Behavior Entertainment has seen a lot over the last ten years. They’ve navigated Dead by Daylight through a global pandemic, countless competitors and the evergrowing complication of continuing to stitch together IP after IP, as well as cope with the loss of a couple along the way. In four short months, this game will have made it an entire decade. How does it still hold up today?

Let’s discuss pros and cons, starting with the former.

Crossovers

If you’re tardy to the party, let’s go over something. At the time of writing, a whopping twenty eight different IPs have converged to make this game as great as it is. It’s a seriously wide variety, a melting pot stemming from Halloween’s Michael Myers, Silent Hill’s Pyramid Head, a number of iconic faces from the Resident Evil series, and much, much more.

While Dead by Daylight does more right than just IP management, this aspect of the game is undeniably pulling more weight than anything else the game has to offer. Why did the Evil Dead or Texas Chainsaw Massacre games ultimately fail to stand the test of time? Because they were confined to their own, singular, one dimensional IP. They had expiration dates that Dead by Daylight simply does not face.

If you’re of the belief that, eventually, the well will run dry on IPs, that is not a realistic problem this game will ever face. Not only has Behavior double-dipped into a couple different franchises, namely Stranger Things and Resident Evil, but they’ve managed to include non-horror IPs in a tasteful, meaningful and appropriate way. Examples include work-togethers with Attack on Titan, Crypt TV and even managing to land the real world likeness of Nicholas Cage.

New Features

At the time I wrote our last update on Dead by Daylight, the game was definitely going quite strong, but it only had the same singular mode it debuted with seven years prior. While hardly a shortcoming, it was also a fairly easy area to identify as something Behavior could do to enhance this legendary game even further.

Since writing that piece, Behavior hasn’t exactly developed another fully fleshed out mode, but they have spent a lot of time trying. 2v8 may seem like the exact same thing as the basic game mode, but bigger. And while that is to some extent the case, the fact that it is bigger causes a completely unique experience. Not only is 2v8 balanced far, far differently from the classic 1v4, but the tempo of the game is just faster than expected given that there’s more to do, and on a much larger map to boot.

At the time of writing, 2v8 does not come close to including all of the game’s Killers nor maps, and it does not allow for traditional build making in the same way as 1v4. In that sense, the mode is still underdeveloped and needs time in the oven. It is my greatest hope that, come two years time when this game gets revisited, one of the highlights will be a fleshed out, finished 2v8 mode. It seriously is a lot of fun.

Original Content

Back in 2023, this is nothing that was specifically addressed too much in depth. But, while Behavior did release some banger quality originals, like The Dredge, they also put out duds like The Skull Merchant and, though a fine addition to the game, The Trickster had received criticism for not fitting the context of a horror game particularly well.

In years since, Behavior definitely hammered out content befitting for a game like Dead by Daylight. The creative juices really were churning, with interesting adds such as the half woman/half monstrosity Krasue, multi-faceted Houndmaster or ominous Unknown. That adds onto existing members of a creative crop such as The Nurse, The Spirit, The Plague, The Artist and, of course, the ever iconic Trapper.

While this game has more than earned its flowers for including a swath of licensed content, the game would definitely stand tall on the strength of its original characters too. Especially in years recent, Behavior has done a fantastic job making a name for itself with their own products.

BHVR has held the line

In the end, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Many of the positives outlined in InReview’s 2023 piece remain today. Behavior has done a great job balancing the game, relative to its pitiful state in the late 2010s/early 2020s. They’ve continued to churn out cool, exclusive, special skins for characters to draw more IPs in than it may seem at first glance. And the game continues to be accessible to new and veteran player alike.

On that note, let’s have a look at one of the game’s shortcomings.

The Skull Merchant

Basically all of the criticisms highlighted in the 2023 Dead by Daylight article remain today, despite this Killer having been straight up reworked, buffed and nerfed time and time again. Unfortunately, Adriana here simply does not fit this game and probably never will. She is neither mechanically interesting nor fits the design and scope of a horror game. This is one piece of original content BHVR swung and missed on. If you need specifics on why this Killer sucks, go ahead and read the aforementioned article.

And that’s about it, really. This game is lacking in notable flaws, apart from the existence of the Skull Merchant.

In 2023, I wrote that Dead by Daylight had evolved into a champion of the horror media industry. It retains that title today, as it consistently dwarfs whatever competition turns up and grows ever popular with its dedicated fanbase. It has done nothing but add onto its growing, mounting legacy that proves again and again it will stand the test of time.

In 2023, I gave this game top praise for being effectively perfect in every meaningful way. There is little reason to alter that disposition, leading me to retain the grade of an S for Dead by Daylight. There is not one single person I have ever met, nor likely will I ever meet anyone, that I would not recommend this game to in some way. I suspect I will be saying this again two years from now.