Summary
Dataminers allege thatEscape Factory, the new game from the developer behindThe Day Before, Fntastic, is making some of the same mistakes as its predecessor, including asset flipping. This follows Fntastic’s attempt to convince gamers that it andEscape Factorydeserve a second chance after the disastrous launch and subsequent removal ofThe Day Before.
The Day Beforelaunchedless than a year ago, but its age is practically irrelevant, as the game was pulled from sale within four days and its servers shut down within a month. Initially, it was believed that Fntastic was completely shut down following the disastrous launch, but it seems that the studio has been working on a new title inEscape Factory. However, the developer’s hope for winning back gamers may not be going as planned.
Escape Factorywas revealedon September 27 with a brief trailer, demo, and a crowdfunding campaign. Data miners have since dug into the demo, and aren’t happy with what they’ve found. Twitter user bsimser shared a lengthy thread on the official Steam forums revealing their findings of asset flipping and free code being implemented in the demo. According to bsimser, the code used for the game’s networking, lobby, and matchmaking is taken from a free Unity demo code that can be downloaded from Github and is intended to be used for learning to create multiplayer games, not actual launch products.
Escape Factory Seems to Be Repeating The Day Before’s Mistakes
Meanwhile, a number of assets from the game are reportedly not made by the developer, and have instead been taken from varying online resources, including free resources and a demo. Gamers previously discovered thatThe Day Beforeused assets from the Unreal Marketplacerather than its own, with history now seemingly repeating itself. After bsimser revealed this information on Steam, the post was taken down, allegedly by Fntastic. Social media responses allege that any attempts to discuss the matter on the developer’s Discord are also being taken down.
Given that Fntastic is hoping to raise just over $15,000 USD via Kickstarter to get this project up and running, and potentially up to $700,000 to unlock the maximum number of features, many are not happy with these revelations. Considering that the game needs funding, there is a possibility that some assets were used as placeholders until real assets could be developed or properly licensed. However, that goes against the developer’s claims that everything is being handcrafted byFntastic developersand that it’s working hard to regain gamers' trust. It would be in Fntastic’s best interest to address these findings and quickly, but it may already be too late for the developer’s hope of a second chance.
The Day Before
WHERE TO PLAY
The Day Before offers players a uniquely reimagined journey into post-apocalyptic open-world MMO survival set in the present day on the US East Coast following a deadly pandemic.SURVIVE AT ALL COSTSFight other players for survival. Survive against the deadly infected. Collect valuable loot.DISCOVER THE NEW POST-PANDEMIC WORLDExplore the beautiful and richly detailed New Fortune City. Enter tall skyscrapers, business centers, massive malls, grand stadiums, and more. Uncover distant surroundings of New Fortune City on stunningly detailed vehicles.REBUILD SOCIETYJoin the Woodberry survivor colony on its mission to rebuild society. Trade items in Woodberry and save your wealth in a personal storage room. Build your own home in the safe zone.
