Dead By Daylight Tools of Torment Review: Is The Skull Merchant Worth Buying?

Dead by Daylight's Tools of Torment chapter might just be one of the game's most controversial releases, featuring The Skull Merchant and Jonah Vasquez. Here are our thoughts on the Tools of Torment chapter, including whether The Skull Merchant is worth buying.

Dead by Daylight Tools of Torment Chapter Review

The Skull Merchant's design is an interesting departure from the typical killer aesthetic in Dead by Daylight, drawing eyes to the character before she was even released. She's no monster physically, but mentally, she's a killer. She's a human, unlike most of the game's characters, but she bears a bejeweled mask covering half of her face. This is a little different from other sci-fi characters in the game, like The Singularity and The Xenomorph, who are decidedly non-human.

The Skull Merchant's power allows her to send out drones around the map, which can track down survivors when activated and inflict them with Claw Traps. Her ability, like The Doctor, highly relies on tracking survivors - and it might just be the best tracking ability in the game. Thanks to the nature of her power, The Skull Merchant has historically lent herself to a "three-gen" strategy, an approach that is highly controversial among survivor players. However, recent gameplay updates - plus a rework to The Skull Merchant's power - that address the controversial "three-gen" strategy have balanced out her ability, making it more fun for both survivors and killers.

Past her tracking, though, The Skull Merchant doesn't excel in chase; this can make her frustrating for both beginners and veterans who want to take down survivors as quickly as possible. Playing the Skull Merchant requires a strategic and relatively slow approach, which is something that won't appeal to all players - but might be perfect for others.

Dead by Daylight Tools of Torment Chapter Review Verdict

While the Tools of Torment chapter has a sleek design and characters that might appeal to strategic players, it is far from being one of Dead by Daylight's best. The Skull Merchant's power doesn't always owe itself to balance, causing developers to make frequent, heavy changes to it since her release. Her perks switched up the game in some ways, but aren't particularly powerful in their own right. Overall, Tools of Torment is a chapter that's worth it if you particularly love the killer or are interested in her perks; otherwise, it's largely forgettable along Dead by Daylight's growing roster.

Review Verdict: 5/10

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