Every story has its whys. 

Daymare 1994: Sandcastle is a prequel to Daymare 1998 that puts us in control of special agent Dalila Reyes. Our mission is to explore a military research facility that hides secrets and weapons that are more than lethal. It will be up to us to unravel its mysteries, in this Survival Horror that mixes classic references with innovative elements. 

Daymare 1994: Sandcastle was produced by Invader Studios and published by Leonardo Interactive, in partnership with 4Divinity. The game is scheduled for release on August 29, 2023, for PC, Playstation, and Xbox.



The root of all evil

Under the control of former government spy Dalila Reyes, we are led on a covert mission to recover information about a secret military base.  We discover that things at the place do not look right at all, as we come across several bodies of scientists and soldiers scattered on the ground. As if this were not enough, we find out that the place served as a government experimentation base, where various hidden and, to say the least, controversial tests were operated. 

At specific points in the story, we run into some characters from our own squadron, the H.A.D.E.S (Hexacore Advanced Division for Extraction and Search). As we meet the partially wounded Major Radek, we realize that the situation is much more enigmatic and threatening than we imagined. And in a short time, the mission of a search for information turns into a real fight for survival in a labyrinthine scenario full of creatures of inexplicable origin.

In Daymare 1994: Sandcastle, the narrative is a strong and very present element during gameplay. We notice the emphasis given to the speeches, which seek to contextualize the player and involve him in the atmosphere, as well as expressions and settings that present a well-executed narrative design. Technically speaking, I noticed that the game developed well its storytelling format, weaving the baseline of the story through dialogues and scenes, but nurturing the player with curiosities and pertinent information about the local context. 



However, I noticed a certain dissonance between the narrative model and its execution. Some dialogues are very cliché and superficial, which gives the game an air of a B movie from the 80s. For a demo that intends to attract players, I think that for this moment, it would be more interesting to better build the characters and their relationships, so that they are presented in the most objective and convincing way possible. 

I noticed "soulless" characters, with little initial background, and that sin by over-acting. The dialogs, especially in moments of tension, gave me the sensation of watching a Mexican soap opera of horror because by joining characters with exaggerated expressions, generic dialogs, and an atmosphere of horror, I felt more strangeness than empathy for the narrative (no offense to Mexicans).

Because it is a demo, I could not know the other characters and contexts of the game so well, but I hope they follow a line more consistent with the theme, and not generate this kind of feeling that I ended up experiencing. 



Take a chill pill!

The gameplay of Daymare 1994: Sandcastle turns to classics of the survival horror genre, putting us on the shoulders of the protagonist from a third-person perspective. While exploring the scenery, we can collect resources, discover story elements, and face enemies in the same way we do in RE4, for example. However, the game presents some interesting peculiarities that give authenticity to its gameplay. 

To discover some fragments of the narrative, we rely on a scanner that allows us to obtain information from various electronics such as computers, research instruments, and even the radios of scientists and dead soldiers. From it, we can collect texts, and audio recordings, and access secret documents, which allow us to unveil particularities of the story. 



We also have a very objective but functional combat kit. In the demo, we have a pistol and a shotgun which solve our problems well, but they are not the only weapons available, because when the situation heats up, only one weapon can really handle the job: the Frost Grip!

With it, we can literally freeze our enemies, who are mostly zombies with electrical powers. With a cryogenic spray, we hold the zombies still, ready to be finished off with an icy punch. And if that wasn't enough, we can use the Frost Grip to put out fires, cool pipes, and even make ice cream with special flavors!

Well, no... I made that last part up. But it would be nice, wouldn't it?

Anyway...

By introducing us to this style of combat, I felt that the game managed to bring a little more action to the genre, especially because the creatures, unlike the classic zombies, are quite fast and difficult to kill. I thought the combat was well executed, but it can be very difficult at times because the monsters can sometimes be faster than our cryogenics weapon, which can be frustrating at times.

The game also offers a progression system for the Frost Grip, with resources that increase its power, range, and recharge time, among others. I feel that the weapon has a lot to explore and develop throughout the game and I would like to see it soon at its full potential.



In addition to combat, as could not be missed, Daymare 1994 features simple but fun puzzles that harken back to games of the genre. In the demo, for example, we were able to reactivate a series of platforms through a system of combining elements. Particularly, I prefer puzzles developed the way you have done here because I think that puzzles don't need to be overly difficult in games like this, which emphasize the narrative since time for frustration is time without immersion. 

Another detail that I would like to point out concerns the general theme of the game. I am always open to new things, but a survival horror with an ice gun and an electric zombie seems a bit out of the box to me. I don't think this is bad, especially if the rest of the game is convincing enough, but I confess that I found the theme a little strange. During the gameplay, I kept thinking, "Why just an ice weapon?", "why not others, with other elements and features as well?"

I hope the devs can add more features and differentiated weapons for us to use in the game, but I signal that the simple well done is already more than enough, it is enough for him to convince his audience. 



Like a horror movie

Visually speaking, Daymare 1994: Sandcastle manages to do a very well-done job. The setting is well executed and you will feel immersed at all times. The monsters are grotesque and very intimidating looking (and behavior), which will take your breath away during your encounters. 

I would like to point out, again, that the facial expressions of the characters are a point for improvement. They seemed very exaggerated to me and managed to turn tension into fun. The bulging eyes of the characters made me laugh at times, which given the game's proposal, seemed to me to be a negative reaction.

The soundtrack of the game is coherent and pulls us into an atmosphere of terror and distress. Random noises and the sounds of metal and machinery manage to keep you on your toes for most of the game. But again, I lost touch with the atmosphere during the cutscenes, because the acting also seemed overdone and disconnected from the proposed ambiance. Not as obvious as the facial expressions, but still less than ideal.

For this review, Daymare 1994: Sandcastle was played on PC via Steam.