I was eagerly anticipating Supermassive‘s latest foray into horror storytelling with The Casting of Frank Stone, a project that draws heavily from the spine-chilling universe of Behavior Interactive’s Dead by Daylight. However, my experience turned out to be more perplexing than terrifying. Instead of eliciting fear, my journey through Frank Stone was more about piecing together its convoluted narrative. What kept me intrigued was the desire to uncover how all of the threads would weave together by the end.
At its core, Frank Stone feels a bit rough around the edges. While it manages to deliver some humor, Supermassive has historically excelled as a masterful storyteller, and this time, they seem to be grappling with the weight of tying their narrative intricately to the Dead by Daylight universe. Unfortunately, this constant reminder detracts from the overall experience, making it challenging to fully immerse oneself in the story. The game is in dire need of some polish, making moments of enjoyment often obscured by various obstacles.
The intricacies of Frank Stone’s plot are best understood through its timeline. Kicking off in 1963, we are introduced to the menacing Frank Stone and Cedar Hills officer Sam Green, who confronts Frank at a town mill to save a child. The narrative swiftly transitions between 1980 and 2024, unraveling dual storylines that initially seem captivating but soon spiral into confusion.
By 1980, we meet a group of teenagers—Jamie, Chris, and Linda—who are busy filming their low-budget horror flick, Murder Mill, in that very same mill, the ironic choice of location written all over it. Meanwhile, the 2024 storyline emerges as a mystery thriller, delving into the motive behind the ownership of the Murder Mill film strips by crucial characters. While the setup piqued my interest, the disparate timelines and how they intertwine left me longing for cohesion.
I won’t give away the overarching story twist, but I must say that Supermassive‘s multi-layered narrative could have benefited from more organization. After my first playthrough, I grasped a fair amount, yet I felt the need to delve back in just to piece together the narrative. But even then, I feared it might still leave me scratching my head. The constant jumps between timelines blurred my understanding of the characters, making it difficult to feel invested in their fates or to genuinely dread the peril from their relentless stalker.
What’s more, Frank Stone does not deliver the chilling thrills I expected. Although there are moments of tension with bloody deaths and graphic characters, nothing here genuinely shocked me. For a studio with a legacy of crafting suspense since the release of Until Dawn nearly a decade ago, it feels like a missed opportunity. Instead of crafting a steady build-up of horror, the narrative is often relegated to cutscenes and brief events that fail to resonate.
Despite this, the game does have its visual merits! The environments are stunning, capturing the eerie essence of the story. However, the overall narrative stumbles due to several visual hiccups and rough edges that detract from the immersion. Characters’ hair occasionally moved awkwardly, and lip-sync issues consistently pulled me out of the experience—and not in a good way. Thankfully, these glitches were not game-breaking but were distracting enough to warrant a mention.
A new feature called Cutting Room Floor has been introduced to enhance player experience. This option allows players to revisit pivotal moments after completing the game, illuminating how choices intertwine to shape broader plot points. Visually appealing, it aids in tracking the narrative more effortlessly, which is essential. However, it falls short due to the inability to fast-forward past familiar dialogue, leading to tedious repetition that could easily drive players away. A simple skip option could vastly improve this feature, making it essential for any future Supermassive releases.
I went into Frank Stone with lofty expectations, but previous titles from Supermassive have surpassed this one in terms of fright and narrative depth. While creating a unique, story-driven game within the Dead by Daylight universe is undoubtedly intriguing, Frank Stone misses the essence of what made that universe compelling in the first place. The excitement of outsmarting a tenacious killer or the thrill of collaboration in high-stakes situations seems absent.
If only the pacing allowed characters to develop more depth, allowing players to connect with them and slowly build real suspense! The foundation for an exceptional project was here, but Frank Stone ultimately requires more refinement, complexity, and, above all, genuine horror to fulfill its promise.
Pros:
- Gorgeous visuals that bring the atmosphere to life.
- Fun and campy with a B-movie vibe.
- A nice tie-in for avid Dead by Daylight fans.
Cons:
- Minor visual glitches and animation issues.
- Lacks a skip option for lengthy cutscenes.
- Fails to deliver the spine-tingling horror one would expect.
A copy of this game was provided by Behavior Interactive for review. The game was played and reviewed on PC, and while there are promising elements, it ultimately left me wanting more.
