So, I saw that one of my favourite YouTubers, Gab Smolders, uploaded a video playing this game the other day and ever since my brother bought me an Xbox One, he has been pestering me to download Dead By Daylight. So, I decided to downloaded the game. My first few games were played as a survivor, so this review is based on those games, I have yet to play as a killer. The game was released in in 2016 and developed by Behaviour Interactive. First impressions, the game is enjoyably addictive to play as there is a giddy adrenaline sensation when escaping and hiding from the killer. The whole ‘mission’ of the game is incredibly fun to play and kept very simple so it is easier for players to concentrate on their surroundings. There are a few problems I experienced whilst playing, one being how long it takes the game to load a lobby. Another is not a problem with the game but the players, it is very annoying when players disconnect when placed on the hook.
A player can either be a survivor or a killer. A survivor has to roam the map and repair five generators whilst avoiding the killer. To repair them, they have to complete skill checks, where the player has to press a button on their controller on cue, otherwise the generator blows and alerts the killer to where they are. If the killer finds them then they have to run, there are many obstacles in the game that survivors can use to evade the killer, such as pushing pallet in front of the killer or jumping through windows. These obstacles slow the killer down as they have to stop and break the pallet or they have to find a way round (only a few of the killers can jump over a pallet).
However, if they are caught they are placed on the hook. A survivor can only be placed on the hook three times, the third being their last. The only safe way a player can get off the hook is if another player comes and lifts them off. The other option is to take the chance to pull yourself off, but it doesn’t always work and the players health decreases. Once all the generators have been repaired, the players have to open the gates and escape, winning the game. There are chests hidden on the map, inside are useful tools that players can use, such as a tool box or a med kit. If all but one survivor has been killed, the last survivor has the chance to find The Hatch, which is a doorway on the floor which grants them an immediate exit.
The first thing I like about the game is that you have a choice of who you want to play as. Each character also comes with their own strength, so players can assess what strength they prefer and would like to use in a game. It gives people a freedom to be whoever they want and not feel trapped and stuck with one character. The developers have also been very diverse with their character models as they come in all different sizes and races, so it is not a white-dominated game. The character strengths are called “Perks”, the one I used is called “Prove Thyself” and gave myself and the players around me a 15% increase in repair speed. These perks make it feel more comfortable playing the game as there is no feeling of being thrown into the deep end. Perks give players the confidence to do the mission and some perks even help against the killer.
Furthermore, the maps in the game are phenomenal, every map has different designs with elements to both help and test the survivor. The maps that are designed to look outside are spectacular with many features players can use to hide, such as derelict buildings, tall rustling corn and abandoned crates. The trees and long grass are helpful when it comes to crossing wide open spaces where there is a risk of being vulnerable and being spotted by the killer. There are also closets that players can hide in to escape the killer, however, if they sprint to one then it alerts the killer that someone is hiding in a closet. The map is randomly generated so the survivors and the killer do not know where they are going to spawn.
Also, the sound is incredible with the eerie ominous home screen music that has the crackling of fire embedded into it, which adds to the ‘stranded survivors around the campfire’ theme. Alongside that the music is a doomy home screen that has a dark, blood-red background that screams danger with contrastingly bright orange flakes of fire blowing across the screen. Both give the feeling of excitement and danger, the adrenaline already pumping through the body and the game hasn’t even started yet. When playing the game, paying close attention to different sounds is crucial. For example, when the killer is close to the survivor, a heartbeat gets louder and faster. This helps massively when a player is fixing a generator and want to focus on getting the skill checks correct and looking around for the killer whilst doing so may be a distraction. Another crucial sound is the little chime before a skill check comes on the generator. Skill checks can be quite nerve-racking and tense to do because if the player misses it then the generator blows. So, as a little assistance, a ringing chime dings to alert the player that one if about to happen.
However, there are some aspects to the game that are not so enjoyable, the first one being how long it takes to get into a game lobby. There is the first lobby where players can invite friends and adjust their characters by adding add-ons and perks. Then, once all the players have readied up, they then have to wait until they are in an international lobby, where players from other consoles can join. This part takes a while as the server has to find another player, or players depending on how many spaces you have left out of four, who can join the game. While it is understandable that finding someone can be tricky, any long wait is infuriating.
Another infuriating aspect is not about the game itself but how some people play it. Everyone who has played the game knows what “camping” means, for anyone who hasn’t it means when the killer will put a survivor on the hook and stay there. This results in the other players being unable to get that person off the hook and the hooked survivor dying. It is not a reportable or cannot be banned as it is actually a killer strategy. However, the sheer annoyance of not being able to get off the hook is unbelievable.
Moreover, when players disconnect in the middle of a game is another annoying thing that gamers do. Fair play, no one can know if there is a completely valid reason for doing so, however, if someone disconnects when they have been placed on the hook, well..? It decreases the chances of every other survivor making it out alive since there is one less person to do the generators. From a very competitive gamers’ point of view, it is frustrating knowing there is less chance of getting all the generators done and winning the game.
Finally, glitching will be the bane of anyone’s life whilst playing this game. For example, one time when jumping through a window, my character glitched and paused mid-jump. When the glitch stopped, the killer had had the chance to hit me twice which rendered my character on the floor and helpless. Again, it is rather annoying as they are unexpected and unintentional but it means that there is less chance of winning the game. Gamers should be careful as using glitches to ones own advantage can get them banned.
To sum this up, Dead By Daylight is definitely a game worth playing, despite how long it has been out. There are so many details to the game that are enjoyable: the adrenaline, the gameplay, the sounds and all the features that help the players. There are some aspects that may not be as fun, like the glitching or way that other players play, but it is not going to happen every game and they are down to personal preference whether players can put up with those.