Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle Reviews

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is ranked in the 25th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10.0
Oct 17, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle seems to be at the level of the first installment, although at times it suggests that it is falling behind. Unlike Daymare 1998, we are faced with a proposal that got caught up in its attempt to pay homage and its desire to do something original. Despite this, it can be a passable old-school horror game experience.

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60 / 100
Oct 5, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is a decent yet deeply flawed survival horror that suffers greatly suffers to its clunky controls, inconsistent AI, and uninspired puzzles. The game has some improvements over its predecessor, but it still suffers from some technical issues and design flaws that prevent it from reaching its full potential. The game is worth playing for its story, atmosphere, and nostalgia factor, but it may not appeal to everyone.

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6 / 10.0
Sep 24, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle, the second installment in the Daymare series, shows signs of improvement over its predecessor but still falls short of greatness. While the game maintains its core identity as a horror-centric, third-person shooter, it struggles with repetitive gameplay and a lack of narrative depth. Despite its flaws, it offers a reasonable budget option for fans of the genre.

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70 / 100
Sep 24, 2023

Daymare 1994 is one of those missed opportunities, if we can call it that way. Don't get me wrong, it's a great Survival Horror, which is right on the step below the big ones like Resident Evil or Dead Space. Other new ones, like The Chant, would almost occupy a similar place, in a gap where there is always room to have a good time. Although the attack mechanics of the enemies are not the most appropriate, because at times they can be frustrating, the development team manages to make us believe that it is our fault, for the ineffective management of our freezer gauntlet.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Sep 21, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is a good survival horror. The game has its faults, whether it's the poor variety of weapons and enemies or its uneven graphics. Nevertheless, the many positive points, such as the puzzles, story and combat mechanics, outweigh the negatives. The game is very difficult even for veterans of the genre (unless you play in story mode) and is not for everyone. However, fans of Resident Evil or Dead Space can look forward to this new title in the Daymare saga.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 21, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle has its problems, but it fulfills its main objective, which is to be a good survival horror game. The setting, limited inventory, secrets, and good old backtracking during the game guarantee the approval of those who like the genre, even with the frustrating combat mechanics that need more polish.

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TheSixthAxis
Steve C
Top Critic
6 / 10
Sep 20, 2023

Daymare 1994: Sandcastle is a decent second title in the series which makes some improvements but still struggles to come together as an complete experience.

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4 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2023

the result is weak, boring, and without much interest.

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3 / 5.0
Sep 18, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is a vast improvement on the original; there is no doubt about that at all. There are still many aspects of the game that are lacking, however, which can be hard to see past. The gameplay varies in quality, with much of the exploration and gunplay being on the dull side, but the Frost Grip adding some unique and exciting elements to it—ultimately, the biggest sin of Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is in its lack of scares.

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Caution
Sep 12, 2023

Invader Studios brings us a new instalment of its survival horror saga with Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle, a prequel with nods to the classics of the genre and some original problems. A fun adventure that is frustrating at times, and with a little exploited potential that I can only recommend to survival horror fans.

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70 / 100
Sep 11, 2023

As a newer studio with not a lot of funds to go around, Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is an improvement over the first title. I was able to tell the passion they had for Resident Evil throughout while still staying true to their own vision. This game is definitely worth a playthrough for those survival horror fans looking to scratch that itch with a new IP. Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is ultimately a triumph for the small but mighty team of developers, given this is only their second game. I hope the third game can improve upon some hang-ups of their sophomore effort.

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5 / 10.0
Sep 10, 2023

Daymare 1994: Sandcastle is a step up from the original game and shows that the franchise does have the potential to grow. However, what we have here is a game that is messy; the story was laughably bad and the gameplay whilst improved, it just still isn’t there yet. Maybe with a third entry, Daymare can find its place, which I am very much hoping for.

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Avoid
Sep 9, 2023

A tribute that spends so much time ripping-off that it forgets to convey something of substance.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Sep 9, 2023

Daymare 1998: Sandcastle has several good qualities; it is a clear homage to the classic survival horror games that made the history of our medium, but it loses itself in wanting to offer us a challenge that is way too difficult, almost punishing, ending up being excessively frustrating.

Review in Italian | Read full review

6 / 10
Sep 8, 2023

By the time the credits rolled, I was exhausted. Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle presents a passable throwback narrative with some key flourishes that showcase the love for the genre that the developers have, but sadly, most of this game misses the mark. It is an action title hiding behind the inkling of survival horror. There really isn’t much here in terms of horror – just some random jump scares here and there that are usually nothing more than a lightbulb exploding or a thud emitting from the room around the corner. Clocking in at just under eight hours (with at least a third of that time being cinematics), with unlimited ammo being the only alternate mode or bonus feature, there isn’t much to do once you’ve finished it.

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6 / 10.0
Sep 7, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle successfully channels the spirit of classic survival horror titles, but the clunky controls and laughable voice acting prevent it from reaching the heights of its inspirations or pushing the genre forward.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 4, 2023

Ultimately, with Daymare 1994 Invader Studios has taken a step forward, treasuring the experience accumulated during the development of the progenitor of the series.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10
Sep 4, 2023

Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle is a love letter to the classic horror survivals of the past while also bringing a fresh take on a familiar setup. It has all the defining hallmarks of a classic horror survival while incorporating modern elements.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 4, 2023

Daymare 1994: Sandcastle is a fun title that improves on almost all the issues from the original. It provides an excellent atmosphere and fun combat situations where you can use cryo abilities. It's not a perfect game, though, with some bad voice acting, really dark lighting, and being unable to dodge attacks leaves you open to strikes. Invader Studios will hopefully build on these qualities for the promised third instalment in the series.

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7.2 / 10.0
Sep 4, 2023

Invader Studios has packaged a survival horror experience with a good atmosphere and decent pace, adding small but interesting new features and significantly improving the technical compartment. A sequel that represents a good step forward but still has a long way to go to walk side by side with the best exponents of the genre.

Review in Italian | Read full review