Behaviour has done the impossible: they figured out how to make Chucky work in Dead by Daylight. There was always speculation and rumor that the Good Guy would make his way into the Fog, but they made it happen and it’s glorious.
The Good Guy is Beyond Good In Dead by Daylight
Chucky breaks more boundaries than ever expected. Being the smallest Killer in the game is a big feat, and beyond him being a Slasher killer, he’s unlike anything else ever featured in the world of Dead by Daylight. His stature, his camera angle, and his general vibe are impeccable. As the first third-person killer, you’ll find that The Good Guy brings a whole new perspective to the game, and it works much better than I ever anticipated.
His small stature is the only thing about him that is pint-sized, as his mouth and his power are immense. Thankfully, he seems to play fair enough on both Survivor and Killer sides to make matches interesting without feeling unfair. Since he is fun-sized, the addition of glowing footprints is implemented so Survivors can keep track of where Chucky is, as long as he is within their viewing radius.
However, there is another factor that Survivors can use to their advantage: Chucky’s voicebox. Bringing Brad Dourif into the studio and essentially letting him run wild with his voice lines works out great for everyone. As Killer, you’re treated to a set of voice lines that will have you curling over with laughter. As a Survivor, you can hear Chucky screaming as he charges at you at full speed, giving you a moment to hopefully break free and create some distance.
However, it’s in the Killer’s shoes where things go completely off the rails in the best way possible. The Good Guy has a few unique things exclusive to him that make him stand out in the crowd of Killers available to you. He’s just a little guy, and he’s the perfect Stealth Killer when you bring his Hidey-Ho power into the equation. After some time, you’ll see a prompt that will allow you to enter Hidey-Ho, eliminating your red stain and your footprints, while also giving you the ability to burst through the map at high speed and take down a Survivor from afar.
Sure, you’re going to need to ensure that you’re accurate when you aim and hope that the Survivor doesn’t hear the blood-curdling scream that Chucky pushes out of his mouth, but a hit with this spells an almost certain demise for your prey. Alongside this special move, you can also use your Hidey-Ho power to scurry under a dropped pallet, which is a much faster and more terrifying way to ensure your hunt is successful. And yes, it’s equal parts hilarious and terrifying to watch if you’re playing as a Survivor.
Now, you may be asking yourself how a 2-foot-tall doll carries and hooks a survivor on a massive meathook. Well, that’s where Charles Lee Ray comes out to play. After downing a survivor, the spiritual visage of CLR emerges, grabbing both Chucky and the survivor who was just taken to the ground. After a vicious swipe from his knife and a characteristically comical line of dialogue, the camera switches to the standard First Person perspective and it’s time to hang your kill up for display.
The animation is satisfyingly smooth while playing as Chucky, and horrifying to witness as a survivor. But, it also shows that Behaviour is willing to go above and beyond to find ways to make things that were previously unimaginable… well, imaginable. From the teaser that was shown off to the final project, speculation of how this action would be done was through the roof, and it’s near impossible to think of a better way to have done it.
As with any of the killers, Chucky’s addition is a labor of love. Not only will fans of the source material love how he was handled, but this opens up the possibility of new Child’s Play fans in ways that we couldn’t even begin to imagine. I’ve been playing Dead by Daylight for quite some time now, but nothing has had me chuckling harder than hearing a tiny, yet terrifying doll threaten to kick a survivor’s teeth in, but here we are now. He may even be more of a hoot to play than Nicolas Cage. I guess the line about going back to the toy store makes a LOT more sense now.
While the PTB does not completely solidify where Chucky stands, I broke my vow of never downloading it to give him a try, and I am beyond glad that I did. Having the chance to partake in the action with this new Killer has made him a Day-One purchase for me, even if I’m not as well-versed in the source material as I should be. Since he officially releases into the wild on November 28, 2023, it gives me plenty of time to catch up on all things Child’s Play, so I can be prepared to retire The Clown as my main and take on the reigns of The Good Guy.
