
Release Date: July 31, 2025
A first-person psychological horror with a star cast (including Same Lake, Jane Perry, Alanah Pearce, and Laura Bailey). Dead Take was made by the developers of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. We play as a novice actor exploring a gloomy residence in Hollywood, taken over by strange characters.
Founded by Abubakar Salim (known for the role of Bayek of Siwa in the game Assassin’s Creed Origins), the Surgent Studios team debuted on the industry map with the game Tales of Kenzera: ZAU.
The next project of this studio is the thematically and generically different Dead Take, which is a psychological horror. The developers have stated that the discussed production was inspired by "real experiences from the entertainment industry".
In Dead Take we watch the action from a first-person perspective (FPP).
During the game, we take on the role of actor Chase Lowry, who ends up in a luxurious Hollywood residence in search of his friend - Vinny Monroe. Upon arrival it turns out that although a lavish party took place here a few hours earlier, there is no trace of the guests, and their place is occupied by mysterious figures resembling people.
The presence of the mysterious beings means that while exploring the gloomy mansion, we must constantly be on guard and rely on stealth when necessary. The adventure leads us through a lavish lobby, an art gallery, or a room for actors' auditions.
When exploring various places, we not only avoid dangers, but also solve environmental puzzles. Additionally, we collect damaged video clips, which we then have to edit and arrange in chronological order. All this to discover the truth about the events that took place here.
Dead Take can boast a star-studded cast. The list of actors showing up in the game include Jane Perry (Baldur’s Gate 3), Alanah Pearce (Cyberpunk 2077), Laura Bailey (The Last of Us: Part II), and Sam Lake (Max Payne).
Moreover, Neil Newbon plays the role of Chase Lowry, while Ben Starr plays Vinny Monroe.
Platforms:
PC Windows
Developer: Surgent Studios
Publisher: Pocketpair
Age restrictions: 16+
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System Requirements for Dead Take Video Game:
PC / Windows
Minimum System Requirements:
Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 6 GB GeForce GTX 1060 / 8 GB Radeon RX 580, 15 GB HDD, Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Recommended System Requirements:
Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 10 GB GeForce RTX 3060 / 16 GB Radeon RX 6800 XT, 15 GB HDD, Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Game Ratings for Dead Take Video Game.
The Indie Informer: 8 / 10 by Jill Grodt
Dead Take‘s phenomenal, haunting, and mesmerizing FMV performances deserve every bit of the praise they’ll receive and more. They wash away almost every other sin by the end.
SteamDeckHQ: 4 / 5 by Noah Kupetsky
Dead Take is a horrifying game that uses its short run time to create a memorable time. The way Surgent Studios uses surrealistic architecture, creepy atmosphere, and real-life videos to tell its disturbing story is wonderful. While some puzzles can be a little difficult to figure out without any help, the bulk of the game's basic gameplay is enjoyable when considering how brief the game is. Still, this is clearly a quality over quantity discussion, and I would say this is a quality experience that is worth playing through. Even with some compromises to visuals and the need for upscaling, it's a great game to enjoy on the Steam Deck. Sitting in my bed and playing Dead Take at night was awesome, even though it had ended up scaring me a lot.
GameLuster: 7 / 10 by Jess Clayton-Berry
Dead Take stands out in the genre of horror walking sims with its intriguing story, talented cast and FMV elements. Unfortunately its horror aspects are where it falls flat, as it tries to cram itself into the genre with the use of cheap jump scares and horror clichés.
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