Daymare 1994 Sandcastle, the tried in preview of the demo
Daymare 1994 Sandcastle
Daymare 1998 was a surprise for many, especially for those who had not closely followed the development of the first work of the Romans Invader Studio. Born from the ashes of the unofficial remake of Resident Evil 2, the all-local survival horror was able to convince and raise the flag of Italian videogame development. After the release on PC and consoles, it was only a matter of time before we started talking about a new chapter, which was then revealed to the public under the title of Daymare 1994 Sandcastle.Direct prequel of 'original, arriving by the end of the year, the game represents one of the great protagonists of the Steam Next Fest. We have been given the chance to try the Daymare 1994 Sandcastle demo a few days ahead of the free release on Valve's platform and are now ready to tell you what we think.
Operation Sandcastle
Daymare 1994: dark presences on the horizon Forgotten the protagonists of the first chapter, Daymare 1994 Sandcastle puts us in the shoes of agent Dalila Reyes, always affiliated with the HADES organization , and again thrown into a waking nightmare. During the half-hour duration of the test we will not bea> able to retrieve too much information about the protagonist and the motivations that move this prequel, but it is clear that the guys from Invader Studios have every intention of expanding the lore and the universe of their series, adding pieces here and there, perhaps useful for discovering what really started the tragic implications of four years later.The new protagonist seems to know her stuff, unable to stop in front of the horror that surrounds, in search of a truth that could save everyone from the new threats that inhabit our planet.
Reiterate to win
Daymare 1994: The H.A.D.E.S. is always present The very short longevity of the demo does not help to understand the motivations of the action, but it still allows you to find the feeling with a similar gameplay in the foundations, but with some substantial changes. The very close view behind you is back, as well as the presence of the inventory and the inevitable combination of objects that made the fortune of the survival horror of the nineties.Despite the closed and aseptic setting of the demo, as well as its extreme linearity in terms of level design, we were put in a position to face different sessions and game situations, and this is where the first differences appeared.
Dalila's equipment consists, in fact, of both classic elements such as a shotgun and a submachine gun, but also of two goodies that allow you to diversify the action and add further variety to the gameplay. One of these is the Frost Grip, a sort of "ice shooter" that can be used at will and capable of recharging itself over time, as well as being helped by consumables and tanks around the map.
L The use we made of it during the demo was twofold: both to open up an escape route in the flames and as an aid in a sort of simple environmental enigma, as well as a great support during the clashes with the new opponents that we will face in Daymare 1994 Sandcastle.
It is the latter who change the cards a lot, giving Daymare that more action-packed feeling that won't make purists happy, but which could help the title reach an even wider audience . It is clear that what we were able to play represents such a short portion of the work that we certainly cannot say that all opponents will behave with the same enthusiasm and aggression, but the fact remains that in these situations it was precisely the Frost Grip that took us away. from more than a few hindrances.
The creatures are in fact literally generated by energy, similar to electric discharges released into the air and to be knocked down they require several hits, before releasing all the accumulated energy to the ground and to fade. What complicates things is not only their agility, but also their different nature. Some of them can in fact only be killed temporarily with our standard weapons, capable even of absorbing the residual energy of the felled companions. In this case, to defeat these annoying creatures we decided to first try to freeze them and then to shoot them again to destroy them. Bingo!
Let's not hide the fact that, however simple, this mechanic has convinced us, even without a rather flat and characterless aesthetic of creatures. It will be nice to find out how this mutation will evolve during the whole experience and what other amenities we will face, perhaps finding other useful gadgets for the purpose.
The other element we anticipated is a scanner, always available for Dalila and with which it is possible to interact with different objects, as well as find new and well hidden ones. In fact, even during the demo there was a chance to come across useful extras to open a small container, as well as to take control of different instruments.
In short, a 1994 more technological than 1998, but apart from the hilarity of the thing, it is an element that made us smile and hope well, also in view of a series of puzzles that we expect and on which we aim strongly.
It is perhaps on this last aspect that the demo of Daymare 1994 leaves more to be desired. We found all situations similar to an environmental puzzle more dull and uninspired than usual, even if the very small portion played cannot in any way be a yardstick for the whole experience.
Technique Italian
Daymare 1994: good morning, little star! On a technical level, Daymare 1994 lays its foundations on the work already carried out for the first chapter. It goes without saying that the scope and budget are so far from that of any Resident Evil remake that playing Daymare hoping to see the RE Engine in action would be stupid and unfair.Despite this, the job played by the Roman team is remarkable and puts us in front of a so-called "AA" who knows his stuff. Forget gigantic maps, open worlds, mind-boggling lighting or 4K textures, but the models perform well enough. The level of detail is not miraculous, but still more than suitable for showcasing nice and enjoyable graphics. Obviously this net of the work still in progress, therefore able to file the limable even better, with the hope of finding an even more beautiful and significantly more refined game in your hands.
Daymare 1994 Sandcastle looks like the confirmation title for Invader Studios. Knowing that, for obvious reasons, it cannot reach the production value of Resident Evil 2 Remake and then we will realize that we are in front of the largest and most airy project in our country. If the variety of situations, the narrative force and the action component don't become too pressing and cloying, then Invader Studios may have taken a big shot again, a few more inches closer to the center. The demo, we remind you, will be available to test for everyone during the Steam Next Fest.
