Will you be dead by daylight?

ch.ch.ch.ch…hah.hah.hah.hah.

By Daniel Pike

It’s dark, and a cool mist wraps around your legs as you struggle to make your way through a landscape of detritus filled buildings and tall grass.  You aren’t alone, there are others, other survivors struggling in the shadows.  They, too, are trying to escape the evil machinations of the one that hunts you.  He is known only as “the Trapper”.  Something clatters to life in the distance, and a bright light flashes, one of the other survivors repaired a generator, thank goodness.  You say a quick prayer that they will be able to hide, but just as you start to stand to move toward another of the finicky generators, the hair on the back of your neck stands up and you drop behind a stack of tires.  The mask-faced killer moves past your hiding place, his rusty home-made blade and heavy bear trap swinging and clinking with every step.  He stops a moment and you hold your breath.  He begins to look around the area and you can feel your pulse quicken.  Then, something sounds in the distance, and the Trapper looks away, trying to focus on his new target.  He moves off and within seconds, is gone.  You take a deep breath and slowly start to stand, to see over the junk pile.  The Trapper is no where in sight.  One more generator.  One more generator and the door will open.  One more generator and you will be free.  You make your way through the darkened courtyard and see one, a sluggish and rusted box almost hidden from view by a large stack of pallets.  As you step up to it, the smells of gasoline and burning rubber fill your nose.  It will need to be quick work if you want to survive.  Then you hear it, a scream from across the maze-like yard.  You could help, you know it might make the difference, but are you brave enough?  Should you finish the generator?  It would be fixed twice as fast with another set of hands.  The choice could change everything.

In ‘Dead by Daylight’, a new game created by Behavior Digital and published by Starbreeze Studios, scenarios like the one above are common place.  It is a four versus one survival horror game that takes the horror genre and flips it upside-down.  Up to four players take the roles of survivors, doing all they can to survive the plans and plots of a horror movie serial killer.  The fifth player takes that role.  Its not just that though.  The play style for both sides if very different, as it should be.’

“The Trapper”

The killer (there will be three available at launch) is a first person view.  They have tools available to capture, trick, and trap the survivors.  The first person view for the killer makes the hunt all the more interesting, and makes the killer feel attached to the map he inhabits.  In the beta, the available killer is “the Trapper”.  He is able to use bear traps littered through out the stage to entrap the survivors.  He can also see loud sounds.  They show as bright spots in his vision.  He searches through the stage for his victims, and when he catches them, he carries them to a sacrificial hook, for them to be taken by the elders.

The survivors (four individual characters) see in third person view, this means that they can still look around the level while hiding, the player can see around corners, over obstacles.  It really builds some interesting moments when the killer passes by, or grabs a fellow survivor.  The survivors move through the level, staying quiet, and attempting to start a series of generators to power the exit door.  There are objects hidden throughout the stage that can assist them, if found.  Players can also assist each other.  If one gets caught, the others can save them from the altar of sacrifice, they can work together to repair generators faster, or act as distractions to allow others to hide or run away.

“Work together, die alone.”

As the killer approaches a survivor, the survivor’s heartbeat quickens, and it really builds a level of tension and intrigue into the game that can be really hard to explain.  The game really feels like you are playing a slow-chase horror movie.  As you work with the other survivors, you are always looking over your shoulder, expecting the machete to come for you.

As you play through the rounds, your characters will gain experience that will allow for numerous upgrades and options to increase the playability of this title.

This game is one of Steam’s numerous top-shelf offerings, and will be released June 14th.  If you purchase before then, you can get it at a discount, and if you purchase the deluxe edition, you actually get three beta keys that allow your friends to try the game out with you starting now.

“Let the bodies hit the floor…”

While the horror genre isn’t for everyone, the ideas and feel of this game put it above and beyond for me.  I really don’t like PVP, but the play style make here makes this game unique and more fun than some of the other games that fall into both this genre and / or this playstyle.

I have only been able to play the beta so far, but I am really looking forward tot his game’s release, especially playing this with my friends.

I rate this game 8/10.
Buy it now with a discount,and remember…death is not an escape.

Dead by Daylight will be released on Steam June 14th, Beta is available now.