Dead by Daylight, the popular asymmetrical survival horror game, has ventured into uncharted territory with Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim. This unexpected spin-off takes some of the game’s most iconic killers and throws them into a romantic setting. But does this bizarre combination work? This review explores the highs and lows of romancing a murderer.
Hooked on You drastically departs from the core Dead by Daylight experience. Instead of evading bloodthirsty killers, players find themselves with amnesia on a tropical island, potentially sparking romance with the very characters they’d normally be running from. The game successfully crafts a self-aware narrative that pokes fun at itself, the killers, and the absurd premise. However, its success hinges on its wit and charm, which, unfortunately, proves inconsistent.
The game shines in its clever integration with Dead by Daylight lore. The humorous notion that this dating sim is canon within the existing universe adds a delightful layer of absurdity. Seeing killers like the Spirit and Trapper in beach attire, enjoying a life outside of murder, is genuinely entertaining. The developers, Psyop and Behaviour Interactive, clearly revel in this unexpected crossover.
dead-by-daylight-hooked-on-you.jpgThe game’s aesthetic is also a significant strength. The character portraits beautifully capture the killers’ menacing auras while simultaneously presenting them in comical beach outfits. These designs are so well-executed that they would make excellent cosmetic skins in the main game.
However, Hooked on You‘s reliance on narrative and character interactions exposes its flaws. The gameplay primarily consists of dialogue choices and simple quick-time events. While the banter between the narrators, “The Narrator” and “The Ocean,” along with the killers and island employees Dwight and Claudia, can be amusing, it often falls flat. The humor is inconsistent, and the game seems to struggle with its identity, unsure of how far to push the blend of romance and horror.
While the game offers replayability to explore different romance options with the four available killers (The Trapper, The Huntress, The Wraith, and The Spirit – with The Trickster making a non-dateable appearance), it’s debatable whether the repetitive gameplay justifies multiple playthroughs. At $9.99 on Steam, the price is accessible, but Hooked on You feels like it might have been better suited as an unlockable game mode within Dead by Daylight itself, adding value to the main game rather than standing alone.
For dedicated Dead by Daylight fans, Hooked on You provides some genuinely funny moments and interesting lore insights. However, for those unfamiliar with the source material, it comes across as a weaker dating sim that fails to establish its own identity.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Hooked on You is available now on PC via Steam. This review was based on a PC review code provided by the publisher.
