Dead by Daylight has brought countless new killers and survivors to the game over the years, with its own original creations being joined by some very familiar faces from across both movies and video games. The latest DLC chapter (Roots of Dread) brings with it some original additions to the roster, though the new survivor Haddie Kaur might be familiar to those who have fully invested themselves in the game’s extended lore.

They’re both fun to use in their own little ways too, with new killer The Dredge really ramping up the dreadful sense of tension when pursuing its victims…

Check out Haddie Kaur down below:

Dead by Daylight

Whilst Roots of Dread brings with it some refinements to the gameplay, it’s the new survivor and killer that we’re going to focus on in this review – starting with Haddie Kaur, a name that has shown up multiple times across the lore of the game, but who is now making her playable debut.

Haddie Kaur is effective at keeping track of her fellow survivors, with her ‘Inner Focus’ perk allowing her to track any scratch marks of survivors within 32 metres of her and also briefly offering a glimpse at the killer’s aura if it attacks any of them. It gives players the opportunity to track the killer down before they’re able to do any real damage and attempt to blind them with a torch, or alternatively it’ll allow you to just keep track of survivors and rush to help them after an attack. If you’re playing in a party with voice chat, it’s useful to warn other survivors if their tracks are visible to the killer too, which can make it easier when evading its wrath during a chase sequence.

Speaking about blinding the killer with a torch, Haddie also has another perk called ‘Residual Manifest’ that will temporarily inflict blindness on them when using a flashlight (as well as guaranteeing that Haddie finds at least one flashlight when opening a chest). It’s a game changer when simply trying to keep the killer off you or your allies’ trail and gives you a proper opportunity to escape from their grasp when in a fix.

I found Haddie a lot of fun to play as, even IF her perks don’t necessarily complement my typical playstyle with the game. Her ‘Overzealous’ perk makes her especially efficient at repairing generators too, though it does require the cleansing of a totem to activate. Whilst Dead by Daylight fans might have a natural affection to her thanks to her role in the game’s previously established lore, she also just so happens to be a versatile survivor that can help your group out of some bad situations.

“Both Haddie and The Dredge are enjoyable to play as, with Haddie offering some effective means to stop killers in their tracks and The Dredge… well… The Dredge is just terrifying.”


Then you have The Dredge who is utterly TERRIFYING. Not only does it have a truly monstrous look that blends together skulls and flesh in a grotesque fashion, but it’s also made as a manifestation of the dark thoughts of man… like I said, terrifying. It’s definitely one of the more monstrous killers to be found in Dead by Daylight and I’m sure it’ll be a favourite with gamers based upon its looks alone.

One of The Dredge’s main abilities sees it summoning Nightfall, which brings a cloud of darkness across the entire map and severely cuts down the visibility for survivors. Believe me, I’ve experienced this PLENTY of times when playing as a survivor, and it’s so unnerving. It gives The Dredge the extra advantage of being able to teleport between lockers at a faster speed too, which can be especially beneficial when trying to catch survivors off-guard.

That’s right, you’ll be teleporting between lockers as The Dredge, which is perfect when trying to unleash a sneak attack on survivors or even when in a chase and trying to cut them off. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as catching a sneaking survivor out by emerging from a locker, whilst it’s also possible to teleport into a locker with a survivor in and automatically grab them. The Dredge’s ‘Darkness Revealed’ perk makes it easier to find survivors who are near lockers too, which is especially useful when teleporting between them.

The catch? Survivors can lock lockers, leaving The Dredge temporarily locked in if he teleports into that locker. Of course, The Dredge can destroy the lock off lockers and there’s only one lock available per locker, but their use does mean that you’ve got to be observant and careful when switching between them – on the flipside, it’s nice for survivors to have SOMETHING they can take advantage of to stall the killer and it adds a satisfying element of strategy to each encounter.

Check out The Dredge down below:

Dead by Daylight

Both Haddie and The Dredge are enjoyable to play as, with Haddie offering some effective means to stop killers in their tracks and The Dredge… well… The Dredge is just terrifying. Teleporting between lockers will take some getting used to, but having darkness cover the map and leave the survivors in a state of disarray is mighty satisfying. Players on both sides will have to be extra strategic in their approach when The Dredge is involved, and it really does make for an enjoyable experience.

Dead by Daylight – Roots of Dread brings with it two worthwhile additions that are fun (and, in the Dredge’s case, terrifying) to play as. Whilst long-time players will appreciate playing as Haddie and using her skills to stop killers in their tracks, the highlight of the package is The Dredge. Who wouldn’t want to teleport between lockers and bring a pit of darkness to the map whilst killing their victims, right?

[Note: Our reviews of DLC for Dead by Daylight will be unscored.]

Developer: Behaviour Interactive
Publisher: Behaviour Interactive
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Website: https://deadbydaylight.com/