izigame.me

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is not what I expected for the follow up game of Daymare: 1998. I absolutely loved 1998, it was a true old style RE1-3 clone and it really showed. However, 1994 is a little different. I think it's probably easier to jump into the pros and cons list before I get into too much detail. So let's get to it!
Pros:
* As I stated it's very similar to the first 3 Resident Evils and their counterpart remakes, if you like those games you'll like Daymare.
* Controls are better and improved from Daymare 1998, for instance reloading isn't a pain like it was in 1998.
* The in game graphics aren't too shabby at all, the environments are creepy and scary. Very low light which will require the use of your flashlight most of the time.
* Music and the SFX department did well again, lots of creepy sounds and the music is worth a good listen.
* There are jump scares again, but mostly from non enemy surprises, the dark and damp atmosphere drives it to the next level
* I'm not finished with the game at the time of this review but there are some puzzles, not nearly what I remember from the Daymare 1998 though
* There are collectibles to find, which unlocks infinite ammo on certain weapons

Cons
* My biggest issue with Daymare 1994 is that it's f**king Aliens not Zombies for enemies . I'm sorry but that doesn't interest me at all, especially when your game is basically capitalizing on the RE franchise.
* Daymare 1994 also really lost some of my interest when enemies teleport (ALL ENEMIES)... yep they teleport around the map, that's their gimmick and I despise it.
* Combat is so-so, I noticed quite a few times specifically with the shotgun where enemies will be too close, lunge and mysteriously you'll completely miss. BUT they'll successfully grapple you. It's frustrating, because it can get you killed!
* This is a game made in 2023, there's no F**KING MAP! You don't back track a whole lot, but still WHY NO MAP!?!
* Daymare: 1994 added a scanner for you to scan items, well sorta, you can only scan 1 or 2 items per map and they are all story based things to scan. Very under utilized mechanic, it's too bad because a lot more could have done with it.
* There are lockers that you'll come across in the game that you'll have to "hack" to unlock. Things like attachments to weapons are in those lockers, BUT each locker after the first one you come across can only be attempted a handful of times. If you fail, it locks you out forever. That would be okay, except eventually the lockers become ridiculous. They have a timer that requires you to hack it within a certain amount of time and they'll throw other mechanics at you as you progress. They become so stupidly difficult, that I had to quit and start writing this review. It pissed me off and I needed a break.
* AGAIN it's bad voice acting with poor dialogue, these voice actors have zero passion. At times, it's just sad how terrible it is. They are suppose to be saying something that is dire and deserves emphasis, but instead is delivered as if they are relaxing on a beach.
* Very little in the environment to interact with, this is the exact same situation as 1998. Visually things look great, but very little to explore with dead ends everywhere.
* Cutscenes are awful looking, character models are almost laughable for a 2023 release and they look almost the same as they did from years prior with Daymare 1998. I can't believe they didn't improve on this!
* Not particularly likable characters, the main protagonist is boring and other npcs are forgettable
My overall opinion for Daymare 1994 is that it's not better than 1998, yes they did improve on some things but at the same time there's a lot of changes I didn't like. The enemies being the biggest let down for me. I'm not even for sure if the games are tied in together because they are so radically different story wise. I think I'm more disappointed than anything. I enjoyed 1998 and this was a let down for me. I recommend buying on discount if you do decide to get Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle, otherwise avoid it.