Asymmetrical multiplayer slasher title Dead by Daylight draws huge inspiration from late 20th-century horror classics like Halloween. With that in mind, it must be a huge honor for the developers that Michael Myers himself, as well as Jamie Lee Curtis’ character, Laurie Strode, have made an appearance in the game’s Halloween update.
Although the various killers set for release in Dead by Daylight mix up the formula in different ways, the stock experience with the Trapper does have a lot of Halloween-esque features. The slow, methodical killer creeping up on the faster, rarely smarter, hapless teens as they struggle to survive.
The Halloween update will of course bring more of the same, as Michael Myers was never known for his speed. He will, however, be able to morph into a second phase. Once he has filled his gauge, he’ll enter a killing mode that will reduce his ability to detect enemies, but gives him greater speed and strength.
As with other killers, Myers also has some interesting perks, like becoming obsessed with an individual survivor. Depending on how he treats that survivor, he has the chance to augment his abilities to make the murder all the easier.
But of course Myers doesn’t really stand much of a chance, as he’s going up against his old nemesis, Laurie Strode. While the franchise may have eventually let Myers get the better of her, she was solely responsible for killing him off twice herself, so she does stand a chance of surviving, especially with her in-game abilities.
As the most experienced survivor in her group, Laurie becomes more powerful the more of her friends die off, making her a great last-stand character, though not much of a team player. She also gets a one-off attack against the killer, giving her a one-time-use get out of jail free card, which certainly has its advantages.
Joining the new killer and survivor this Halloween is a new location: Haddonfield, the site of the original Michael Myers murder back in the ’60s, according to the film universe. Fans of the series will notice plenty of nods to the original films, with a solid mix of homes, outbuildings and open areas to traverse while looking to escape or murder your opposition.
The Halloween DLC update is available on Steam right now, with 10 percent off the standard $7 rate.
