up losing its grace faster than the game developers would like. Mainly because there is not exactly a sense of progression or achievement.

Is Dead by Daylight worth it?

PROS:

Freedom of choice between killer and survivor
Each killer has a unique gameplay
Sinister and tense atmosphere
Asymmetric multiplayer very well executed
Possibility to play only with your friends
Who has a Twitch account wins an "extra mode" game

CONS:

Limited game modes
Pixelated graphics and recurring bugs
Reward and achievement system almost nonexistent

If you are looking for an online game that will cause you intense and genuine tension for a few hours, Dead by Daylight is the perfect game. With an atmosphere worthy of the best horror films, he manages to immerse players in a dark and fearful atmosphere. Despite adopting the already beaten formula of the survival horror genre , the game performs very well the proposal of being an asymmetric multiplayer . This asymmetry is balanced by the unique advantages and disadvantages of survivors and murderers. Therefore, your success depends not only on your ability, but on the skills or lack of them of who controls the enemy or the enemies. That's why matches in this game don't have time, centering everything on the players' gameplay .

A great game for those who like to take scares

Dead by Daylight , however, has a short lifespan. This is not a title for those who like games with motivating achievements and rewards. There is a certain paradox in the game that bothers. Its intention is to cause constant tension in the players during the trials , but after a while this feeling is already lost. The game ends up becoming a constant attempt to accumulate Bloodpoints to exchange for improvements on the Bloodweb . The lack of diversification in game modes is perhaps Dead by Daylight's great sin . Not even the daily challenges, called Daily Rituals , save the overall experience after it becomes repetitive. The game tries to prove itself as a new breath of life to the genre to which it belongs, but fails to limit the players' experience. Despite not leaving the commonplace, Dead by Daylight is worth buying for providing a quality asymmetric multiplayer . Among the other survival horror games from the last wave, it stands out positively. Even with its repetitions it is a very well produced game, capable of entertaining the most diverse types of player. Especially those who play it with a headset , in the dark, at three in the morning. FINAL NOTE: 7.5 Take advantage of Eneba's discounts to buy Dead by Daylight: