Following a slight pause while it worked out some apparent legal issues, Fntastic has dropped its promised 10-minute trailer for The Day Before. The video shows a player exploring the game’s setting of a post-apocalyptic New York, engaging in some crafting and killing barely enough zombies to qualify for a participation medal.
You can look at the video below, if you’re excited by the idea of about 10 minutes of slow jogging:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgrIGUhoZA&ab_channel=Fntastic
I’ll be honest, by the time the crafting screen was opened and stayed open for nearly two minutes while elevator music played, I’d already zoned out. Rather than finally putting to rest the debate over the legitimacy of this game, this “gameplay” trailer just further highlights that The Day Before looks at worst fake, and at best immensely boring.
Missing are any number of the survival/MMO mechanics that Fntastic has been spruiking since it announced the game at the beginning of 2021. The world looks lifeless, we saw no indication of proper player interaction, or really anything that would paint this as more than a large tech demo.
Of course, it’s important to recognise that this could very well be a game still in development, and the team at Fntastic has asked players to have faith in them and what they say has been four years of hard work. The below statement to IGN certainly paints a picture of a team struggling to convince the public of their efforts:
“For us and millions of people, The Day Before is a childhood dream come true. It’s a game with zombies and other people in a huge postapocalyptic skyscraper city. We understand that some players, not seeing the whole picture, might have doubts about the game. Our whole focus has always been on the product itself.
“We’ve been creating the game for four years. All these years have been full of sweat and blood to make this game, and for many members of our team, it is unpleasant to hear such accusations. We didn’t take a penny from people: no crowdfunding, no pre-orders, no donations. The game is fully funded by Mytona, one of the largest mobile publishers in the world, who checked the game’s build at every milestone per our contract.
“We made a real inner breakthrough when we decided to go for big challenges from the bottom—so big that some people would consider them impossible. Making a fantastic journey from the very ends of the earth, we feel like that simple guy from 90s action movies. You probably remember him as the hero who breaks through the veil of disbelief when no one believes in him, but he finds the inner strength to win and prove to everyone what he is worth in the end.
“We only believe in the final product. No matter what anyone says, you’ll see for yourself on November 10 this year. We hope that after the game’s success, we’ll give people faith that in this life, if you persevere toward a dream, it will come true, despite all the obstacles and doubts.”
The Day Before is due to launch on November 10, 2023. The Steam page for the game still has not been restored.
