With a brand-new Alien DLC around the corner, Dead by Daylight has been on a streak lately which reminds us of the game’s golden era. Already having tons of crazy characters and DLC content, we recently got Nicolas Cage (the actual Hollywood star rather than just a character portrayed by him). The announcement back then was pretty confusing but we finally have Nick in the fog as a Survivor with a very interesting set of perks. In this small guide, I will be explaining the character, his perks, and how to appropriately take advantage of each one of them. So, without any further ado, let’s dive into the newest character of Dead by Daylight: the one and only Nicolas Cage.
Nicolas Cage – New Dead by Daylight Survivor
Nicolas Cage, the famous Hollywood superstar is here to be the first Dead by Daylight Survivor that is entirely based on an actual person and not just an inspiration, or a lookalike character. It’s the actual Nicolas Cage. Well, he is more like an exaggerated, fictional version of Nick anyway. He isn’t literally wandering inside the fog being chased by The Entity right now (or is he?).
This character is recommended for experienced players who desire to play more as an effective distraction. If you need help regarding the game’s roles, check my Survivor Tips guide where I explain them more deeply.
Perks
- Dramaturgy: While running, press the active ability button 2 to run with knees high for 0.5 seconds and gain 25% Haste for 2 seconds, followed by a random effect. The same effect cannot happen twice in a row. Dramaturgy causes exhaustion for 40 seconds. Can’t be used while exhausted. The possible random effects followed by the activation of the perk are:
- Become Exposed for 12 seconds.
- Gain 25% Haste for 2 additional seconds.
- Scream, but nothing happens (the killer won’t get a loud noise notification).
- Gain a random rare item, with random add-ons, and drop any held items.
- Scene Partner: This perk activates when you are in the Killer’s Terror Radius. Whenever you look at the Killer, you scream, then see the Killer’s aura for 5 seconds. There is a chance you will scream again, if you do so, you will see the Killer’s aura for an additional 2 seconds. Scene Partner then goes on cool-down for 60 seconds.
- Plot Twist: This perk activates when you are injured. Press the ability button 2 while crouched and motionless to enter the dying state silently. When using Plot Twist to enter the dying state, you leave no blood pools, you make no noise, and you can fully recover from the dying state. When you recover by yourself using this perk, you are healed instantly and you gain 50% Haste for 4 seconds. This perk deactivates if you recover by yourself by any means. The perk re-activates when the exit gates are powered.
Nicolas Cage is an ideal character to force yourself to improve your evasion skills.
Tips & Strategies
Dramaturgy is probably one of the weirdest perks that have ever been added to the game. Once activated, you can get either a positive effect or a negative effect in a 50/50 chance. Despite this being an exhaustion-based perk, I don’t think you should use it while you’re actively being chased by the Killer. You should probably use this one if you want to start a chase rather than avoid one. The negative effects listed above are way too risky if you’re just trying to get away from the Killer. So, considering we’re talking about a distraction character, you will definitely want to use this perk for that. Most of the random possible effects will help you get the Killer’s attention, and if not, you will get a random rare item! I guess that’s nice too, right?
Scene Partner is very similar to Laurie Strode’s Object of Obsession (which is also a distraction character). Both perks allow you to have a good understanding of where the Killer is at all times at the cost of letting them know where you are as well. In the case of Nicolas, you will scream if you’re inside the Killer’s terror radius and look directly at them. Combined with Dramaturgy, this should be enough to get the Killer’s attention and make them forget whatever they were doing in the first place. I hope you have good evasion abilities because you will need them!
Plot Twist is without a doubt the most interesting perk of the list. It allows you to enter the dying state whenever you’re injured, but you will be completely silent and impossible to track in this state. And the best part is, if you manage to fill the recovery bar, you will get up again completely healed with a small speed boost for 4 seconds. Since this way to heal yourself is way too overpowered, the perk deactivates once you get up after using it. However, you’ll have a second chance to use it once the exit gates become active. This means you will be able to continue your distraction role and have the opportunity to heal yourself back up after a long, pleasant chase.
Use Plot Twist to your advantage and heal yourself up if there aren’t any other Survivors around.
Dead by Daylight: Where to Buy the Nicolas Cage DLC
That’s it for my Nicolas Cage DLC guide! The character is available for purchase for PC on Steam, PS4 & PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. We will soon have a full Alien DLC as well with a new Killer (The Xenomorph), a new Survivor (Ellen Ripley), and a new map! (Nostromo Wreckage). A lot of people have been asking for some Alien content since the game’s release, but now we will finally have it! This also opens the door to the possibility of having some Predator content in the future. We can say that licensed Killers from retro movies are finally back to Dead by Daylight. See you all in the fog!
