HIGH The return of Frank Stone.

LOW That rescue attempt came with some pretty harsh consequences.

WTF This ‘happy ending’ raises more questions than it answers!

There’s a horrific beast at the heart of the Dead By Daylight franchise. It lives in a dimension that it has all to itself, and whenever it feels like it, this ‘entity’ grabs people from their world and pulls them into a playfield where they’re hunted and murdered by tireless killers. Escape is temporary, and death isn’t the end to their torment — no matter what these prisoners do, the entity resets everything to ensure that its dark game can go on. With this knowledge, it’s clear that Dead By Daylight happens in a world where the bad guys have already won, so how can a satisfying dramatic story take place there?

The Casting of Frank Stone is all about answering that question.

A narrative adventure from Supermassive Games, the creators of Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures franchise, Frank Stone is played from a the third person perspective and rotates through a varied cast of characters who must make tough choices to progress a shockingly expansive story that unfolds over the course of a comparatively short five-hour run time.

Taking place in three different time periods, this ambitious story follows a cop who stops the rampage of serial killer Frank Stone in 1963, teens who make a movie at the site of Frank’s killings nearly twenty years later, and the present-day adventures of people haunted by the events of the other timelines. It’s convoluted as heck, but Frank Stone does a magnificent job of keeping things coherent. It helps that the stories are told in parallel, with each chapter swapping back and forth between the present and past, giving the player a chance to see the long-term ramifications of their decisions play out immediately.

Dead By Daylight is known for its relentless brutality, and Frank Stone doesn’t disappoint on that front. After an intense prologue — probably Supermassive’s finest to date — there’s a bit of a lull in the action as the middle section of the story is mostly about exploring characters’ backstories and discovering Frank Stone’s secrets. Things pick up in the final act, however, as the characters find themselves besieged by supernatural entities and forced to make quick choices to keep themselves alive. Whether it’s a bad decision or a failed quick time event, there are dozens of ways to die here, each more gruesome than the last. Frank Stone, the game and the character — does not skimp on the brutality, offering some of the most shockingly upsetting deaths in the videogame horror genre.

This kind of branching narrative only feels satisfying if players have major impact on the story. While the possible options may not be as varied as those found in Supermassive’s earlier work like House of Ashes or the Devil in Me, the developers have finally made those plot paths accessible in a way that none of their other games have offered.

After players complete Frank Stone once, they’ll gain access to the “Cutting Room Floor” — a map of every outcome and variation that they could have experienced while playing. Every death, every location, every twist in the conversation — it’s all there for the player to see. More importantly, the player is able to jump back to the start of each chapter so they can try out the different permutations. Now, all the devs need to do is add the ability to skip dialogue that’s already been heard, and they’ll have created one of the most accessible narrative adventures around.

While the story is conceptually fascinating, The Casting of Frank Stone falters a bit in the execution. With so many characters and multiple timelines to cover during roughly five hours of running time, things can feel rushed at times, and the characters get short shrift. There’s almost no downtime to explore them in detail or their feelings about one another, and a single flashback stands out not just because it’s beautifully realized — which it is — but rather because it’s the only time Frank Stone pauses to let the player inside a character’s head. I’ve played through the campaign a handful of times, and I still don’t feel like I know the characters anywhere near as well as the cast of Until Dawn, for example, which I’ve played fewer times.

At least the gameplay picks up the slack that the character work leaves. In addition to the wealth of branching options, the exploration and puzzle mechanics are some of the best that Supermassive has offered. There are actual puzzles this time, with players having to operate strange machines and work out complex locks to continue their progress. There’s even the equivalent of a first-person shooter sequence, although it’s themed around filmmaking rather than gunplay. These elements keep thing engaging even when the characters don’t, and while they don’t feel like Dead By Daylight‘s core mechanics — only a few generator repair sequences fit that bill — they manage to keep things active enough so that the experience is never just a bunch of talking.

At its best, The Casting of Frank Stone works as an exploration of inevitability. Before the player ever takes control of the teens making a movie in the ’80s, they already have some inkling of how that part of the story will end. What makes the game special, though, is how much latitude it gives the player within that structure, allowing them to play out their version of the story to a truly impressive degree by using Dead By Daylight‘s dimension-hopping Entity as a justification for the wilder swings that can be taken. In this world the bad guys always win, but that doesn’t mean the conflict can’t lead to some amazing drama.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by Supermassive Games and published by Behaviour Interactive. It is currently available on PC,PS5,XBX/S. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 15 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed multiple times. The game has no multiplayer modes.

Parents: The game was rated M by the ESRB, and it contains Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language. Keep kids far from this one. It is one of the bloodiest games that Supermassive has ever produced, and that’s saying something!

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available in the options.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: There are no audio cues that will affect gameplay, I played through once without audio and had no trouble whatsoever. All dialogue is subtitled, and the subtitles can be adjusted to the player’s comfort. The game is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Yes, the game’s controls are remappable.

The post The Casting Of Frank Stone Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

The subject of this installment: the pinball tables available in the recent release Pinball M, developed and published by Zen Studios.

I already reviewed Pinball M as an entire package and highly recommend it. Since then, I have logged nearly twenty more hours, and wanted to highlight a few things about each individual table.

*

Wrath of the Elder Gods — Director’s Cut: Themed around Lovecraftian horror, this is an updated version of the Pinball FX table of the same name — this time with more blood and madness! It features one of the easiest starting skill shots I’ve ever come across, and multiple in-game events make regular lanes and ramps easy pathways to racking up million-point shots. This table comes free when downloading Pinball M and is an excellent place for players to start without any financial commitment.

*

Chucky’s Killer Pinball: Themed around the incredibly long-lived horror franchise Child’s Play, this table is the one that has grown on me the most. The table is well-themed, which I would likely appreciate more if I was a fan of the source material, as it includes references to all the films in the series. I found the sound bites in Chucky’s Killer Pinball to be the least repetitive of the entire bunch, which is a plus since one of my overall complaints in Pinball M was the repetitive dialogue. Also, a couple of the paths were difficult to hit consistently, but others allowed me to amass huge scores while engaged in multi-ball mode. While not my favorite table, this one is by no means a dud.

*

The Thing Pinball: Based on John Carpenter’s classic sci-fi horror film, The Thing quickly became one of my most frequently-played tables. Sound and movie clips make it an excellent homage, though the quotes quickly become repetitive. Activating the in-game events and modes is relatively easy, tasking the player with completing scenes from the film like dealing with the assimilated dog. It also has a unique event where a blizzard hits the table and creates wind that impacts the ball’s movement. I’m not completely sold on this weather mode, but I do appreciate the effort and novelty.

*

Duke Nukem’s Big Shot Pinball: If there was an award for capturing the essence of its source material, this table would win. Based on Duke Nukem 3D, this table mimics the look of the classic FPS to near-perfection. Activating one mode puts players behind Duke’s firearms — flippers are used to turn left and right, while the plunger button shoots the alien invaders. This looks so much like it’s out of the original, it’s uncanny. The Duke one-liners become stale quickly and I can’t hit the opening skill shot to save my life, but the table is still enjoyable.

*

Dead by Daylight Pinball: Out of all the licensed tables, this one I knew the least about. It was also a table I generally shied away from, but over time I’ve come to enjoy it. Based on the videogame of the same name, Dead by Daylight Pinball has players choose one of two paths — the victims or the villain! This alters the in-game modes, as ramps are used to either escape or capture the characters. The ramps on this table are very player friendly, as is completing events, which in turn help accrue massive scores. Overall, an excellent table.

*

System Shock Pinball: Based off the cult-classic videogame, System Shock Pinball is the latest addition to the Pinball M library. Players navigate through various modes to defeat mutants, cyborgs and infamous villain SHODAN. This table has a unique three-level, three-flipper ramp that leads to a video mode. I enjoyed this challenge, but it can become frustrating once the multi-ball mode is unleashed. Despite that frustration, I was a little surprised with how easy it was to complete the Campaign Modes here, but that’s not really a complaint. One other bonus — purchasing this version also unlocks a less gory version in Pinball FX. It’s the exact same table, and I only played the family friendly version once, but it’s nice to see something for “free” in the current age of micro-transactions.

*

As a whole, I highly recommend these tables for anyone who enjoys pinball and doesn’t mind a little horror to go with it. System Shock is the only table sold by itself — the other four can be purchased individually or bundled together for a small discount. Pinball M also has trials of each table, so interested players can try before buying.

The post This Is Not A Review: Pinball M Tables appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH New challenge modes.

LOW Repetitive sound bites.

WTF Pinball blood trails.

Learning Pinball M was from the crew at Zen Studios, some of the best in the biz at creating quality digital pinball, I wondered why they would release a second, simultaneous title beside Pinball FX. Now that I’ve played this horror-influenced offshoot, it’s clear why Zen Studios would want something separate from their more family-friendly options. Thankfully, the same top-notch pinball experience gamers have come to expect is still more than present in Pinball M.

Pinball M has the same high-quality presentation and controls as its FX sibling. Flippers and plungers react with precision, and the ball physics remain lifelike. Players can adjust the viewing angle of the playfield and classic challenges like Time and 1 Ball, all make a return. Players who have enjoyed Zen Studios’ pinball offerings in the past will feel right at home.

Pinball M also contains a few upgrades that surpass last year’s mainline release, apparent in two areas — visuals and challenges. I was underwhelmed with the slightly bland presentation and in-game trophies that could be earned in Pinball FX, but Pinball M improves upon these by making each table its own corner, separate from the others.

By completing the newly-added Campaign mode, players can earn visual upgrades to each of these corners — basically, props from each of the source materials. There are seven per table, but each of the seven has three different versions based on high scores earned. While this doesn’t impact gameplay in Pinball M, it is a great way to brag about high scores since players can post their corner, complete with unlockable props, as part of user-created tournaments.

The same Campaign mode utilizes the new Pinball M challenges. One tasks players with reaching a pre-determined score in the shortest amount of time possible. Another is the Madness challenge — basically five-minutes of multi-ball to rack up huge scores. My favorite new mode is probably Shiver, where gamers have a nearly pitch-black playfield with only the steel ball and a few of the table lights to guide them. These new challenges (with or without their slight horror twist) would be fantastic additions to any digital pinball title.

As for the tables themselves, Pinball M includes originals based on a variety of properties. The core game itself is a free download and comes with a single table, Wrath of the Elder Gods. This is an updated version of the same table from Pinball FX. This time, the playfield is a little darker and a lot bloodier. This is a solid table and a great place to start without a financial commitment.

There are four other tables currently offered in Pinball M. These are based on movies (The Thing, Child’s Play) and videogames (Duke Nukem, Dead by Daylight). Zen Studios did an excellent job capturing the style and atmosphere of each, whether it was by using video clips from the movies or graphics that appear to be ripped directly from the source, the atmosphere here is top notch.

Each table plays well too, but I found my enjoyment of each to be more tied to how interested I was in the property — Duke and Thing definitely received more playtime than the other two. Thankfully, each table can be purchased separately or in a bundle, and there’s are even demos that players can test before sinking some money in. No new tables have been announced yet, but hopefully Pinball M receives expansions for the foreseeable future.

Ultimately, Pinball M is another solid outing from Zen Studios. Their typically-excellent pinball physics complement well-designed, original tables based on icons of film and videogames. For those who aren’t fans of the source material, the excellent new modes alone make it a worthy addition for any pinball fan.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed by and published by Zen Studios. It is currently available on XBO, XBX/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBS. Approximately 6 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, unlocking many, but not all, of the in-game visual upgrades. Zero hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence. No official description is available, but the descriptors are accurate. Tables contain plenty of blood and four-letter language directly from the sources, often repeated regularly. Nothing was too over the top, but this game is not for youngsters. Parents not comfortable with their kids playing the games or watching the movies the different tables are based on, will want to steer clear of this pinball game.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game does not offer subtitles. Menu text size cannot be changed. In game commands like, “shoot the left ramp,” are accompanied by flashing lights or icons on the pinball table. However, I did come across one game mode where a sound cue did not have a visual accompaniment. On the Duke Nukem table, one video mode requires players to shoot alien enemies — they make a sound when they pop up and aren’t always on screen. As such, this game is not fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: Certain functions are remappable. The face button actions can all be switched, but the flipper actions can only be mapped to the trigger buttons.

The post Pinball M Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Great fan service and solid combat.

LOW Repetition after a few matches. 

WTF Why didn’t the devs of World War Z make a World War Z with this property instead?

With the recent release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the 20th anniversary of the film Spider-Man, it seems like a good time to revisit the career of filmmaker Sam Raimi. The cult icon has made some serious bangers like The Quick and the Dead, Darkman, and Drag Me to Hell. His eccentric style and meshing of comedy and horror have made him an undeniable legend, which all started with 1981’s The Evil Dead. As a seminal horror film, it spawned two sequels, a reboot, a TV series on Starz, and even propelled Bruce Campbell to stardom. 

Coincidentally, during this celebration of all things Raimi, Saber Interactive (World War Z) put out Evil Dead: The Game.

In this asymmetrical online multiplayer game, players group up in teams of four to fight against a single player who controls the main enemy. It’s a formula used before in titles like Friday the 13th and Evolve, though this system didn’t make many waves until the release of Dead by Daylight, which largely cemented the style of this kind of online experience. In that game, a group of survivors tries to survive against a single player controlling a killer, usually based on an existing property like Nightmare of Elm Street, Saw, or even Evil Dead.

Evil Dead: The Game takes that formula and sands off the rough edges to create something more polished and enjoyable, and it starts with the gameplay.

When a survivor, players control their character in a third-person perspective. The main goal is to find pages of the Necronomicon while surviving against an onslaught of enemies, culminating in trying to use the book against a boss enemy. Along the way, players find weapons like swords, axes, and different types of guns, each with their own level of rarity that determines their strength. 

The moment-to-moment action of hacking and slashing my way through enemies feels smooth and satisfying if a bit simple. Gunplay is solid as well, but the real highlight comes from the abundance of gory execution moves, like slashing an enemy’s head off or driving a chainsaw through their chest.

It’s rare that asymmetrical horror games provide good movement and attack options for survivor players, as the general idea is to force weak characters into teamwork. In Evil Dead, every survivor has a fighting chance, though communication is key. For example, players can ping important things around the map, like rare weapons and key mission items. It’s also imperative to stay close together, since players who wander away from the group become easy fodder for enemy demons. Coordinating is a large part of success for any successful team here.

Playing solo as a demon adds more depth to a match, as players are basically ‘dungeon masters’ of sorts. Tasked with making sure survivors don’t collect the pages of the Necronomicon, they’ll use energy to set traps, frighten players, and even possess vehicles to slow down the enemy team in first-person perspective — it’s reminiscent of the infamous POV shots from the Evil Dead films.

Overall, both modes provide a good time with friends. Unfortunately, after about two or three matches, I think I saw everything the main multiplayer modes had to offer. There’s not much variation to each match, and few opportunities to improve as a survivor. Sure, there’s a skill tree with new abilities and slight upgrades to unlock, but that does make players slightly better at doing the same thing over and over again. Even being a demon got stale before long. It doesn’t help that there are also only two maps — a serious bummer, though a free new map is coming soon. 

A multiplayer-focused experience like this running out of gas so soon is a bad sign, especially since the single-player mode is horrible. Basically, players complete missions that serve as mini-campaigns, with the reward being an unlockable character for the multiplayer. Each character has its own ability, making them highly worthwhile to unlock. Unfortunately, I hate the work that goes into earning them. 

The campaigns seem simple enough — progress through a linear set of goals, kill enemies and read some boring captions of still images. Unfortunately, it’s ruined by random difficulty spikes and a lack of checkpoints. It’s maddening to reach the end of a mission, get killed, and then be sent back to the very start. So much so, that I didn’t even bother with these after a while. 

Aside from those complaints, I think the package excels at providing Evil Dead fans (like myself) with great fan service. Beyond having cast members reprise their film roles, we get stuff like a recreation of the cabin from the first film, and the treat of the same exact low-budget sound effects for things like wood creaking or gunfire made — it made me so happy. In a way, it might be the best use of the property in a game since 2012’s Poker Night 2.  

Evil Dead: The Game pleases the Evil Dead fan in me as the perfect love letter to Sam Raimi’s horror masterpiece. As an actual game, however, it’s disappointingly bare-bones, with a multiplayer mode that gets stale way too soon and a dreadful series of single-player missions– qualities that are a serious concern for online-focused games like this one.

Disclosures: This game is published and developed by Saber Interactive. It is available on PS4/PS5, PC, XBO/X/S, and Switch. This copy was obtained via publisher for review and was reviewed on PS5. Approximately 10 hours were spent in multiplayer. 1 hour was spent in single-player and was not completed. 

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, and Partial Nudity. According to the site: This is an action horror game in which players battle either human survivors or demonic forces in multiplayer matches. As survivors, players must find the pages of a map while killing demonic forces by using melee and ranged weapons (e.g., cleaver, chain saw, crossbows, pistols). As demonic forces, players must kill human survivors by setting traps and controlling demonic minions and inanimate objects (e.g., trucks, trees). Battles are frenetic, often accompanied by large blood-splatter effects that leave stains on characters and the environment. Some survivors can perform finishing attacks that result in dismemberment, decapitation, and/or disembowelment of enemies. When controlling demonic minions, players can rip their minion’s arm and/or head off to use as a weapon against opponents. Some demonic creatures are depicted partially nude with exposed buttocks and/or breasts. The word “sh*t” is heard in the game, and a handful of characters are shown raising their middle fingers.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are not present in the options menu.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Gamers: There are subtitles for character dialogue and a few visual cues, but being a multiplayer game, there could have been a few more concessions to help players navigate around the map. Also, enemies don’t always appear on the minimap but there is an ability to ping items around the area. This game is not fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: The controls cannot be remapped and but there is a control diagram.

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