Summary
The Casting of Frank Stone feels like a squandered opportunity in the end. Even though it combines the interactive horror formula of Supermassive with the lore of Dead by Daylight, the game fails to stand out. The atmospheric elements and tense moments are sometimes there, but the experience is ruined by a plot that lacks action, simplistic combat, and a complete lack of scares.
Learning the lore might be entertaining for hardcore fans of Dead by Daylight. But for most, this is just a watered-down version of Supermassive's earlier, more influential games. If you’ve already played either Until Dawn or The Quarry, then this experience will feel lack lustre to you. The Casting of Frank Stone is a somewhat decent Halloween horror game, but it falls short in the ‘I need a change of underwear’ department.
Developer – Supermassive Games
Publisher – Behaviour Interactive
Platforms – Xbox Series S|X,PC,PS5 (reviewed)
Review copy given by publisher
Behaviour Interactive, creators of Dead by Daylight, and Supermassive Games, known for games like The Quarry and Until Dawn, have teamed up to create an interactive drama horror game called The Casting of Frank Stone just in time for spooky season. The game makes an effort to combine the expansive Dead by Daylight universe’s lore with Supermassive’s narrative-driven cinematic horror style.
The game released across all consoles and PC on Sept 5th 2024. Is it a great game that will keep you up ‘Until Dawn’ or does it deserve to be buried in ‘The Quarry’ and forgotten about? Let’s get into it!
Gameplay
Four young filmmakers in The Casting of Frank Stone attempt to make a horror film in a decommissioned steel mill in the creepy Oregon town of Cedar Hills in the summer of 1980. In addition to the standard fare of branching narratives, environmental puzzles, and quick-time events (QTEs) seen in other games by Supermassive Games, players must decipher clues about the town’s sinister history and the specter of Frank Stone.
Despite being somewhat predictable to players of Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology, the game’s high-stakes choices and branching plotlines do a half decent job of keeping you invested in the onscreen plots (although not as good as job as they have in the past…more on that later). The characters’ destinies are heavily influenced by your choices, and the results are frequently crucial to their survival. The decision-making mechanics and quick time events (QTEs) are still quite fun, but they’re starting to show their age a bit. The game’s decision-heavy experience is still captivating, but it falls short in a few areas compared to its predecessors, mainly in terms of story and technical execution. A thrill-ride that will leave you on the edge of your seat, this is not!
Story & Setting
The story jumps around in time from 1963, when local cop Sam Green finds Frank Stone attempting to fry a kidnapped baby in a furnace, to 1980, when a band of aspiring filmmakers goes back to the now-deserted steel mill. In addition to suggesting links to the greater universe of Dead by Daylight, this alternate timeline seeks to flesh out Frank Stone’s unsettling origin story. Even Freddy Kreuger wouldn’t like this guy!
Regrettably, there are some problems with the story. The setting is beautiful, but the story drags and the characters are underdeveloped. The story feels really slow in its pacing and the occasional unexpected death does little to liven up the gameplay. Little emotional impact is felt at any stage and the love triangle subplot feels rushed and undercooked to say the least.
Frank Stone, the game’s primary antagonist, has a gruesome design and impressive visual presence, but he disappears from view for too long, weakening the threat he brings. The buildup to his return falls short of the anticipated terror which is very disappointing. I felt more perplexed than frightened at times by the time-jumping plot, which becomes entangled in complex multiversal threads and occasionally feels disjointed.
Visuals & Technical Issues
The visuals are decent, with detailed facial animations and some really spot on lip syncing. The eerie environments too, a lot to add some needed tension and the lighting and world details are on point. That said, nothing is particularly striking and the game often suffers slow down and long loading times. It’s a pity as it doesn’t feel like it’s progressed beyond Until Dawn which released way back in 2015. It feels like they’re stretching an old graphics engine to it’s limits and it feels like it belongs somewhere in last gen with it’s crappy loading times.
I have read a lot of other reviewers had huge graphical glitches and crashes but luckily for me, these were minimal. Perhaps they’ve patched out some of the bugs from launch.
Another minor gripe is the cast itself. I miss the game of ‘spot the minor tv celebrity’ from Until Dawn and The Quarry actually boasted some top tier movie stars and tv actors. Perhaps I’m just out of touch, but in The Casting of Frank Stone, I didn’t recognize any of the cast. A shame!
Horror Elements & Combat
Horror fans might be disappointed by the lack of genuine scares. It starts strong and builds some tension that leads to a decent action infused pay-off in the first act. But then…well…nothing! For hours the mid-game just feels like it’s going through the motions. Sure, they’re telling a decent enough story and padding out the lore of Dead by Daylight but they forgot what makes these games good! They forgot to put in the scares! Until Dawn and The Quarry both did a great job of pumping out jump scares like they were going out of fashion. Playing those titles had you on edge and rightly so!
This game dabbles in slasher, supernatural, and body horror, but its predictable outcomes and simplistic combat mechanics frequently let the tension fly. The new mechanic, which involves a supernatural camera that wards off enemies, is unimpressive because it gets old fast and doesn’t make you feel threatened.
The scares fundamentally don’t work, even though it takes inspiration from Dead by Daylight. This is especially true when it comes to the game’s skill checks and story. Neither the intensity of the cat-and-mouse gameplay in Dead by Daylight nor the heights of the terrifying choices in Until Dawn are achieved by this game. I hate to say it, but I spent hours of this game just feeling a bit bored. Going through the motions, does not a fun game make!
Replayability
The Casting of Frank Stone has some replay value, similar to other Supermassive games, due to its many branching paths and endings. You can revisit individual scenes after your first playthrough to investigate alternate story paths. Devoted fans of the series may enjoy it because there are collectibles and Easter eggs themed to DBD scattered throughout. These additions are nice, but they might not be enough to make casual players want to replay the six-hour campaign. Personally, once I’d completed my first playthrough, I cherry picked only a few scenes to replay and discover different outcomes.
Overall
The Casting of Frank Stone feels like a squandered opportunity in the end. Even though it combines the interactive horror formula of Supermassive with the lore of Dead by Daylight, the game fails to stand out. The atmospheric elements and tense moments are sometimes there, but the experience is ruined by a plot that lacks action, simplistic combat, and a complete lack of scares.
Learning the lore might be entertaining for hardcore fans of Dead by Daylight. But for most, this is just a watered-down version of Supermassive’s earlier, more influential games. If you’ve already played either Until Dawn or The Quarry, then this experience will feel lack lustre to you. The Casting of Frank Stone is a somewhat decent Halloween horror game, but it falls short in the ‘I need a change of underwear’ department.
