Behaviour Interactive’s asymmetrical multiplayer horror gameDead by Daylightis four years old, and in that time, it has become famous by pulling in some of popular culture’s most infamous icons. Classic horror movie characters like Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger have been added as Killers alongside modern creatures like theDemogorgon from Netflix’sStranger Things.
Now the game is taking its first foray into a realm of horror only previously touched upon with a small collaboration: video games. To celebrate its fourth anniversary,Dead by Daylightis working with Konami to license out characters, a locale, and more from the world ofSilent Hill. Thecrossover for Chapter 16was officially unveiled during a broadcast today and will be officially released on PC and consoles June 16. Game Rant sat down with Behaviour’s Game Director Mathieu Cote, Creative Director Dave Richard, and Head of Public Relations Marie Claude Bernard last week to discuss the ins-and-outs of representing a beloved franchise.
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The universe ofSilent Hillcreated in the late 90s has had an undeniable impact on the world of video games and horror media that lingers to this day.P.T.from 2014, made in collaboration between Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro, was a “playable teaser” for a new entry in the series calledSilent Hillsthat was cancelled when Kojima parted ways with Konami. Rumors currently abound that a newSilent Hillmay be in development for PlayStation 5, butDead by Daylightis reaching into the series' past rather than its future with content based onSilent Hill 1,2, and3.
The Killer: Pyramid Head
There are few more iconic killers or monsters fromSilent Hillthan Pyramid Head, according to Richard. As a self-proclaimed “hardcoreSilent Hillfan,” the creative director said that when creating the character it was important for him to derive everything from his role as the judge and executioner for James Sunderland inSilent Hill 2,thereby creating a variant faithful to his roots inDead by Daylight.
“For me, the first threeSilent Hillgames were mind-blowing and always in the back of my mind. When we got this opportunity and started talking to Konami it was clear we had access to this content, so it made sense for me to pick the most iconic things from each title and make a bigSilent Hillpackage.”
InDead by Daylight, Pyramid Head is called “The Executioner” and primarily focuses around stealth gameplay and deception. Theasymmetrical horror gamepits one Killer against multiple Survivors, and Pyramid Head’s base kit makes it easier for him to expediently eliminate his targets. Not only is he able to send out “a wave of dark force fromSilent Hill” that goes through collision and walls, he can also use his giant knife weapon to draw a trench that forces Survivors to decide between navigating a different path or contracting the “Tormented” status by going through it. Any players succumbing to Torment can be sacrificed on the spot rather than Pyramid Head having to drag them to a hook like every other Killer.
The Survivor: Cheryl Mason
Pyramid Head representsSilent Hill 2, but the Survivor he’s being introduced alongside representsSilent Hill 3. That game’s protagonist Cheryl Mason, previously known as Heather, was a perfect representative of theoverarching narrative inSilent Hill’s early entries, and is herself an “interesting” and “powerful” character. Players were introduced to her at the end of the first game as a reincarnation of Harry Mason’s daughter Cheryl and Alessa Gillespie, “the girl who is intimately linked to the dark powers ofSilent Hill.”
Richard said the team decided to model Cheryl Mason’sSurvivor perksafter her “conflicted” nature as a vessel to God and someone linked to “the dark entity ofSilent Hill.” Not only will she gain benefits if cursed, but she can also “semi-permanently” link herself to another Survivor on her team as well as exhibit some control over the Entity which Killers sacrifice Survivors to inDead by Daylight. These perks will be “wacky,” and can be unlocked for use by all Survivors.
The Map: Midwich Elementary School
While there are plenty of terrifying locales inSilent Hillto choose from, Richard said the team decided to go with an “iconic” map from the first game he feels first “put everything to 11” and let players know what kind of world they were entered:Midwich Elementary School. It is a key building that Harry Mason explores inSilent Hill 1as he searches for his daughter, learning more about the plight of Alessa in the process. According to Richard, it will offer players a unique layout with two interior floors and outdoor sections like the playground.
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Midwich will be a unique addition toDead by Daylightbecause it is a reimagining of the original PlayStation 1 map using modern technology. Richard said usually the developers have tointerpret a location fans have seen in filmsand television, but those who have playedSilent Hillwill findDead by Daylight’s take nearly identical — including “winks to the franchise” like remade jump scares and puzzles that don’t typically appear in the asymmetrical horror game.
One thing that was interesting about developing theSilent Hillchapter for Richard was seeing how many people atBehaviour Interactiveknew in-depth details about the franchise and locations like Midwich. He said artists came to him with ideas about adding little references, which led to it being “packed with secrets.” Cote said this passion emphasizes the franchise’s significance:
“It’s kind of funny because a lot of these people were probably two whenSilent Hillreleased. That speaks to the power of the license and how it managed to secure such an important place in video game culture.”
Legendary Outfits and Cosmetics
Another new addition to the game’s store in Chapter 16 will be a cosmetic type called Legendary Outfits. Unlike referential alternate skins, for instance one that dresses Survivor Meg Thomas as Zoey fromLeft 4 Deadintroduced by 2017’s “Left Behind” DLC, Legendary Outfits completely turn one character into another. The outfit being added forSilent Hillturns Heather Mason into Lisa Garland according to Richard, changing her model and key animations.
Legendary Outfits are “for sure” something the developers will utilize down the line and may also be applied to previous content according to Cote. However “anything licensed is always extremely delicate,” so the team would not be able to comment on whether skins for those properties would be coming until they are ready to be announced.Dead by Daylightis also adding typical cosmetics for Pyramid Head and Heather Mason into the store on the day the new chapter releases, but with a more extensive scope. Richard said it has been hard to add cosmetics forlicensed characters like Freddy Kruegerbecause they have a specific “look,” but theSilent Hillcharacters will get original, unique outfits designed in-house by Behaviour through its partnership with Konami.
The Legacy of Silent Hill
While developing theSilent HillChapter, Behaviour found out thatSilent Hill’s original composer Akira Yamaokawas a fan of the asymmetrical horror game, Cote said. Because Yamaoka was still on friendly terms with Konami, he was invited to re-imagineDead by Daylight’s soundtrack “in the very recognizableSilent Hillflavor” alongside Behaviour’s composer.
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Getting to work with all of these different elements from the franchise is “practically a dream come true” for Richard, even though Cote said the “humbling” experience comes with a lot of pressure. Cote said the worst thing that can happen with a bad execution on their original characters is they have an uninteresting chapter, but screwing upSilent Hill— particularly after thefan hype behind games likeP.T.— is “not really something you’re able to get back up from.”
For anyone hoping to create their own asymmetrical horror title, Cote said he has a lot of sympathy because “it’s not an easy task to create that delicate chaos.” In fact, Cote compares the ever-evolving, non-linear nature of developingDead by Daylightt0 the ending of the seminal1988 anime filmAkirawhen Tetsuo Shima mutates into a mass of flesh that grows in unexpected, weird directions. He said the team at Behaviour is riding that and “trying to bring it somewhere really cool.”
“The good thing is, uncertainty is part of what makesDead by Daylightamazing and exciting every day,” Cote said. “That’s why people come back to it, because you’re never sure what you’re going to face or how it’s going to turn out. That’s part of the magic.”
Dead by Daylightis available now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
