Review: Daymare 1998 (Steam)

by Jim Smale · Published March 27, 2020 · Updated April 27, 2020

DAYMARE: 1998 is a third-person survival horror game that recreates the mood of iconic titles from the ’90s, with a fresh storyline. An incident that turns a small town into a deadly zone, three characters to play with and little time to find the truth, before its mutated citizens abruptly end your mission.

Pros:

Really nice graphics.
Steam achievements.
Controller support.
3 difficulties-easy/normal/Daymare.
Aim mode-manual/assist/auto.
Graphics-presets/AA/shadows/textures/visual effects/motion blur/lens flare/reflections/resolution/rescale/window mode/v-sync/frame rate limit.
Resident Evil inspired.
Action-adventure gameplay.
Tutorial pop-ups.
A lot of puzzles.
The tense atmosphere with the occasional jump scare for good measure.
Reloading-can do it fast or slow. Fast means you drop the clip with any remaining rounds left in it.
3rd person perspective.
Nails the feel and presentation of a game from the late 90s.

Cons:

Mouse cursor stays on the screen when using a controller.
No fullscreen option.
I got stuck in the scenery a fair few times.
Awkward controller layout.
Slowdown and stutters in places.
No camera sensitivity sliders.
Predictable set pieces.

8/10
Graphics - 8/10
7/10
Sound - 7/10
8/10
Accessibility - 8/10
8/10
Length - 8/10
9/10
Fun Factor - 9/10

8/10

Summary

Games that are inspired by another series generally stay too close to the source material and you struggle to see it in its own right. Daymare 1998 does start out feeling like this but over time it grows into its own game and really nails the atmosphere it is going for. I really did like how it took a game like Resident Evil and then built upon it. Daymare 1998 does have its issues but to be fair most of it is not its gameplay but rather the behind the scene stuff and technical issues. Shame yes but detrimental no, for Daymare 1998 manages to recreate the feeling of gaming in the late 90s but give it enough modern additions that it doesn’t feel old or dated. I cannot go into the story as its the main part of the game and you need to experience it yourself, just do so full in the knowledge that the game will be worth it and not let you down.