Summary
The Casting of Frank Stonewas recently announced at The Game Awards, being a tense narrative-driven horror experience from Supermassive Games. Set in the same universe as the massively popularDead By Daylightfranchise, it is no wonder that the announcement has already drawn a lot of attention from curious fans of the wider IP.
Supermassive Gamesis known for its ability to craft unique horror tales centered around branching narratives and memorable casts of playable characters, and it seems thatThe Casting of Frank Stoneis going to carry the torch of the studio’s successful formula. The company also has the benefit of learning from and building off its past releases likeUntil DawnandThe Quarry, andThe Casting of Frank Stonewill need to make a concerted effort to stand out against its Supermassive predecessors. With its direct ties toDead by Daylightand the growing confidence that the studio has in creating these kinds of experiences, there is a clear strategy that can be taken inTCoFS’s development that would take this formula to another level.
While the premise of The Casting of Frank Stone seems similar to Until Dawn and The Quarry, this may change as more information is revealed about the game.
The Casting of Frank Stone Can Learn From the Highs and Lows of Past Games
Supermassive Games made its first major mark on the video game industry with 2015’sUntil Dawn, which saw players control a friend group in a remote location as they navigated lurking horrors.Until Dawnwas lauded for its memorable charactersand branching storyline, with even the smallest actions that the player makes having a significant impact further down the line.
Building off this success, Supermassive Games would later create similaranticipation around the release of 2022’sThe Quarry, which employed much of the same premise in a different location.The Quarrywas met with less plaudits when it eventually released, with many players seeing it as too much likeUntil Dawnwithout justifying the similarities with a more impactful story or characters. This is something that absolutely needs to be considered inThe Casting of Frank Stone, and there are some immediate tweaks that can be made to shake-off these past criticisms of the studio.
The Casting of Frank Stoneis unique thanks to its presence in theDead By Daylightuniverse, and this could be key to giving the title its own identity away from past Supermassive entries. Fans are already noting the potential crossovers betweenDead By DaylightandThe Casting of Frank Stone, and the gameplay of the latter may play into this. For example, Frank Stone is set to be the murderous antagonist ofTCoFS, and the game should let players control the figure for certain sequences.
This would add a fascinating element toThe Casting of Frank Stonewhere players are simultaneously working toward the core characters' survival while playing a part in their downfall as Frank Stone, with the potential narrative branches that this could create being obvious. With the general premise and core characters ofThe Casting of Frank Stoneseemingly following the sameformula ofThe QuarryandUntil Dawn, turning the game’s antagonist into a playable character could be the key to evolving the premise of past Supermassive releases.
With many expecting Frank Stone to beadded toDead By Daylightas a playable killer, gameplay sequences centered around the figure would be a great way to show what abilities he would have as aDbDkiller. It’s clear thatThe Casting of Frank Stoneneeds to do something to move away from the premises of past games, and itsDead By Daylightconnections may be the saving grace that it needs.
