read a lot of negative feedback on Daymare before purchasing it, but I played the demo and really enjoyed that. I could tell this was going to be a "LOVE or HATE" game for me, so I purchased it on my own head; and I don't regret it. Daymare is a homage to oldschool survival horror, and aside from the 3rd person camera it fits well into the old tropes like limited recourses, methodical exploration and files/audio logs. And it's not easy, atleast on DAYMARE difficulty which is described as how the developer intended the game to be played for an authentic experience. I want to cover quickly some mechanics and aspects of the game that people have a problem with. Combat and inventory is clunky, voice acting is cheesy, and the enemies are a bit limited. But for me, these weren't problems. I understand that the developers were on a budget and limited team so considering what they managed to make, it's impressive for me. Clunky gunplay adds to more tense encounters, I really enjoyed the story and characters, the inventory system is very cool and again doesn't pause the game so you have to use it wisely. Though enemies are limited it variety the existing ones do well to give you a bad day; be it the slower shambling zombies or larger and faster ones with stronger attacks! The environments are varied; labs, woods, town streets and locales, a hospital etc, and are all dark and rich with tense atmosphere. I was constantly having my gun ready while slowly approaching corners in apprehension. While it is mainly influenced by Resident Evil 2, I think the soundtrack is very diverse and rich. The cutscenes are longer and more fleshed with character too; the story isn't glossed over. And the references to RE vary from blatant (like typewriters laying around) or enemies and characters that have remind me a bit of say, William Birkin or HUNK, but are enough of their own person. Overall, I just can't fault this game. It isn't perfect but it is playable and full of passion.
If you're a fan of the Shadowrun World you need to get this package! I love the atmosphere and the setting.
