While growing up, I had a fascination with horror, particularly movies. These range from supernatural hauntings and slashers to psychological terror and gore fests. Satisfying story-telling and realistic characterization would often clash with effective scares. However, aside from the challenges of producing something frightening, it was the different approaches to horror. Moodier pieces that didn’t rely on jump scares, found footage films, anthologies – the world of horror caters to such a wide array of individuals, from slasher flick enjoyers to murder mystery fans, that it remains an endearing medium.

This brings us to The Casting of Frank Stone, Supermassive’s latest interactive narrative horror. As a collaboration with Behaviour Interactive, touted as “from the world of Dead by Daylight”, it seemingly offers a simple tale where choice and consequence determine who survives. Nothing revolutionary, but with deep enough characterization, compelling writing, and intriguing scenarios, it could have been a tight thriller.

"The setting is Cedar Hills in 1980, several years after the carnage perpetrated by one Frank Stone. Jaime, Chris, and Linda are shooting a movie, Murder Mill, set in the abandoned Steel Mill where Stone previously worked."

Instead, it falters on numerous fronts. Though it somewhat caters to fans of the Dead by Daylight lore, the story and gameplay fail to stand on their own, whether you’re seeking heart-pounding scares, something more cerebral or plain old violence.

The setting is Cedar Hills in 1980, several years after the carnage perpetrated by one Frank Stone. Jaime, Chris, and Linda are shooting a movie, Murder Mill, set in the abandoned Steel Mill where Stone previously worked. It’s not until later they learn about the extent of his crimes, and together with Robert, they push deeper into the mill to capture more. But is Frank really dead? We know The Entity from Dead by Daylight is involved somehow, based on all the marketing blurbs, but in what sense?

The plot holes appear fairly early, especially regarding the movie the teens are shooting. Where does Frank Stone figure into the script, especially when they presumably need one more shot to wrap it up? Is this meant to be a commentary on amateur film-making and how it can sometimes feel directionless, justifying the teens wandering around with the least amount of self-preservation instinct? You, the player, know it’s a plot device to keep things moving, but it doesn’t have to feel so shoddily constructed (cheesy acting aside).

Amid all this, another plotline unfolds, set in 2024. It sees the unassuming Madison venturing to a strange, isolated estate at the behest of the mysterious Augustine. She meets a somewhat familiar face along the way and then Stan, who couldn’t be slimier or more untrustworthy if he tried. They – and their host – are also connected to Murder Mill, and when Augustine mysteriously disappears, the trio begin exploring to uncover her secrets.

"For the most part, it feels like The Casting of Frank Stone is intent on moving things along rather than taking the time to build its cast."

There is some poorly written dialogue here and there, accentuated by how awkward the cutscene direction and facial expressions can sometimes be. However, above all else, it feels like the majority of the cast just isn’t fleshed out enough. Jaime comes across as happy-go-lucky but becomes more hesitant and moody about the production after Chris delves into Frank Stone’s past. What’s the deal with his family, and what does he want?

There’s Chris, who may come across as ungrateful but emerges as someone determined to get things done and cares for her friends deeply, even when terrified. What’s that about her not being from Cedar Hills? Why does she want to make a horror movie besides simply liking horror? There’s no time to explain. Jaime’s sister, Bonnie, gets some moments to breathe as she offers intriguing glimpses into her time in New York and how she feels about Cedar Hills. However, it’s simply not enough, ultimately wasting her potential.

There are other examples, but Frank Stone is probably the most egregious. As you explore off the slightly beaten path, there are some interesting bits to discover about Frank, even if they’re little more than reminders of someone behind his actions. For the most part, it feels like The Casting of Frank Stone is intent on moving things along rather than taking the time to build its cast.

The characterization feels adequate in service of the overall plot but doesn’t go that extra mile to really make you care. We’re on the cusp of something more, especially after the opening hours (despite some dreadful exchanges), but it’s ultimately inconsequential en route to the climax. I have other complaints regarding certain scenes and choices, which mess with my suspension of disbelief, but that would venture into the spoiler territory. Suffice it to say that the core plot turns out to be more straightforward than you would think, even if much of it stretches credulity.

"Some graphical issues exist on PS5, like a dithering effect with shadows and odd anti-aliasing on "

characters’ hair. Despite the solid frame rate performance, both can prove distracting at times.

The voice actors do a good enough job with the delivery, while Supermassive’s performance capture is on point more often than not. The same goes for the environmental details – locations can feel limited and somewhat simplistic (outside of an annoying maze-like section). However, the remains of the Cedar Mill, various graffiti adorning the walls, and more gruesome bits, coupled with the lighting and shadows, help contribute to the atmosphere. The cinematography is also decent, though I found the voyeur-esque shots when the teens were returning to their garage, short as they were, to be the best.

Some graphical issues exist on PS5, like a dithering effect with shadows and odd anti-aliasing on characters’ hair. Despite the solid frame rate performance, both can prove distracting at times. There were also a few bugs that took me out of the experience, like one character’s death glitching out and making them appear like paper mache, Jaime putting on a backpack while already wearing one, and the presence of a character who should, by all means, not be in a scene. Thankfully, there’s nothing game-breaking and I can see these being addressed quickly.

One aspect that unfortunately can’t be “fixed” is the gameplay. By now, the gameplay loop will be familiar to fans of Supermassive’s previous titles. Certain cutscenes have choices to make, but you can also walk around and explore some areas, solving puzzles, gathering collectibles, and chatting with other characters. You have quick-time events, some represented as Dead by Daylight-style skill checks, and it’s all fairly rudimentary. However, the additional mechanics feel out of place or mind-numbingly simplistic.

When you think Dead by Daylight, what comes to mind? Four players are pitted against a murderous killer, exploiting their environment and utilizing stealth to escape (in a nutshell, at least). Skill checks come into play in different ways, like when repairing generators. Hit the required area to repair, but missing it will cause the generator to make noise, attracting the killer. If you can time the button press perfectly, repairs go by faster.

"Then there are the camera scenes, where you aim the 8mm, press the trigger and film, occasionally winding it up. Given the context of these sequences, the whole mechanic comes across as dull and diminishes any potential scares."

The Casting of Frank Stone carries that over, but without any threat (except for perhaps one scene – I didn’t fail it enough times to find out). You could keep timing it perfectly and repairing it faster, but that doesn’t matter. I also dislike the whole “hunting for parts” aspect because (a) it’s repeated for every single generator repair, and (b) one section’s parts are just in plain sight, mitigating any sense of tension.

Then there are the camera scenes, where you aim the 8mm, press the trigger and film, occasionally winding it up. Given the context of these sequences, the whole mechanic comes across as dull and diminishes any potential scares. The only real challenge came from the drift in my DualSense’s right stick, which was, at best, a minor inconvenience.

The regular puzzles are slightly better, but not by much. One section has pop-up notifications, the same informing you of a fate changing, annoyingly dictating every single step in a puzzle. Another sequence involves finding valves to redirect steam jets to progress forward. Finding them is super-easy, but on replaying the section, I discovered that you can’t just gather the parts and proceed. No, you need to trigger the same cutscenes and interact with the same things again. It may not sound like the biggest deal, but when replaying chapters to make different choices, it becomes an annoyance

Speaking of which, there’s the Cutting Room Floor, where you can revisit past decisions to try and obtain different outcomes. It also helpfully indicates the percentage of players who opted for each choice. I’ve played my share of adventure titles and visual novels, so this is appreciated. Unfortunately, you can’t just jump to the choices in question. You have to start the chapter and keep playing until reaching the point of said decision.

"Yet, despite the sheer range of possibilities in the horror genre, the biggest struggle with The Casting of Frank Stone is finding much of anything that genuinely frightens or pushes the envelope."

There’s also no skipping or fast-forwarding, increasing the tedium ten-fold, to see another outcome (which may not always be worth it). What happens if you make a mistake at some point? Go back to the beginning of the chapter and do it all over again. While the game attempts to separate the chapters enough, you still must endure several repeated cutscenes ad nauseam for a new result.

I said that The Casting of Frank Stone doesn’t stand well enough on its own, but there may still be some appeal for Dead by Daylight fans. Certain events link back to The Entity and its motives while slightly expanding on certain factions. Unanswered questions remain about the entire process leading to the finale, but at least it makes Behaviour’s lore somewhat more interesting.

The Casting of Frank Stone could have offered a unique traipse into Dead by Daylight’s world, combining Supermassive’s narrative treatment with the latter’s tense gameplay to cater to single-player fans. Instead, it opts for the same gameplay model seen in the developer’s previous titles, with a few barely interesting hooks to liven things up.

It’s dragged down further by an underdeveloped cast and a narrative that leaves much to be desired when not confounding with its plot holes or punishing you for wanting to pursue other paths. Yet, despite the sheer range of possibilities in the horror genre, the biggest struggle with The Casting of Frank Stone is finding much of anything that genuinely frightens or pushes the envelope.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.