Dead by Daylighthas built up an impressive library of collaborations over the years, with its array of killers and survivors now serving as a crossover point for many iconic horror franchises. It’s no longer as easy to surprise players with character reveals now that everyone fromHalloween’s Michael Myers toSilent Hill’s Pyramid Headhave appeared in the game, but a recent skin reveal has still managed to subvert expectations.
Slated to release in early 2025, a set of skins based on several works of Junji Ito will be coming toDead by Deadlight. While these aren’t entirely new playable characters, the attention to detail they’ve been shown to have could mark a milestone in adapting horror manga into gaming. With the untapped potential of efforts based on Junji Ito’s creations being made more obvious by the mixed reception to the recentUzumakianime, horror video games might be a more ideal platform for capturing their essence.
Appearing in DBD Reaffirms the Status of Ito’s Characters Among Other Horror Icons
The fact that characters like Tomie and Souichi Tsuji will be sharing the stage with other antagonists from famous films and landmark horror games underscores their growing popularity. In terms of bringing an art style that can be infamously hard to adapt into 3D with these new skins,Dead by Deadlight’s Junji Ito collaborationdemonstrates the unsettling resonance of these designs when they are kept faithful to their source material.
Making Up for the Lost Hope of Past Silent HillRumors
After the ambitiousHideo Kojima projectSilent Hillswas canceleddespiteP.T.’s hype, speculation that Junji Ito would have been involved in the project heightened the sense of disappointment. It was later confirmed that he never had a concrete tie to the game, which was seemingly still in early development, but the upcomingDBDskins seem to indicate that his style is still suited for the medium.
The Stories of Junji Ito Could Support Entire Survival Horror Experiences of Their Own
Redeeming the Likes of Uzumaki After Previous Lackluster Adaptations
The terrifying quality of Ito’s work is evident in print, but attempts at bringing them to other media forms have often been criticized for failing to convey the same depth of horror. Although it began with a strong first episode, theUzumakianime saw a sharp decline in production fidelity and reception, following the example of the poorly received Junji Ito Collection. Video games, however, may not suffer from the samedifficulties of translating Junji Ito manga into animation. If a character like Miss Fuchi can manage to be comparably menacing while fully modeled and in color, the potential for experimenting with these scary designs can extend far beyond cosmetic skins.
Varying Opportunities for Horror Subgenres
A handful of franchises notably dominate the relatively niche survival horror space, but themany manga stories of Junji Itocan offer inspiration outside that formula alone. Different takes on horror gameplay that could be possible with this diverse source material include:
Dead by Daylight
WHERE TO PLAY
Ever wished to play as one of the characters from your favorite horror movies? Dead by Daylight is a 1v4 multiplayer game that draws from all corners of the horror world from a powerful slasher to a terrifying paranormal entity.Choose between playing an unstoppable Killer and one of 4 Survivors trying to evade a gruesome death. Each character has their own deep progression system and plenty of unlockables that can be customized to fit your personal strategy. Work together to escape, or stalk and sacrifice every Survivor.This Edition of Dead by Daylight gives you access to a roster of 7 Killers (The Trapper, The Hillbilly, The Wraith, The Nurse, The Hag, The Huntress and The Doctor) and 9 Survivors (Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park, Dwight Fairfield, Ace Visconti, Nea Karlsson, Bill Overbeck, Feng Min and David King). It also includes two cosmetic add-ons packed with outfits for various characters.
