Why I’m worried about The Day Before, despite Fntastic’s efforts

pcgamesn.com:

Previously one of the most wishlisted survival games on Steam, The Day Before looks to have undergone a significant visual downgrade since its initial 2019 footage, despite efforts from developer Fntastic to be more open with its community.

In a new developer blog, Fntastic outlines the four-year process behind The Day Before, explaining how the multiplayer game’s original “stylised” aesthetic has been gradually transformed into something more “realistic.” The initial Day Before gameplay trailers, either from 2019 or 2020, are positioned alongside more recent footage to illustrate how Fntastic is gradually realising its “dream project.”

“The development process of The Day Before started at the beginning of 2019,” explains Fntastic communications team member Dana Soltangazinova. “At the time, the game looked so different that if you saw it today you wouldn’t be able to tell that it was actually The Day Before. The game had stylised, cartoonish graphics and hand-made animations.

“But in 2020 came a moment when we decided to overcome ourselves and raise our standards, to make The Day Before not only our dream project, but a game that could win the hearts of as many people as possible. After the decision, we at Fntastic made a real internal breakthrough and totally transformed The Day Before… our team made a massive effort to remake all visual parts of the game.”

The developer blog comes after The Day Before was delisted from Steam and delayed from March until November 10, 2023, when it was revealed that Fntastic did not in fact own the trademark for the game’s title. The studio then released a new gameplay trailer, containing shots and images that appeared to be heavily based on trailers for Call of Duty and The Last of Us.