If you’ve been following the most wish listed and anticipated video game on Steam, The Day Before, you’d know that it’s been thrown into the ringer this past week.

Given the game’s recent delay to November and lack of communication from developer, Fntastic, no wonder the talk surrounding the title is largely negative.

Many have even gone on to claim that the game isn’t even real and as a response, the developers have shared 10 minutes of raw gameplay to prove us all wrong. 

Unfortunately, it hasn’t played out the way they were hoping it would and a lot of it has to do with the developers portraying the game in such a lackluster light. As the gameplay starts, we see the player traversing through the suburbs and off to the side another player is seen alluding to the implementation of a group feature which we know little to nothing about even to this day.

But, as they work their way through the admittedly beautiful environment, a house is along their path. As the first player enters the house, we get a look at the design and the overall feel of the interior space but what’s most notable about it is the workbench located in the garage.

It isn’t clear whether these work benches are in every house or whatever the case may be but it’s nice to know that there is an added layer of customization. We’re also able to get a quick look at the dismantling and crafting system which appears simplistic or barebones. Shortly after, viewers can see the player messing with different attachments on their gun and as they’re being equipped, the stats at the bottom left for the weapon seemingly change.

I’ve seen others online saying they wish it was a bit more in depth, but for a game like this, I believe the system will do just fine for what it’s trying to achieve. 

Although it’s clear that the house can be explored and looted, the player only does so briefly in this instance and moves on to the outside, progressing forward. In the near distance, zombies are heard and viewers get to see true gunplay for the first time. Unlike the other gameplay trailers, this player can actually aim their weapon properly.

On a side note, the HUD seems to disappear whenever you’re not in combat. 

This is a nice touch and little detail that I’m a fan of and would like to see more of in other survival games adding to the level of immersion while playing.

After this, the player begins to transition into the next area of the map and from afar it appears to be a city. As they make their way into the new area, viewers get a sense of scale and how moving through these so-called levels will end up being like. But, I doubt it’ll be as expansive and accessible as we all wish it would be. Although, that is only speculation, viewers do get a glimpse at a new feature inside of a restaurant, where the player is disarming an alarm by inputting the correct code.

As of right now, we aren’t certain if this will feed into the more dynamic elements such as zombies reacting to the sound of an alarm or what that may trigger or activate but if done right, this could make for interesting encounters with other players in the vicinity.

Additionally, the player stops to loot as they traverse through the city and it’s evident that the inventory comprises of mostly single slot items which I prefer more than anything.

As a fan of the survival genre, I’ve been able to see just how important it is to get in and out menus as quickly as possible.

To put it simply, players don’t want to have to fumble with inventory slots when trying to loot quickly and move on. This is especially true in high stake PVP moments where timing and precision is crucial. 

Despite this being a positive, it’s hard not to notice the lack of tension or risk while they make their way through the space.

At times we see them kill a few zombies, but they don’t seem to pose any significant threat and are taken care of easily. After an encounter in a back alley, it’s seen that the player drinks a beverage, hinting at a hydration system, but from the looks of it, it more than likely works just the same as any other survival game. 

Ultimately, that pretty much sums up the extent of gameplay that was shown, despite the additional strangely put together short by the developers which felt like a wasted opportunity.

To be honest, it was quite boring and unamusing to watch because nothing really happened. It makes me wonder why they chose to showcase this bit of gameplay that answers only a few of our questions. 

For the most part, we see just the basics and a whole lot of walking.

With that said, the community, including myself doesn’t really learn much of anything and like others, I was hoping for a bit more at this point, considering the game was originally slated to release in March prior to the delay. All I can hope for is that the next time we see official gameplay that it includes PVP and a more in depth breakdown to the core gameplay loop. 

Maybe then will we truly see the full scope of what this game will be like to play, but only time will tell.