The Casting of Frank Stone (PS5) Review: A Nihilistic Love Letter

Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight world is expanding with a narrative adventure by Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games. Called The Casting of Frank Stone, the horror game plays much like the developer’s Dark Pictures series and is a similar length as well as its 14 chapters go by in a handful of hours. While it doesn’t break a ton of new ground, it’s a satisfying extension of the universe that will appeal to Supermassive’s existing fans, even if the ending is bound to be divisive.

Like the studio’s previous games, it is once again divided into exploration sequences and cutscenes that will have you making choices and doing quick-time events to survive dangerous sections. There are a lot of permutations with the choices, as characters can meet an early end if you make mistakes. It adds a lot of replayability and a reason to play via couch co-op with a loved one or friend, as each playthrough will go through different routes.

One thing that is new to The Casting of Frank Stone is that there is some action that takes place during the exploration parts now. Armed with a Super 8 camera, players will look down the lens and use the recording feature in order to get rid of supernatural baddies that spawn. This only happens a handful of times, but it does add some variety and is a nice addition since one of my complaints of past games is how you’re typically always safe whenever you can move the character.

The actual story has an interesting structure, as the opening takes place in 1963, and then the story alternates between the perspectives of characters in 1980 and the modern day. It all revolves around Dead by Daylight’s Entity and the repercussions of serial killer Frank Stone’s actions. Supermassive does a good job of dolling out the reveals so that players always have questions while never being overly confused with what’s happening. It’d be quite easy for it to become an overcomplicated mess, but that isn’t the case here as the only mess is the mill that half of the game takes place in, as it is so easy to get lost in its labyrinthine environment.

I’m not a diehard Dead by Daylight fan, but the lore does interest me, and I spotted plenty of Easter eggs throughout the story. My favorite actually tied into gameplay as you have to repair generators throughout The Casting of Frank Stone and it is done in the same manner as in the asymmetrical multiplayer game. There are also plenty of collectibles that reference original killers from the main series, including some creepy serial killer dolls, and I’m sure there are dozens of other references I simply missed. Either way, it’s fans of the existing series that will get the most out of the game, even if it’s not wholly required.

While I won’t get into any spoilers, I have to give credit to Supermassive for The Casting of Frank Stone’s ending. It winds up tying into the main Dead by Daylight game wonderfully, even if it’s not a neatly put-together ending that will leave everyone satisfied. Instead, it’s a sudden end that is sure to leave some players unsatisfied, mostly those who aren’t looking for DBD lore. However, I thought the ending was nihilistic brilliance, a haunting and hilarious way to end the experience that is far more memorable than if it was more traditionally handled.

The Casting of Frank Stone (PS5) Review: Final Verdict

The Casting of Frank Stone takes some big swings with its story’s final act that pay off and elevate what otherwise could’ve been just another narrative-focused horror game. Supermassive does a good job of adding some action to its exploration sections and layering in plenty of Easter eggs from the series. Dead by Daylight fans are sure to have a blast, and I hope this isn’t Supermassive’s last foray into making a horror game in an established world.

Disclaimer: This The Casting of Frank Stone review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.005.001.