What is our end-of-year verdict about the game, BHVR, and general criticisms? (2024)

i personally believe that dead by daylight has seen some pretty positive changes this year and has a good setup for better performance in 2025. while there were some questionable changes, it did not deter me from enjoying the game any more than i already did.

i am a player who has played this game since late 2017 and actively play both sides, as well as engage in both competitive and casual settings. i would consider myself to be an above average player and have a more technical and strategic approach to the game. currently, i am more of a killer player than i am survivor, however i have enough time with both sides to understand things in-depth.

GAMEPLAY

BHVR has shown a much higher attention to detail to the flow of gameplay as well as a willingness to provide new ways for players to play the game. maps, perks, and killer powers now seem to be more generalized yet unique to their identity, which opens up the possibility for all sorts of different combinations and playstyles. the game incentivizes the usage of strategies and awareness of events as you play, which is fantastic!

additionally, both the killer and survivor experience has been tailored to cater to different skill levels and methods of thinking. it actually has made for an interesting playing field, since there's now a lot more variability in how a match can be played without having to strictly stick to a predefined blueprint. to me, both sides don't feel like they're overpowering each other at base.

towards the beginning of the year, i initially felt as if the gameplay was being changed to lean heavily on a player having to be ABSOLUTELY on top of everything since the core of dead by daylight is time management. however, my perspective on this has changed with the new QOL features introduced that equally benefits both a casual and more competitive player. i'd argue that the game feels much more accessible to newer players as well since they're given a reason to experiment and learn about things!

however, i do believe there are some negatives to this approach.new or intermediate players still do not have a clear starting point on how to actually PLAY the game since there's no actual definition beyond "complete your objective" (kill survivors, escape the match). this is incentivizing players to resort to tactics that consistently allows them to achieve their goal easier rather than experimenting and interacting with the different mechanics that the developers introduce.

on top of that, there's difficulty in on-boarding a new player because of the amount of information that has to be digested in a short amount of time. in a live match, this can especially make a newer or more casual player's experience painful if they're by themselves (often referred to as the 'solo Q experience' by the community as well, since this is especially prominent when playing in an uncoordinated or inexperienced team).

while loading tips and information blurbs can help, they only address a small aspect of the game. it does not go over the nuances of different strategies or explains why the player needs to make certain decisions, like why they should be mindful of the direction of a killer's red stain at tiles, or why they should be aware of how long they're chasing someone, or why they should be careful about which generators they complete.

because dead by daylight has so many different variables, i believe BHVR should take more time to focus on helping players understand what the game actually is. this could also aid in balancing and reduce the amount of changes necessary, since you can also get a more accurate picture of the performance of mechanics if people are aware of what they're meant for and what to do in some scenarios.

QUALITY

dead by daylight's quality, in terms of assets and immersion, has been outstanding. i have enjoyed the different artistic and creative expressions through the mediums (audio, modeling, environmental work, technical design, etc), introductions of the new and reworks of old and outdated content, as well as the storytelling and world-building that is being done. it's very clear that dead by daylight is still a project of love despite some ups and downs. it's also clear that there are some very talented people on the team who enjoyed putting a bit of themselves into their work. each part of the game is carefully crafted to represent those who have worked on that piece of the puzzle and gives dead by daylight the essence it needs as a universe.

(and yes! this even applies to sable and skull merchant. despite how seemingly lackluster these two characters are, they still have an identity that is worthy of exploring just like any other asset of the game.)

as an artist and a technical person who loves to develop, innovate, and engage with the things i come across, it was fantastic to see this game grow to be what it is today. there's a level of detail that tends to go unnoticed that the development team deserves credit for.

in reference to the actual gameplay, the game feels significantly more solid.

FINANCIAL HEALTH, PRIORITY, AND ITS IMPACT

with that being said, it is also noticeable when the business behind the game supersedes the passion of the developer team and oversight of the game's health. in BHVR's defense, money is necessary in order to even function. people also have lives and things they wish to see, so profitability naturally will be brought into question whenever a project for the game is started.

micro-transactions and sales are a common aspect in most live-service games, both as a profit-making tool as well as a way to promote support for the game. this is perfectly fine, so long as there is a balance between the corporation and the consumer. there are currently a few running examples in which the game's quality has been effected by layoffs, focus shifting (to funding and profits or lack thereof), and marketing tactics. this is noted in the pricing of certain cosmetics, DLC advertisements and releases, and traits of gameplay (bug fixes, accessibility to perks, addressing issues and allocating the necessary resources in a timely manner).

while i do not pretend to know how much BHVR gains or loses quarterly, nor am i familiar with the company's culture, it is distinct when an internal decision or change is made that impacts the health of the game. sometimes chapters, paragraphs, patches and hotfixes, and community events feel rushed or unfinished. other times, we would see unusual pricing for cosmetics or licenses that don't exactly feel consistent with what is regular to us as a playerbase.

the largest example of inconsistency in focus is the community's emphasis on the presence of cheaters. while cheating can never be 100% prevented (if it's man-made, it can be hacked!), it has been noted that dead by daylight does suffer from a lack of priority (or communication of priority) for things that are prominent. some issues are able to be addressed quicker than others, and rightfully they should be if they can be gotten out of the way. however, it doesn't feel as if BHVR is as responsive to major problems like this and that, at times, there's more of an emphasis on what can quickly overshadow the problem.

whether this is done to buy more time in preparation of a solution or not, i have no clue. as i am not a developer or a team member, i cannot confidently propose a solution to this problem either. this is merely just an observation.

COMMUNICATION

something i am quite satisfied with in spite of that, however, is how much more communicative the developers have been as of late. while they cannot say everything, they definitely do provide information that is asked of them to incite and contribute to discussions or probe for feedback. this was a significant step up from how things used to be and it's clear that they are listening! the community managers at BHVR have done a wonderful job at providing context to scenarios and helping to establish a connection with the playerbase. it's not too often that you see a team be willing to talk to their clients (especially with a community that can be very opinionated at times).

sometimes, there is a bit of a disconnect in what is being discussed or asked of the team—for better or for worse—. but this is to be expected since… well, they have things to do! XD

additionally, developers don't always share the same vision as the player since this is a project they're actively working with daily and will see the game from a much different perspective, which is what i think a lot of the community tends to forget. how this is to be addressed is beyond my power. overall, i don't have much else to really say about this. it could be better, but it's not like it's a ghost town and they're not paying attention. they most definitely are.

CONCLUSION

i think, for what its worth, dead by daylight is set to be what i consider one of the most interesting tales of game development i've ever witnessed in my lifetime, and i think it will become much more successful next year with the right amount of dedication and adjustments. after 7-8 years of non-stop work, the game is finding its place on solid ground and can only expand from here. i'm very curious to see how else BHVR will choose to expand upon it moving forward. sometimes i find myself wishing i could contribute to such a fantastic story in the making haha