Summary
Sound design is one of the most important components of a horror game. While the visuals do a lot of the heavy lifting, good sound design in a horror game can elevate the atmosphere to new heights, making players terrified of even the most mundane noises when done correctly. For an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game likeDead by Daylight, where bothSurvivors and Killersneed to listen out for important audio cues that reveal key pieces of information, sound design is even more important than usual.
Thankfully,Dead by Daylighthas some pretty good sound design. Whether it’s the slam of a locker door, the heart-pounding thud of a generator, or the wince-inducing sound of someone being thrown on a hook,Dead by Daylightis filled with iconic sounds. Many ofDead by Daylight’s most iconic sounds come from the various grunts, screams, and yelps of its Survivors and Killers, many of which can be hilariously goofy and over-the-top. But in recent years,DbDhas continued to break a big tradition when it comes to sound design, and that recurring decision could have some interesting ripple effects.
Before April 2019, all ofDead by Daylight’s Survivors and Killers only communicated through exaggerated grunts and wordless screams. But that all changed with the release ofDead by Daylight’s Ash Williams. Voiced by the original actor, Bruce Campbell, Ash had 15 lines of dialog in total, all of which could be heard in pre-game lobbies.
It would take another two years forDead by Daylightto receive its next voiced character. September 2021’s Hellraiser DLC introducedThe Cenobite Killerto the game, who came with around 30 seconds of unique voice lines uttering now-iconic phrases like “The box, you opened it,” and the infamous “I came,” most of which could now be heard during a Trial.
Just a little under a year later,Dead by Daylightwould receive its second voiced Killer inResident Evil: Project W’s Albert Wesker, also known as The Mastermind. But this DLC Chapter also added voice lines for not just its new Survivors but for the Survivors inDead by Daylight’s previousResident EvilDLC as well. In July 2023, famous actor Nicolas Cage appeared as a Survivor inDead by Daylight. Not one for half-measures, Nicolas Cage apparently recorded 10 minutes of dialog for the game.
In the last 9 months,Dead by Daylighthas doubled down on its voiced DLC characters. In November 2023,Child’s Play’s Chucky was added to the game. In January 2024, Alan Wake was added. In June,Dungeons and Dragons' Vecnawas added. And most recently, in July,Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft was added toDead by Daylight. All four of these DLC characters feature multiple voice lines each.
It seems as though voiced characters are becoming the new norm inDead by Daylight, and many fans believe that’s for the better. Voice lines help cement each character’s identity and increase their value, which is particularly important for crossover characters. However, this sudden shift toward voiced characters has leftDead by Daylight’s rostera little unequal. With so many voiced characters now inDbD, it feels strange whenever a non-speaking character is in the lobby. It might be worth it for Behaviour to add a handful of voice lines to olderDead by Daylightcharacters to make the game feel more complete.
Dead by Daylight
WHERE TO PLAY
Ever wished to play as one of the characters from your favorite horror movies? Dead by Daylight is a 1v4 multiplayer game that draws from all corners of the horror world from a powerful slasher to a terrifying paranormal entity.Choose between playing an unstoppable Killer and one of 4 Survivors trying to evade a gruesome death. Each character has their own deep progression system and plenty of unlockables that can be customized to fit your personal strategy. Work together to escape, or stalk and sacrifice every Survivor.This Edition of Dead by Daylight gives you access to a roster of 7 Killers (The Trapper, The Hillbilly, The Wraith, The Nurse, The Hag, The Huntress and The Doctor) and 9 Survivors (Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park, Dwight Fairfield, Ace Visconti, Nea Karlsson, Bill Overbeck, Feng Min and David King). It also includes two cosmetic add-ons packed with outfits for various characters.
