Dead By Daylight: A Review

Dead By Daylight is an asymmetrical 1v4 horror game by developer and publisher Behavior Interactive Inc. It is playable cross-platform between Switch, PC, Xbox, and Playstation- as well as a mobile version that is unique to mobile play.

The basis is one person is the killer, and the killer wants to kill the four survivors before they can repair five generators and open an exit gate. Seems easy enough right?

This is where the game becomes more unique than just a simple cat and mouse. Each survivor and killer come with 3 unique perks that have different abilities.

As of July 20th, 2021 Dead by Daylight has 27 survivors and 24 killers.

That equates to 84 unique killer perks and 95 unique survivor perks.

So, would I, a casual gamer, recommend Dead By Daylight?

Yes, BUT-

Perhaps based on the amount of playtime I have on steam, you could say I would recommend it. However, that's not so simple.

I live a fine life on PC, most of my game is optimized and I rarely have any connectivity issues (ignoring the disconnects that happen across Steam every Tuesday when Steam resets its servers). However, anyone who delves into the depths of console gaming knows that Dead By Daylight can be hit or miss. This normally wouldn't be an issue, but these issues have been consistent since its release on those platforms.

They are also notorious for not listening to recommendations from the community. Streamers, YouTubers, and other influencers alike take issue with how problems are treated in the game. From my own point of view, they fix "graphical issues" before "game-breaking issues". For instance, they fixed a bug where you could mix and match cosmetics that were part of outfits (meaning they shouldn't be able to be broken apart). However, they didn't address any actions that were being taken to help with performance issues on consoles. They also continually release new content in terms of killers, survivors, and cosmetics- seemingly to try to appease those speaking out about the bigger issues surrounding the game.

However, why would Behavior listen to a player base when there is no competition?

Games like Friday The 13th: The Game, In Silence, and Secret Neighbor exist but don't have the draw Dead By Daylight has. They have the license to have iconic horror characters like Michael Myers, Demogorgon, and Nemisis. The other games just don't have the draw or player base Dead By Daylight can bring in. Meaning there is absolutely no pressure or incentive for them to fix basic mechanical issues.

Basically, Behavior is the embodiment of this meme.

All player complaints they seem to drown out by just making the game look better. This is great, I love a good-looking game, but that can only last so long before players realize basic mechanics need changes.

All in all, I give Dead By Daylight

5/10 Frogs, get the base game but do not support buying DLC's or Auric Cells (their paid currency).

I adore the game and hate that it's in the current state it's in. It has so much potential, but it feels like the developers are in a constant power struggle with the players. Everything from basic gameplay to graphics is great, and with the number of new players and money they are making off cosmetics and DLC's, there is really no reason why game-breaking issues are seemingly put on the back burner.

At least now there is an actual tutorial (only took about five years) that shows you how to play, so if you are new, please consider doing the tutorial! It will help you loads with starting out.

If you are interested in reading a more in-depth version of a Dead By Daylight boycott click here to go to a Reddit thread.