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Daylight

Name: Comprehensive Review and Analysis of Daylight
Item: Daylight
Author: Critik Editorial Team

2014

GenresVirtual Reality, Adventure, Indie, Action, Shooter, Horror, Puzzle and Logic, Single Player, First Person Perspective

AvailableApr 29, 2014

PlatformPlayStation 4, PC

DeveloperZombie Studios

Overview

You awake, trapped in an abandoned hospital. Your only source of light is your phone. You hit a dead-end and must turn around, but behind you lurks an eerie presence and strange noises…

Elsewhere

5.3

Game analysis

Critik Scorecard

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Story and Narrative

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SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR STORY

Story Score

Positive (80-100)

12%

Mixed (50-79)

56%

Negative (0-49)

32%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the story and narrative.

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of Daylight are varied. Some critics, such as AusGamers and Gamestyle, appreciate the simplicity and gradual unfolding of the story. They mention that the concept of the unknown adds to the unsettling atmosphere and that short snippets of the hospital's history are enjoyable to read (Critical Hit). Additionally, God is a Geek finds the story mysterious and suspenseful, which keeps players engaged. On the other hand, several critics express negative opinions about the story of Daylight. GameCritics and Eurogamer criticize the story for being generic, lacking originality, and filled with horror clichés. NowGamer goes as far as calling the writing, acting, and story "beyond diabolical." VideoGamer and The Escapist also highlight the weak setup, disintegrating plot, and terrible writing. They mention that the plot feels pillaged from existing, more interesting fiction, and that the big twist at the end is embarrassing and obvious. Overall, the consensus among the critics is mixed. While some critics appreciate the simplicity, gradual unfolding, and mysterious nature of the story, others criticize it for being generic, lacking originality, and filled with horror clichés. The opinions of critics like Joystiq, GamingTrend, and Hooked Gamers suggest that the story has its moments and can be engaging at times, but it may not make up for other aspects of the game. Ultimately, the story of Daylight seems to have received a mixed reception, with positive and negative aspects highlighted by different critics.

TL;DR

story and narrative

Critics are split on the story of Daylight: some like its simplicity and mystery, while others criticize it for being generic and filled with clichés. Positive reviewers appreciate the gradual unfolding and mysterious atmosphere, while negative ones slam it for lacking originality and weak writing. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some finding it engaging at times but others calling it embarrassing and obvious.

Gameplay Mechanics

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SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR GAMEPLAY

Gameplay Score

Positive (80-100)

Mixed (50-79)

57%

Negative (0-49)

36%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the gameplay mechanics.

The opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of Daylight are quite varied. Some critics, such as Gamestyle and Slant Magazine, express negative sentiments towards the gameplay, describing it as mundane, repetitive, and underdeveloped. They criticize the game for its lethargic routine of traveling through bland corridors, searching for items, and solving basic environment puzzles. These critics argue that the gameplay lacks innovation and fails to provide a compelling experience. However, there are also positive aspects of the gameplay that some critics highlight. AusGamers praises the use of collecting items for illumination and avoiding ghostly threats, while Gamestyle acknowledges the interesting concept of using flares to ward off enemies. DarkStation appreciates the use of a cell phone, glowsticks, and flares as tools for exploration, and GamingTrend commends the game for avoiding a simple chase sequence by incorporating the collection of remnants and running away from enemies. Overall, the consensus among the critics leans towards a negative assessment of the gameplay in Daylight. Many critics, such as Post Arcade, Digitally Downloaded, and The Escapist, criticize the repetitive and uninteresting level design, as well as the lack of challenge in the puzzles. They argue that the game fails to create a strong sense of atmospheric horror and that the random nature of the level design disrupts the pacing and immersion. Additionally, critics like PC Games and VideoGamer express frustration with the scarcity of weapons and the lack of variety in the gameplay mechanics. While there are a few positive aspects mentioned by certain critics, the overall sentiment towards the gameplay of Daylight is largely negative. The game is criticized for its repetitive and underdeveloped gameplay mechanics, lack of innovation, and uninteresting level design. Critics highlight the mundane nature of the tasks and puzzles, as well as the lack of challenge and variety. Ultimately, Daylight fails to deliver a compelling and engaging gameplay experience, according to the majority of the critics.

TL;DR

gameplay mechanics

Critics have mixed opinions on the gameplay of Daylight. Some criticize it for being mundane, repetitive, and lacking innovation, while others praise aspects like item collecting and enemy avoidance. Overall, the consensus is negative, with critics highlighting uninteresting level design, lack of challenge, and frustrating gameplay mechanics. Daylight falls short in delivering a compelling and engaging experience for most critics.

Graphics and Visual Design

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SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR VISUALS

Visual Score

Positive (80-100)

14%

Mixed (50-79)

62%

Negative (0-49)

24%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the graphics and visual design.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Daylight are quite varied. Some critics, such as Gamestyle and Critical Hit, appreciate the game's visual design and atmosphere, with Gamestyle mentioning the creepy atmosphere created through its visual design and the sense of fear and feeling lost brought about by the procedurally generated levels. Destructoid also praises the game's lighting and overall chilling atmosphere. These positive aspects contribute to the overall horror experience of the game. However, the majority of critics express negative opinions about the Graphics and Visual Design of Daylight. AusGamers, NowGamer, and Slant Magazine criticize the graphics as unimpressive, crummy, and hideous respectively. They mention issues such as subpar frame rates, low-rent graphics, muddy textures, and glitchy lighting effects. Gameplanet and Edge Magazine also comment on the lack of graphical improvements over last-gen titles and the game's artistic and technical impoverishment. These criticisms highlight the disappointment felt by many reviewers regarding the visual quality of Daylight. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Daylight's Graphics and Visual Design leave much to be desired. While some critics appreciate the game's creepy atmosphere and use of lighting effects, the negative opinions outweigh the positive ones. The repetitive environments, lack of originality in design, and underdeveloped art assets are commonly mentioned as drawbacks. Critics such as Game Informer and The Escapist criticize the lack of crafted or deliberate journey in the procedurally generated environments, which contributes to the overall feeling of unimpressiveness. The general sentiment is that Daylight falls short in delivering visually stunning and innovative graphics, despite being powered by the Unreal Engine 4.

TL;DR

graphics and visual design

Critics have mixed opinions on Daylight's Graphics and Visual Design. Some praise the creepy atmosphere and chilling lighting, while others criticize the unimpressive graphics, muddy textures, and lack of graphical improvements. Overall, reviewers feel disappointed by the lackluster visuals and repetitive environments, despite some positive aspects.

Music and Sound Design

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SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR SOUND DESIGN

Sound Score

Positive (80-100)

45%

Mixed (50-79)

30%

Negative (0-49)

25%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the music and sound design.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Sound Design and Music of Daylight are quite varied. Some critics, such as GameCritics and Gaming Age, praise the sound design for effectively creating tension and adding to the overall scare factor of the game. They mention elements like flickering lights, eerie sounds, high-pitched notes, menacing drums, and sudden scares as contributing to a sense of dread. Gamestyle also highlights the use of footsteps, wails, and voices that add to the creepy atmosphere, particularly when played with headphones. Eurogamer and The Escapist specifically mention the audio design as the game's greatest strength, with various sounds like clicks, drips, rasps, screeches, and ghostly antagonists' noises creating a sense of terror. The creepy music and environments are also mentioned positively by DarkStation. On the other hand, there are critics who express some negative opinions about the sound design and music of Daylight. AusGamers criticizes the eerie soundtrack for not being effective and considers the sound cues to be lacking meaning. Gamers' Temple mentions that while the soundtrack initially features unsettling whispers, wails, and thumps, it eventually becomes repetitive and predictable, leading to a lack of horror. Slant Magazine also criticizes the sound design, stating that a mix of creaky floorboards and rattling metallics fails to evoke terror. PC Gamer finds some of the sound design elements, such as wailing in the ear and buzzing phone static, more annoying than scary. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the sound design of Daylight is a significant aspect of the game that contributes to its horror atmosphere and creates tension. Positive aspects mentioned include the effective use of various sounds, such as footsteps, wails, voices, clicks, drips, rasps, screeches, and ghostly antagonists' noises. The integration of sound with gameplay mechanics, like being stalked by the entity, is also praised. However, there are criticisms regarding the repetitive and predictable nature of some sound elements, as well as certain aspects of the soundtrack. While some critics, like GameCritics and Gaming Age, highly appreciate the sound design, others, like AusGamers and Slant Magazine, find it lacking. Overall, it can be concluded that the sound design and music of Daylight have received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its effectiveness in creating tension and scares, while others have found it lacking or repetitive.

TL;DR

music and sound design

Critics are divided on the sound design and music of Daylight. Some praise its use of eerie sounds and music to create tension and terror, while others find it lacking in effectiveness and repetitive. The integration of various sounds like footsteps and ghostly noises is highlighted positively, but some critics criticize the soundtrack for being predictable. Overall, opinions on the sound design of Daylight range from highly effective to lacking, making it a mixed bag for reviewers.

Voice Acting

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SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR VOICE ACTING

Acting Score

Positive (80-100)

17%

Mixed (50-79)

50%

Negative (0-49)

33%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the voice acting.

The voice acting in Daylight has received mixed reviews from the critics. Some critics, such as Eurogamer and NZGamer, find the protagonist's fearful voice acting to be effective in adding to the horror atmosphere of the game. Eurogamer specifically mentions that the voice acting contributes to the overall immersion and sense of dread. Additionally, NZGamer praises the guide's voice, comparing it to Vincent Price from 'Thriller', which suggests that the voice acting successfully creates a chilling atmosphere. However, there are also negative opinions regarding the voice acting in Daylight. NowGamer criticizes the voice acting as "cornball" and finds the dialogue to be poorly written. This suggests that the voice acting may lack authenticity and fail to engage the player. Destructoid criticizes the protagonist's constant whining as annoying, indicating that the voice acting may not effectively convey the intended emotions or may become repetitive and grating over time. VideoGamer also mentions that while Vincent Price's voice acting is impressive, the delivery of expositional newspaper clippings is poorly executed. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Daylight has both positive and negative aspects. The fearful voice acting of the protagonist, as praised by Eurogamer, contributes to the horror atmosphere and immerses the player in the game. The guide's voice, as highlighted by NZGamer, also adds to the chilling experience. However, the voice acting is criticized by NowGamer for being cornball and poorly written, and by Destructoid for the protagonist's constant whining. VideoGamer also points out the mixed quality of the voice acting, with impressive performances by Vincent Price but poorly delivered expositional lines. Overall, it seems that while the voice acting in Daylight has its moments of success, it also falls short in certain areas, leaving room for improvement.

TL;DR

voice acting

Critics have mixed opinions on the voice acting in Daylight. Some praise the fearful protagonist's voice for enhancing the horror atmosphere, while others criticize it as "cornball" and poorly written. Positive feedback includes the chilling guide's voice akin to Vincent Price, but negative aspects are the protagonist's whining and poorly executed expositional delivery. Overall, the voice acting has its highs and lows, with room for improvement.

Technical Performance

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SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE

Tech Score

Positive (80-100)

Mixed (50-79)

21%

Negative (0-49)

71%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the technical performance.

The opinions of the critics regarding the technical performance of Daylight on the PS4 are mixed. AusGamers mentions frame-rate issues and a game-breaking bug, while NowGamer notes dodgy performance with hitches and slowdown. Post Arcade highlights low frame rates and sluggishness, particularly when running, and also mentions the negative impact of the 3D feature on frame rate and causing headaches. Slant Magazine adds to the list of technical issues with mentions of buggy annoyances, rough edges, muddy textures, and glitchy lighting effects. On the positive side, IGN states that the PS4 version is nearly identical to the PC version, with slightly longer load times as the only noticeable difference. Moving on to the PC version, the critics express more concerns about the technical performance. Destructoid mentions issues with the autosave functionality, while Edge Magazine criticizes the game for its technical performance and poor optimization, even on a powerful PC. Game Informer reports technical problems such as crashes, falling through the ground, and audio glitches. Gameplanet mentions immersion-breaking technical issues like clipping, glitchy interactions, and environment snags, suggesting that the game needed more time for improvement. Gaming Age notes that the game runs at 60 frames per second with medium settings but struggles with max settings on a PC. Hooked Gamers adds that frame rate issues at key moments dull the experience, and Joystiq mentions technical issues such as breaking when alt-tabbing during a loading screen and an uncloseable pause menu when backing out of the remnants menu with a controller. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Daylight has significant technical performance issues on both the PS4 and PC platforms. These issues include frame-rate problems, game-breaking bugs, sluggishness, low frame rates, muddy textures, glitchy lighting effects, and immersion-breaking technical issues. While there are a few positives mentioned, such as the near-identical experience between the PS4 and PC versions, the overall sentiment leans towards dissatisfaction with the technical performance of the game across all platforms. Critics like Post Arcade, Slant Magazine, and Gameplanet specifically highlight multiple technical issues that hinder the gameplay experience.

TL;DR

technical performance

Critics are divided on Daylight's technical performance on PS4, citing frame-rate problems, bugs, and sluggishness. PC version faces more criticism with issues like crashes, audio glitches, and poor optimization. Overall, both versions suffer from major technical issues including muddy textures, glitchy lighting, and immersion-breaking problems. Despite some positives, critics express dissatisfaction with the game's technical performance across all platforms.

Replay Value

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SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR REPLAY VALUE

Replay Score

Positive (80-100)

Mixed (50-79)

40%

Negative (0-49)

55%

Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the replay value.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of Daylight are quite mixed. Some critics, such as Gaming Age and GamingTrend, highlight the game's procedural generation and randomized map layouts as positive aspects that contribute to its replay value. They mention that the different experiences offered in each playthrough make it worth exploring the game multiple times. Additionally, GamingTrend mentions the adjustable difficulty as another factor that adds to the game's replayability. On the other hand, several critics express negative opinions about the replay value of Daylight. AusGamers and Gamers' Temple both mention the repetitive nature of the game as a drawback, stating that it involves repetitive activities and lacks variety. Gamestyle points out that the game can be finished in a short time frame of 2-3 hours, offering little incentive to replay unless the player is a trophy hunter. Critical Hit and Destructoid also share the sentiment that the game is not very replayable, with Critical Hit stating that they do not see themselves going back for a second run and Destructoid describing the game as a jump-scare machine with a loosely tacked-on plot. Overall, the consensus among the critics leans towards Daylight lacking significant replay value. Edge Magazine describes the game as offering little motivation to make it to the end even once, while IGN mentions that the procedural generation does not inspire replayability due to the absence of lasting horror or interesting use of the shifting environment. Joystiq acknowledges that multiple plays may be encouraged to find all the collectibles and piece together the whole plot, but notes that the reward for survival is disappointing. The Escapist and ZTGD both highlight the limited number of setpieces and generic environments, making everything feel identical despite the randomized structure. While there are a few positive mentions of the procedural generation and randomized elements contributing to the replay value, the majority of critics express concerns about the repetitive nature, lack of variety, short playtime, and limited rewards for replaying Daylight. As a result, it can be concluded that the overall sentiment regarding the replay value of Daylight is negative, with the game not being considered highly replayable by the majority of critics.

TL;DR

replay value

Critics are divided on the replay value of Daylight. Some praise its procedural generation and adjustable difficulty for multiple playthroughs, while others criticize its repetitive nature, short playtime, and lack of variety. Overall, the consensus leans towards Daylight lacking significant replay value, with most critics finding it not highly replayable due to its shortcomings.

Overall Verdict

CRITIK

OVERALL SCORE DISTRIBUTION

Critik Score

Positive (80-100)

Mixed (50-79)

53%

Negative (0-49)

42%

Based on analyzing all available reviews that scored and critiqued the game.

Daylight, a horror game, has garnered mixed reviews from critics. While some reviewers found certain aspects of the game to be enjoyable, there were several negative aspects that hindered its overall appeal. In terms of positives, some critics praised Daylight for its atmosphere and ability to create a feeling of helplessness. DarkStation's reviewer, for example, enjoyed being scared by the game and appreciated the reliance on the cell phone as a gameplay mechanic. Gaming Age also commended the game for its tense gameplay and great atmosphere. Additionally, God is a Geek highly recommended Daylight, considering it one of the best in its class. However, there were several negative aspects that critics pointed out. Many reviewers expressed disappointment in the game's story and gameplay. Game Informer, for instance, stated that Daylight failed to create a world where players care about anything or anyone, ultimately undoing its ability to terrify and create a world worth exploring. IGN also criticized the weak gameplay, lack of direction, and repetitive environments, making it frustrating and not worth replaying. Furthermore, several critics, such as Gameplanet and The Escapist, mentioned technical issues and design choices that detracted from the horror experience. Overall, the consensus among critics is that Daylight falls short of its potential. While it manages to create a few frightening scenarios and has an impressive audio design, the game's story, gameplay, and environments are not as well developed. Slant Magazine even goes as far as calling it a strong contender for worst game of the year, citing hideous graphics, underdeveloped gameplay, and a defectively nightmarish presentation. While there are some positive aspects mentioned by certain critics, the negative aspects and overall lack of innovation and originality in Daylight ultimately overshadow its potential.

TL;DR

Daylight, a horror game, received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised its atmosphere and feeling of helplessness, while others criticized its weak story, gameplay, and technical issues. Despite some positive aspects, Daylight falls short of its potential due to lack of innovation and originality, leading some to consider it a strong contender for worst game of the year.

CRITIK

Reviews

107 reviews found

God is a Geek

Apr 29, 2014