The Casting of Frank Stone

The story of "The Casting of Frank Stone" has received a mix of positive and negative feedback from critics. Many critics praised the game for its engaging storytelling, branching narratives, and deep exploration into the world of Dead by Daylight. Critics like God is a Geek and PlayStation Universe appreciated the ties to Dead by Daylight lore, cool twists, and original characters, which added depth and tension to the narrative. The game's use of multiple timelines, cosmic horror elements, and intricate plotlines were highlighted as strengths by critics such as NME and MeuPlayStation, creating a compelling and imaginative survival horror experience. On the other hand, some critics expressed concerns about the story's execution and character development. IGN and GamingBolt criticized the game for underdeveloped characters, lack of scares, and plot holes, which hindered the overall experience. CGMagazine noted that the story lacked focus and had rushed plot points, while Dot Esports mentioned issues with organization and character development, particularly in relation to the Dead by Daylight tie-in. Siliconera highlighted cliched and uninteresting character writing as a drawback, suggesting missed opportunities for deeper exploration of the narrative. Overall, the consensus among critics is divided regarding the story of "The Casting of Frank Stone." While some critics appreciated the game's intricate storytelling, ties to Dead by Daylight lore, and engaging mysteries, others found fault with the execution, character development, and pacing of the narrative. The game's ability to create a foreboding atmosphere, explore multiple timelines, and offer a mix of horror and mystery elements was acknowledged positively. However, criticisms regarding underdeveloped characters, plot holes, and missed opportunities for deeper exploration indicate room for improvement in the storytelling aspect of the game. Despite the mixed reception, the game's connection to Dead by Daylight lore and its ambitious narrative structure seem to have left a lasting impression on players and critics alike.

The opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of The Casting of Frank Stone are varied, with some positive aspects highlighted by reviewers. GameSpew praises the game for offering a balanced mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and interactive movie elements, providing a captivating horror experience. MeuPlayStation appreciates how the game adapts the 'Killer vs. Survivor' model from Dead by Daylight, with multiple characters and decision-making affecting relationships and outcomes. PlayStation LifeStyle notes the replayability of the game through different choices and routes, involving exploration sequences, cutscenes with choices and quick-time events, and action elements with a Super 8 camera. On the negative side, several critics point out flaws in the gameplay of The Casting of Frank Stone. Eurogamer criticizes the rote puzzles, fiddly controls, and minimal player input in interactions, stating that choices seem unrelated to final outcomes. NME highlights issues with clunky character movement, sluggish controls, and tedious puzzles, hindering the overall experience and immersion. IGN mentions the lack of urgency in encounters, basic survival horror puzzles, and unengaging gameplay, which fails to provide a challenging experience. Overall, the consensus among critics leans towards a mixed reception of The Casting of Frank Stone's gameplay. While some reviewers appreciate the interactive horror movie experience, exploration elements, and decision-making mechanics, others criticize the lack of impactful decisions, inconsequential choices, and technical issues such as stiff movement and underbaked core gameplay mechanics. The game seems to offer a familiar formula from Supermassive Games, with varying levels of engagement and immersion for players, as noted by critics like Siliconera and Shacknews. Ultimately, the gameplay of The Casting of Frank Stone appears to be a subjective experience, with strengths and weaknesses that may appeal differently to individual players based on their preferences for horror game mechanics and storytelling.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of The Casting of Frank Stone are varied but generally positive. Pure Xbox, Xbox Tavern, and Eurogamer praise the game for its stunning visuals, with detailed character work, facial animations, and environments that contribute to an engaging and immersive experience. GameSpew and MeuPlayStation also highlight the impressive technical aspects, such as realistic environments, excellent lighting effects, and photorealistic visuals that enhance the storytelling. Additionally, COGconnected and God is a Geek commend the game for its focus on character design and visual storytelling techniques inspired by movies, creating a cinematic and dark atmosphere. On the other hand, some critics, such as CGMagazine, GamingBolt, and Siliconera, point out various technical issues affecting the game's graphics and visual design. These include janky character movements, graphical glitches, shadow dithering, hair anti-aliasing problems, textures popping in, and performance struggles on different platforms. TheSixthAxis and Dot Esports also mention minor issues like graphical pop-ins, lip-syncing problems, and animation interruptions that detract from the overall experience. IGN criticizes the reused environments and lack of visual interest, limiting exploration and visual appeal, while Gamer Escape notes the inconsistency in character models and the lack of consistent scares despite the unsettling visuals. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that The Casting of Frank Stone excels in its visual presentation, with a strong emphasis on character design, detailed environments, and atmospheric lighting that effectively convey a horror movie atmosphere. Despite some technical issues and inconsistencies in certain aspects of the graphics, the majority of reviewers appreciate the game's immersive visuals and cinematic quality. Critics like PlayStation Universe and Wccftech highlight the highly detailed environments, proper animations, and great atmosphere, while VG247 and PCGamesN praise the appropriately gloomy atmosphere, well-designed monsters, and satisfyingly gruesome horror elements. The game successfully captures the essence of classic horror cinema, creating a spooky and engaging experience for players.

The Sound Design and Music of The Casting of Frank Stone have received generally positive feedback from the critics. COGconnected commends the game for its excellent voice acting and effective audio, which adds depth to the overall experience. Eurogamer and PCGamesN highlight the great music and sound design, with references to Dead by Daylight enhancing the horror experience. Siliconera specifically praises the sound design when using headphones, emphasizing its immersive quality. Gamer Escape appreciates the intentional and varied sound design that enhances the narrative experience, showcasing the attention to detail in the audio elements. However, there are some criticisms regarding the Sound Design and Music of the game. PlayStation Universe points out that while the soundtrack is foreboding, the voice acting is criticized as wooden and stunted, which detracts from the overall immersion. GamingBolt mentions some poorly written dialogue and awkward cutscene direction, indicating areas where the audio elements could have been improved for a more cohesive experience. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that The Casting of Frank Stone excels in its sound design and music, creating a tense and immersive atmosphere for players. The positive aspects highlighted by COGconnected, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Siliconera, and Gamer Escape outweigh the criticisms raised by PlayStation Universe and GamingBolt. The effective use of voice acting, music, and sound effects contributes significantly to the overall experience of the game, enhancing its narrative and horror elements. The majority of critics appreciate the attention to detail and the impact of the audio elements on the gameplay, making The Casting of Frank Stone a compelling and engaging experience for players.

The voice acting in The Casting of Frank Stone has received high praise from multiple critics. Xbox Tavern commends the well-written and well-acted characters, singling out standout performances from specific voice actors. COGconnected sets a high standard for character portrayal, describing the voice acting as unimpeachable. GameSpew and GamingBolt both highlight the on-point voice acting that effectively sells the characters and contributes to the immersive experience. Wccftech also acknowledges the solid voice acting that enhances the movie-like experience. However, not all critics were completely satisfied with the voice acting in the game. IGN criticizes the dialogue for being clunky and mentions that the characters' relationships feel rushed, impacting the overall immersion negatively. GameGrin points out that some character reactions seemed off and the dialogue could have been tighter in the game's later portions. VG247 notes that while the dialogue can be awkward and goofy at times, it fits the slasher flick tone of the game, contributing to the dark, twisted humor of the experience. Overall, the consensus among the critics leans towards the positive side regarding the voice acting in The Casting of Frank Stone. The majority of reviewers appreciate the performances of the voice actors in bringing the characters to life and contributing to the immersive and movie-like experience of the game. While there are some criticisms regarding clunky dialogue and rushed character relationships, the general sentiment is that the voice acting adds value to the overall atmosphere and tone of the game, enhancing the player's engagement with the narrative and world of Frank Stone.

In terms of technical performance on Xbox Series X, Pure Xbox and Xbox Tavern both noted relatively positive experiences. Pure Xbox highlighted a solid 30FPS performance with no major technical issues, contributing to a cinematic experience. Xbox Tavern mentioned a few visual glitches but nothing major affecting gameplay progress, with the only downside being limited co-op play options. These reviews indicate that The Casting of Frank Stone runs smoothly on Xbox Series X, providing an enjoyable gaming experience. Moving on to the PlayStation 5 platform, opinions were more varied. CGMagazine and God is a Geek reported significant technical issues such as janky movements, graphical glitches, and unresponsive controls, impacting the overall experience negatively. On the other hand, COGconnected and GamingBolt mentioned minor graphical hiccups and bugs but nothing game-breaking. MeuPlayStation praised the game for excelling in technical aspects overall, offering accessibility features and replayability options. TheSixthAxis and PlayStation LifeStyle did not highlight any major technical concerns, while NME criticized the game for treating players poorly with linear gameplay and lack of subtlety. The mixed opinions on the PS5 platform suggest a lack of consistency in technical performance across different reviewers. For the PC platform, opinions leaned towards more negative feedback. Dot Esports and Siliconera reported issues with visual glitches, lip-syncing problems, texture pop-ins, and performance struggles even on medium settings. Shacknews noted performance issues with frame rate drops during transitions and cutscenes. Twinfinite mentioned occasional responsiveness issues and confusion due to collectibles being collected out of order. Wccftech highlighted crashing problems on PC but smooth performance on PS5. The feedback on the PC platform indicates that The Casting of Frank Stone faces more technical challenges and inconsistencies compared to console versions. Overall, the consensus among critics regarding the technical performance of The Casting of Frank Stone is mixed. While some platforms like Xbox Series X received positive feedback for smooth performance with minimal issues, others like PC and PS5 showcased a range of technical problems from minor graphical glitches to significant gameplay disruptions. The lack of consistency in technical performance across platforms suggests that the game may require further optimization and bug fixes to provide a more stable and enjoyable experience for all players.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of "The Casting of Frank Stone" are predominantly positive. Several reviewers highlighted the game's high replayability due to its branching narratives, multiple endings, and unique features such as the Cutting Room Floor. Xbox Tavern praised the Deluxe edition's early access to this feature, while COGconnected appreciated the mechanic for rewinding the narrative on the PS5 version. GameGrin also noted the game's high replayability with multiple paths, hidden branches, and different endings, making it enticing for players to explore various outcomes. On the flip side, some critics expressed concerns about certain aspects that could potentially hinder the overall replay value of the game. GamingBolt mentioned that the lack of skipping or fast-forwarding options within the Cutting Room Floor feature could make the revisiting process tedious. NME highlighted the lack of evolution in decision-making mechanics and the tedious nature of puzzles as factors that limit the game's replayability. IGN also pointed out the cumbersome process of replaying scenes to prevent character deaths as a potential drawback. Overall, the consensus among the critics leans towards acknowledging the game's strengths in terms of replay value. Critics like PlayStation Universe and TheSixthAxis appreciated the Cutting Room Floor feature for exploring branching paths and replaying from discovered points. While there are concerns about certain mechanics and limitations in interactivity, the general sentiment is that "The Casting of Frank Stone" offers a compelling experience for players looking to delve into multiple storylines, endings, and character relationships. The game's ability to encourage thorough exploration, storytelling, and the presence of collectibles and references add to its overall replay value, making it a worthwhile choice for fans of narrative-driven games and those seeking diverse gameplay experiences.