In late January, developer FNTASTIC unveiled its upcoming open-world MMO and survival game The Day Before. The game's announcement trailer drew comparisons to The Last of Us, The Division, and DayZ, which are great games to be compared to. In the time since, FNTASTIC has shared additional footage of The Day Before's gameplay, keeping interested gamers' attention. The latest example comes in the form of a short video showcasing The Day Before's impressive off-road vehicle gameplay.
The Day Before's new gameplay trailer is brief and focuses on just one key feature, though that feature does imply deeper gameplay elements than are first apparent. The clip shows two player-drive vehicles being taken through a muddy basin. Visually, the clip shows how the vehicles both leave distinct tracks through the mud where their tires track. These tracks also fill with liquid, at least in the deeper area of the basin. It looks sharp and is reminiscent of those early The Division demos where Ubisoft showcased various visual features.
But the clip also showcases a not-insignificant gameplay element, too. While driving through the mud, the vehicles are shown struggling and unable to accelerate. This could play a major role in car chases, or worse if a player is on foot. There's also the opportunity for more complex elements, like a vehicle's wheels spinning or the engine stalling out in the mud, if The Day Before's developers choose to implement it.
There is some clear visual trickery at hand, however. At the very beginning of the trailer, when the player is some distance away from the mud, the mud hasn't actually spawned in yet. The mud must be on some sort of distance trigger before the game will start to display it. It also doesn't look like the tracks in the mud from the first vehicle are displayed until the second vehicle is within range for the mud to be displayed. As such, it almost certainly disappears right after the vehicle leaves the other side of the basin.
That's not necessarily a harsh criticism of what The Day Before is doing. Even if there are limiting distances for these visuals, it doesn't mean it isn't worth it. The visuals are still impressive and they are worth sharing. Optimization will likely only make it look better.
Still, interested gamers should recognize that The Day Before is trying to put its best foot forward, showcasing key visual features. These features may not work on all PC hardware, or could be more limited than is immediately apparent. The Day Before has no release date, so there's a lot of development left to go. Until closer to The Day Before's launch, it's safe to keep expectations managed.
The Day Before is in development for PC.