Daylight (PS4)

Details: Category: PlayStation 4; By Cheryl Gress; 02.Jul; Hits: 6941

Game Info:

Daylight
Developed by: Zombie Studios
Published by: Atlus
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Available on: PC, PS4 (reviewed)
Genre: Survival/Horror
Number of Players: Single-player
ESRB Rating: Mature for Violence and Language
Price: $14.99

Thank you Atlus for sending us this game to review!

You awaken in a dark room with no electricity. In your hand is a cellphone that provides you with some light and communication from some guy whose identity is unknown. Is he guiding or tormenting you? Maybe both. As you explore the seemingly endless corridors, you’ll find various notes scattered around that will give you tidbits of a back story. Make sure to stock up on glow sticks and flares as you find them. Unfortunately, you can only carry 4 of each. The flares are your only protection from the shadows/witches.

Daylight begins in a long abandoned and haunted mental hospital. In order to move on to the next area you have to collect and read a certain number of remnant notes (typically 5-6). Once you have done that, a sigil or key is ready to be picked up in a room with a strange thirteen pointed star symbol. When you have the sigil in your possession, you cannot use glow sticks for light or flares for protection. You have to use the map on the phone to guide you to the exit since there is not much light. Thankfully the main character, Sarah, never gets tired from sprinting and I recommend doing so in her helpless state while carrying the sigil.

Highlights:

Strong Points: Daylight successfully creates a creepy atmosphere; 3D positional audio ; works well with the Vita’s remote play
Weak Points: Repetitive gameplay; long load times; sporadic auto saves; short amount of game play; disappointing ending
Moral Warnings: Language and supernatural references

The sigil takes many forms including a teddy bear, scissors, a bible, a baby doll, and a straw doll. There are not many levels in Daylight and it can be beaten in a few hours. There are various achievements to be earned, but after experiencing the disappointing ending I have no urge to replay it to collect all of the available notes or not use any glow sticks.

Playing without glow sticks would be challenging for sure, as the levels are very dark and it’s hard to see the beauty of the Unreal 4’s engine being put to use. I wasn’t impressed with the graphics, but the audio is top notch.

Zombie Studios sure knows how to create a creepy atmosphere. I was on edge the whole time playing with the positional scratches, whispers and screams. The background music was pleasant to listen to, I just wish I didn’t have to listen to it for as long as I did while my save was taking a couple of minutes to load.

Score Breakdown:
Higher is better
(10/10 is perfect)

Game Score - 66%
Gameplay - 8/20
Graphics - 6/10
Sound - 9/10
Stability - 5/5
Controls - 5/5 Morality Score - 61%
Violence - 5/10
Language - 2/10
Sexual Content - 10/10
Occult/Supernatural - 5/10
Cultural/Moral/Ethical - 8.5/10

One other complaint I have is the auto saves. There are only one or two auto saves per level. I wish I had the ability to save when I felt like it instead of losing so much progress due to dying or having to leave the game on my own terms.

When Sarah dies it’s not that bloody, the screen fades to black. There are some graphic depictions of witches being hung and some of the notes mention electroshock therapy. There are some swear words in the notes and hell is said aloud a couple of times. There are times when Sarah says OMG and other times she is pleading for God’s help. One of my kids sat down by me while I was playing this game and she got creeped out. I don't recommend this game for kids. :)

With an asking price of $15.00 you’re not going to get much game time or entertainment with the repetitive gameplay mechanics. You will get a scary experience, and if repetition and a lackluster story don’t bother you, it might be worth getting if you find it on sale. I have seen it as low as half price on Steam. Daylight is best enjoyed in a dark room with surround sound.