The Day Before is an upcoming survival MMO, coming from the team at FNTASTIC. After the game was revealed, it drew immediate comparisons to The Last of Us due to its focus on survival in a post-pandemic America and the enemies being composed of humans and zombie-like creatures. Some visual elements of The Day Before bear similarities to The Last of Us as well. The Last of Us, as a result, seems to be a big influence on the developer, but the title will need to go beyond emulating the elements of the series to stand on its own two feet, as its own unique property.
The Last of Us is extremely influential, and in its wake, there has been an influx of survival-esque games whose influence can be traced back to the Naughty Dog series. The new game from FNTASTIC is going to be joining a crowded genre, and while it's a good start to take inspiration from such an influential series, it'll likely need more than just that to stand out on its own. There still isn't an awful lot known about the title, so there is certainly hope among gaming fans that it can deliver something beyond typical survival game hallmarks.
The Last of Us Comparisons Aren't Necessarily Bad
The Day Before being compared to The Last of Us isn't necessarily a bad thing. Naughty Dog's series is considered to be a landmark game for its storytelling and helped usher in a series of zombie and survival-themed games. If some fans are seeing similarities between the two titles, it could be considered a good thing too, as The Last of Us has been so influential with bringing a powerful human element to zombie-themed games. The comparisons were immediate between the two games, and if fans are seeing commonalities between them, it's a good thing for FNTASTIC to generate some early buzz around its MMO.
Why The Day Before Needs to do More
Some gamers might argue that The Day Before should embrace the Last of Us comparisons, but for the title to be a more unique, viable product, it will need to provide more than just the trappings of a Last of Us-style game. Survival games and zombie games boast a large number of titles in both genres respectively, so in a crowded market, it's all the more important for the developer to ensure that the title is differentiated enough from its competitors. One of the main competitors that The Day Before could face is DayZ, due to the similarity in genre and premise. Beyond just diverging from influence from The Last of Us, FNTASTIC should look at how the title can stand on its own.
For the comparisons with The Last of Us, there is a reason to differentiate the game other than just the gameplay and premise similarities. The Last of Us Part 2 was an extremely divisive game, and while The Day Before isn't connected with Naughty Dog's series, there might be some unconscious association with the latest chapter in that series. Despite the widespread critical acclaim, a lot of fans didn't enjoy the title. The possibility of unconscious bias is a reasonable excuse, in addition to the overt similarities, to distance The Day Before from The Last of Us.
The Day Before is Entering Crowded Markets
The Day Before touches on several different genres including MMO, survival, and zombie games. While the comparisons with The Last of Us have been there since it was revealed, and even more so since The Day Before's brand new gameplay trailer, the title also seems to draw influence from other games and popular genres. It has been compared to The Division series quite heavily, due to the premise resembling that of the Tom Clancy series. Both The Day Before and The Division games take place in a post-pandemic world, where the allegiance of other human characters is in question.
Zombie games on both PC and consoles are in abundance and this is something else The Day Before will need to contend with. Other than The Last of Us, games such as Days Gone, Call of Duty's Zombie mode, Resident Evil, and countless more are as popular as ever. To stand out in a saturated market such as this, the developers at FNTASTIC probably shouldn't rely on mechanics and themes that have been explored thoroughly in the genre before. Some players may look at Back 4 Blood and think there is value in repeating what has come before, but this feels like a different case due to the absence of any new Left 4 Dead games for over a decade.
The Day Before will also be delving into the survival genre. This is another example of a popular game type, especially in modern times. Games such as Valheim have proven to be immensely popular, in addition to the likes of Rust, Subnautica, and Ark: Survival Evolved. Once again, The Day Before sees itself being involved in a healthy genre that already possesses a wealth of popular titles, making it all the more important for the developer to make the title stand out. The likes of Dying Light and the State of Decay games are perfect examples of games that cross the survival and zombie themes, and if the quality is there in The Day Before, it could easily be held in high regard from critics and fans alike.
The Day Before is poised to have an in-built fan interest from fans of MMOs, survival, and zombie games. Based on the gameplay that has been shown so far, there is a clear inspiration from The Last of Us series and even The Division. While comparisons like these aren't necessarily a bad thing to generate some excitement for a game, in the long run, it might be in the best interest of the developer, FNTASTIC, to look beyond the obvious influences. The Day Before is in a position to learn from other similar games and carve out its own identity.
The Day Before is currently in development for PC.