It’s safe to say that 2020’s Daymare 1998 had a lot to love, from the intricate puzzles to strong writing. However, the third-person horror shooter had a fair bit of jank at launch. The prequel – Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle on Xbox, PlayStation and PC is now available. And it looks to compete with Resident Evil, Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol with even more scares.
Nowhere is Safe…
Releasing on Xbox, PlayStation and PC platforms, Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle throws you into a dark labyrinthine research facility, with one of the most technologically advanced weapons in your hand. And that’s a good thing too, with terrifying monsters out to get you at every corner.
Developers Invader Studios have Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle down as a retro-inspired horror shooter. But it comes with many modern elements. Think of the remade Resident Evil titles and you are half of the way there.
Key Features
- New characters and big comebacks – take part in the top secret “Sandcastle” mission as the game’s main protagonist, Special Agent H.A.D.E.S. Dalila Reyes, and reconstruct the past of some of Daymare: 1998’s most beloved characters.
- Lethal and terrifying enemies – fight, kill and dismember the new enemies that stand between you and the resolution of your mission, so frighteningly intelligent, aggressive and realistic in every detail.
- Revamped interface – the D.I.D. is back, though in a completely redesigned way. Manage your inventory, ammo and health items directly from the new game interface, which has never been so simple and intuitive.
- Eye to the Scanner – thanks to the innovative device installed on Reyes’s arm, you can analyze portions of the environment and reveal new puzzles to solve, pick up secret documents and detect hidden items!
- Environmental puzzles – the solution is often right in front of your eyes! Search for all the clues and overcome the environmental obstacles to obtain resources and collectibles.
Need more key features?
- Are you sure it’s dead? – in Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle, prepare to confront the toughest and most aggressive enemies you have ever seen. Moreover, even if you’re sure you’ve killed one, you’ll find out it can come back in a completely new form and even deadlier than before!
- Breathtaking and immersive graphics, sound effects and soundtrack – thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 4, you will live the most terrifying of experiences!
- Back to the 90s… again! – if you loved the nostalgia of Daymare: 1998, in Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle will feel like you’re living and playing a typical action horror/film of the 90s. Expect to be transported back in time to many familiar references and a frightfully authentic atmosphere with a retro flavor.
- Freeze! – there will certainly be no shortage of guns, but prepare to equip one of the most innovative and powerful weapons ever created: the Frost Grip! WARNING: it may contain liquid nitrogen.
- Veteran or rookie – choose the most appropriate game difficulty based on your ability in combat and your experience with survival horror. Either way, it will be a serious challenge for the faint-hearted!
Famous Vocals
Thrilling music perpetuates your every move, headlined by Lacuna Coli’s Cristina Scabbia. The Game Director of Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle, and Co-Founder and Studio Head at Invader Studios, had this to say on the matter:
Cristina Scabbia’s collaboration with Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle has been an absolute thrill for us… Exploring the depths of her evocative and powerful voice, Cristina perfectly captured the game’s many nuances. With its engaging narration, this adventure reveals an intense emotional component, skillfully highlighted by Cristina. Her performance masterfully highlighted this double soul of the game, which winds between horror elements and emotional suggestions.
Cristina herself is enthused by the collaboration, stating the following:
When Invaders Studios asked me to interpret the song “Loneliness” for Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle, I accepted with immense joy. I think “Loneliness” is a very poignant and incredibly evocative song, perfect to embrace the game’s atmosphere and the emotions of its protagonist. I really hope you’ll adore Loneliness as much as I do!
Now Available!
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4 and PC. You can pick up a copy for £29.24 via the Xbox Store.
Make sure to look out for our full review of Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle on Xbox!
Daymare 1994: Sandcastle on Xbox Game Description
Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is a third-person story-driven survival horror game prequel to the critically acclaimed Daymare: 1998. Step into the shoes of special agent Dalila Reyes, a former government spy now in the service of a unit called H.A.D.E.S. (Hexacore Advanced Division for Extraction and Search), and get ready to enter the most advanced experimental research center in the United States of America. Be careful, though, because in the darkness of the desolate, labyrinthine depths of the military research center there is something creepy and lethal awaiting you!
Grab one of the most innovative and technologically advanced weapons of all time and prepare to face never-before-seen creatures while you make your way through a series of frightfully evocative settings all ready to be discovered.
A perfect mix of fierce and deadly enemies, hardcore action game mechanics, environmental puzzles, a chilling soundtrack, plenty of exploration and massive doses of concentrated horror wait for you in Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle. No place is safe, especially when you’re being hunted by your nightmares.
