Daylight Review [PS4]

Hey everyone, it's Anna here with another game review. Recently, Daylight was released for the PS4. Like it's predecessor, Outlast, it is an indie horror game. If that seems to be your kind of game, keep reading.

There is the trailer for you horror lovers. You play as Sarah, in a series of areas ranging from a hospital to a prison to a forest. The game, similar to Outlast is played in first person. 'You' are Sarah, going through this adventure. There's is an ominous voice that is triggered during cut scenes that acts as a guide. Frankly, it'd be much scarier if he wasn't helping you out but leading you to your doom. But, in Daylight that is not the case. The 'enemies' in this game are shadows which are absolutely terrifying. They pop up behind you (hence, shadow) and if you face them, they'll let out a horrifying shriek. Your aim is to basically find these memory fragments and bring them back to the room with a large "sigil" to unlock an item which is used as a key to opening the next area. That's just the mere basics, more will be explained in the pros and cons list I have made below.


Pros:

• You have a map that you can use at all times.
• Similar to Outlast, you have something to illuminate the room, but instead of a night vision camera it is a glow stick. You can hold four of them, but they are very easy to come by and you can even throw them. I never actually ran out of them or came close to while playing the game.
• The fragment dynamic is different and reading the clues can be interesting if you have the patience to read them all.
• Parts of the ending are wicked.
• Female Protagonist! For once, a strong willed female protagonist and a game developer who isn't scared of losing a male audience. 

                                                   Total: Five

Cons:

• The game is really too short, I finished it in two sittings. It is extremely possible to finish this in one sitting, it is much shorter than Outlast.
• The story-line is hard to follow. Maybe I missed a lot by skipping through most of the fragments but I had no idea what really happened throughout the game, I can only vaguely explain it to you.
• Too many fragments. I'd rather play through the story and hear about the story from the ominous voice than have to read ALL of those fragments. Seriously, there's a ton. (They are similar to the case notes in Outlast). I mean, at one point I just stopped reading them because it was getting tedious.
• Once you know how to beat the Shadows, the game play becomes boring. They are so easy to avoid, that it makes the game kind of boring. But I do have to say, they are pretty scary. 
• Barely any cut scenes to explain what is happening. I feel like I was wandering around the area finding clues that weren't even explained to me.
• It doesn't feel like you're trying to escape, it feels like you're trying to solve a mystery of some sort. It doesn't accomplish either really.
• The voice acting is repetitive, Sarah says the same things over and over again.
• Lack of characters. There is only the voice, Sarah and the shadows if you count them. Add some psychos or something.

                                                         Total: Eight

As you can see from this list, the cons outweigh the pros. I give them props for having a female protagonist but that isn't what is going to keep people from playing it. Outlast is one of the scariest games out right now, and it has an easy to follow, linear story with scary characters. Daylight just isn't up to par with it. I may be harsh because I love Outlast so much, but honestly, I say pass this game up and spend the ten dollars on the Outlast DLC, Whistleblower. 

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