New survival MMO The Day Before is gradually turning into a meme. On the Internet they are arguing with all their might about the theory that the project does not really exist and that the whole development is a large-scale scam. Most of the gameplay videos presented are specially prepared shots. No one has seen the match live yet. To somehow reassure journalists and fans after another transfer, the developers released as much as 10 minutes (!) of “real gameplay” on February 2, 2023. Of course, we watched the video and analyzed what happens next with The Day Before.
Just us and the horse walk in New York
The gameplay demonstrates the journey of two survivors through the suburbs of the metropolis. Skyscrapers and towers can be seen in the distance, but they are many miles away. While the heroes wander between private houses no higher than two or three floors.
The models of the characters immediately catch the eye, especially the female, on behalf of whom the demonstration takes place. It is impossible not to emphasize the external beauty of the girl. I wonder if all heroines will be like this? However, the face is almost not shown to us, only the view from the back.
They come in with trump cardsImmediately attentive viewers will notice the physics. The backpack on the back, hair and even the keychain move according to the steps of the character. They seem like little things, but they are fun. Unfortunately, the second player was not allowed to qualify, so what the male avatars look like in the current build is anyone’s guess.
Graphics is another important aspect. The setting sun is great to show off the local beauties. Electric poles are reflected in the puddles, the shadows gradually lengthen, and each house is not like the last (at least from the outside). We saw something similar even before the downgrade in the very first videos. Tom Clancy’s The Division.
When accelerating, the stamina bar begins to decrease. There are no other indicators of the character on the screen. We will come back to this later.
It seems that not all homes, shops and buildings can be entered. The preppers examined the cottage, where a light was kindly burning at the entrance. Many other houses along the road were simply closed. Looking ahead, the situation in the city is similar. Only a few shops are available for research and, unlike the apocalypse, there are regular bright lights. It is funny.
Only a few items and a workbench are available in the house. First of all, the character goes to him. After disassembling various household items, such as a radio and a lighter, the girl gains additional resources. Similar mechanisms can be found in almost every crafting game – nothing surprising. Then we will be shown making consumables and adjusting the machine.
Here it is necessary to stop in more detail. First, the heroine simply stands while crafting and does not interact with the environment in any way. Given the project’s focus on realism, it looks ridiculous. Second, not all weapon parts affect its characteristics. There aren’t that many parameters, and they’re all standard: power, range, stability, and rate of fire.
When installing new components, only the stripes of the gun’s potential development change. And the tires with real characteristics remain unchanged. It turns out that you need to somehow pump weapons differently, and on a workbench you can only create opportunities for this. The system looks too cumbersome.
After making, the heroine inspects several cabinets. There’s nothing remarkable about the action itself, except perhaps the speed at which the interaction takes place. You will have to hold down the desired button for a very long time.
The question is different – if we have an MMO in a single open world, does it mean that one of the first players simply collects all the resources, leaving others with nothing. There is no question of respawning electrical tape or soda cans yet, because then the element of survival disappears. It would be interesting to know the details.
Leaving the house, the heroes go to the city. There is one more important detail here. Any abandoned car can be opened and inspected. Whether it makes sense to collect all the waste found is not clear.
Literally in a few seconds, the survivors come across a group of zombies, and here the first tangible minus of a real build of the game catches the eye. There are three enemies, but the zombies literally die from a few shots and pose no threat whatsoever. Infected will also meet in the city, but they simply will not have time to reach the heroes.
Didn’t take a closer look at the zombiesIf nothing changes, two dozen such opponents will not be difficult to kill. Keep in mind we’re still an MMO, which means there should be levels and raids on particularly powerful monsters or bandits. While everything looks realistic, but absolutely uninteresting.
Maybe people with the same guns as you are the biggest threat, but then why do we need zombies in the first place? in the same Days Gone mutants were much more dangerous and really affected the gameplay. In The Day Before, the infected appear just as fast and active, but totally helpless.
In town, the first thing the survivors go to is the lighted shop, which has an alarm. The girl immediately tries to turn it off, although it is not very clear why. Zombies are not attracted to sound and the area is empty.
The hacking process is interesting. On the panel, several keys are more worn than others. You have to make a combination of these. In the event of an error, the correct numbers will light up for a few seconds longer than the others, helping you gradually find the correct sequence.
After dealing with the alarm, the girl takes valuables from a carefully left bag and walks out into the street.
In the city you clearly notice for the first time an important characteristic of the environment: emptiness. The demonstration has been going on for 6 minutes and the heroes are just wandering, having only engaged in a brief firefight once. We really hope this is just a feature of the early build and some interesting activities will be added in the future. Otherwise, we have a kind of vacuum cleaner simulator, collecting garbage in the corners on a huge empty map.
Moments later, the heroes see a group of zombies ahead. Serious danger does not threaten them – there are a little more opponents than before. The camera switches to first-person view, after which the preppers decide to bypass the infected side, depriving us of at least something interesting.
Next to it is another shop, which has many empty refrigerators, but after examining it appears that there are supplies inside.
Another second of firefight and we get to see the inventory for the first time. It is made as ascetically as possible and without details. However, we are interested in the characteristics of the character, which can be studied in the end. There are three parameters to monitor: health, energy and thirst. If you constantly have to open the inventory to analyze the character’s condition, the process will not only be long, but also as boring as possible. A very strange decision.
The heroes come to a major crossroads, where they can appreciate the scale of the map. The developers really waved at something big, but if the city remains the same empty, it makes little sense in terms of mileage. In addition, it is not entirely clear how many places are open for exploration. If all these skyscrapers are nothing more than decorative walls with two or three shops, the project is unlikely to succeed.
Observant viewers will notice leaflets floating in the air, but there are no wind effects, such as smoke or anything else. I think they will be added in the future.
In the last minutes, the girl enters one of the buildings. Everything has been recreated with photographic accuracy, but five helpless zombies again make you think that the adventure in the world of the post-apocalypse looks too simple.
Which gender character do you prefer to play?
What is the result
The demonstration leaves mixed feelings. On the one hand, the game definitely exists and a lot of work has been done. Graphics, light, shadows, realistic physics and scale are a pleasant surprise.
On the other hand, the reasons for constant transfers are obvious. The game is not finished at all. The world is empty and boring, the animations are clunky and sometimes they just don’t exist, a strange approach to informing the player about the state of the character, an incomprehensible system of improvements and weak enemies. We are silent about the fact that zombies are like their counterparts from other similar projects, like two drops of water, without at least some memorable features.
Surviving in The Day Before is also ruined like it’s for show. If you only need to monitor dehydration and energy, this is not a special challenge.
It should be understood that the video was most likely a necessary measure to calm the players and journalists. But despite the fact that the demo was pre-prepared and thought out, there doesn’t seem to be anything corny to impress the developers.
***
Unfortunately, 10 minutes of The Day Before gameplay doesn’t inspire optimism. The game is too raw and totally unprepared for release. Methodically collecting all kinds of garbage in abandoned houses and shops is not what you expect from the “AAA game about the post-apocalypse” that we were promised. Rather, it’s the level of a boring ass simulator.
Are you looking forward to The Day Before?
All screenshots from The Day Before can be viewed here.
Source: VG Times
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.