Dead By Daylight All Things Wicked Review: Is The Unknown Worth It?

Dead by Daylight's new All Things Wicked Chapter introduced the new survivor Sable Ward, new killer The Unknown, and the all-new Greenville Square map. There's a lot of new content amongst these new additions, including a map full of Easter eggs, fun details at every turn, a new perk type, and a killer that stands out in Dead by Daylight's growing roster of baddies. Here are our thoughts on the All Things Wicked chapter and the characters included with it.

How Good is the 'All Things Wicked' Chapter in Dead by Daylight?

Dead by Daylight's All Things Wicked chapter is a bit of a departure from the past few chapters - we've gone from sci-fi horrors such as the likes of The Xenomorph from Alien herself and The Singularity, to an analog horror-inspired beast called The Unknown, and a goth girl survivor named Sable Ward.

The Unknown

The Unknown is a truly terrifying killer - and, in my opinion, the most unsettling one on the roster. This creature can bend, twist, and crawl in inhuman ways, and makes sure to look you dead in the eyes before it kills you (in the Mori, at least).

As much as that sounds like it'd probably make you want to run for the hills and attempt to loop this killer into oblivion, this killer has another neat aspect to its design designed specifically to draw survivors in. This aspect of The Unknown's design doesn't really affect gameplay too much, but it's still a thoughtful and interesting touch. Its lore states that it can mimic physical aspects of its victims as well as their voices, so there are an array of voice lines to fit that theme: "Can you help me?" "Is this yours? This is... yours." "Oh wow... you're going to want to see this."

The lore shows itself in The Unknown's power, too: using its ranged UVX grenades, it can inflict the Weakened status effect, which makes the survivor vulnerable to damage if they take another hit from a grenade. Where the lore comes in is the fact that survivors must stare at The Unknown in order to remove the Weakened status effect. Since The Unknown players should want to avoid being seen, players are encouraged to play just like The Unknown is described in its lore: a terrifying, looming creature found in all the last places you'd look. 

Sable Ward

Joining the Fog alongside The Unknown is goth girlSable Ward, a purple-haired survivor whose story is just as lore-rich as the killer she accompanies. She marks a first for those in the survivor roster, as she's the only survivor character to have entered the Entity's realm of her own accord.

After discovering that her best friend Mikaela Reid had been taken by the Fog, Sable did research and discovered that many local disappearances had occurred near the town theater, Mikaela's included. Heading to the town theater to investigate further, Sable Ward saw the Fog in the basement and headed right into it, joining her best friend.

In addition to an interesting backstory, Sable Ward also brings to the table (or should we say the basement?) a new type of perk: Invocation perks. To use these perks - survivors can only use one per match, as a team - the survivor will need to sit in the basement at an incantation circle. It takes two full minutes to cast the spell - quickened a bit if working with other survivors - but it will effectively place a Brand New Part on all generators, reducing the amount they'll need to be completed by 10%. Invocation perks are risky, but they can also be immensely rewarding for survivors; it'll be interesting to see how they play out as more players dive into the new chapter and its content.

Greenville Square Map

Greenville Square might just be the game's most lore-rich and interesting map yet. It's fun to explore, and it's clear that Behaviour has put a lot of thought into the details here. A huge outdoor area features a large statue in a plaza, a few arcade games scattered randomly outside (reminding us we're in the Entity's realm), and a sign leading to the Moonstone Cafe, where Mikaela Reid works.

There's a large main building with an arcade, a lobby, a theater with plenty of seats, and a neat Easter egg. Completing the generator in here will activate the projector, allowing players to watch a clip of The Casting of Frank Stone, Behaviour's upcoming single-player title set in the Dead by Daylight universe.

The visuals throughout the map and vibrant touches of color in the arcade are gorgeous, but the sound design also stands out, with lots of areas having their own unique sound effects. As you run through the arcade, you'll hear video game beeps. If you drop the pallet on the killer inside, you'll hear the 'ding!' of a coin in a video game. Flies buzz as you run past overfilled dumpsters. Greenville Square just feels so alive, it's easy to forget you've got a bloodthirsty killer nearby and five generators left unfinished.

The Review Verdict

Dead by Daylight's All Things Wicked chapter is one of the game's most interesting original chapters yet. The Unknown brings a new type of horror to the game, and Sable Ward brings both new perks and a new style for survivors. The chapter's map, Greenville Square, is also a highlight; it's full of lore-rich Easter eggs and has an interesting main building to explore.

9.5/10

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