Next Day: Survival
- May 21, 2018
- SOFF Games
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Next Day: Survival" is a multiplayer survival game with RPG elements, set in a toxic, post-apocalyptic Eastern European country. The game features a vast open world, NPC interactions, factions, and a skill system. Players can engage in combat, craft items, complete quests, and manage their character's health while striving to survive in this harsh environment.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- story1,241 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily conveyed through a quest system that allows players to engage with various factions, each offering unique missions. However, many players find the quests repetitive and lacking depth, often consisting of simple fetch or kill tasks that can become tedious over time. Additionally, the difficulty spikes in early missions, particularly those involving dangerous wildlife, can frustrate new players, as dying during these quests results in losing essential items and having to restart, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
“The story is a unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre.”
“The quests are interesting, and to begin they help you understand how the game works and its main mechanics.”
“I really like how very early in the quest line they set you up with decent times and spares for if you die even.”
“I'm sure, the developers had a good idea and wanted to ride the 'dayz-hype-money-train' with their own adoption of the sort of game, but there are things...if they played their own game, they'd have noticed, it's not working properly and if you want progress to the story, it's not even playable at all.”
“Basically the game's alright, but there are too many things, not letting it work out for a seriously interested player, maybe it's fun for cheating griefers on pvp, like on dayz and other games, but not if you want to see what story the developers had in mind, the game should tell.”
“The missions in the game are also extremely boring, it's just fetch/kill quests and not anything interesting.”
- gameplay636 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players highlighting significant issues such as broken survival mechanics, clunky controls, and a lack of engaging content. While some appreciate the immersive atmosphere and potential for fun in multiplayer settings, others criticize the repetitive nature and unfinished state of the game, suggesting that it feels like a poorly executed clone of other survival titles. Overall, the game shows promise but requires substantial improvements to its mechanics and content to enhance the player experience.
“The gameplay is fun and the interfaces are straightforward; the AI enemies used to have aimbot but now they don't, so playing by yourself is viable now.”
“With its immersive atmosphere, challenging survival mechanics, and intense PvP encounters, every moment in the game is filled with tension and excitement.”
“The main features and the gameplay that the game currently offers you is very good and the game itself runs very well.”
“Over 90% of the game and survival mechanics do not work, making the gameplay very undesirable.”
“The game has content but the lack of basic gameplay elements and slow build-up at the start ruins the game well before people get to a point from where they can start to enjoy it.”
“The crafting mechanic is garbage; all you can really craft is a makeshift rifle, some axe no one uses, and a bandage that uses one piece of cloth, which you have to find since you can't make cloth out of clothes.”
- graphics578 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing them as outdated, poorly optimized, and reminiscent of games from the early 2000s. While some players acknowledge that the visuals are acceptable for a low-priced title, the general consensus is that they fall short of modern standards, detracting from the overall experience. Despite the graphical shortcomings, a few reviewers noted that the game's atmosphere and gameplay mechanics could still provide enjoyment for those willing to overlook the visuals.
“The graphics are amazing... the whole feel of the game is great; it's depressing... which is what makes it great.”
“The graphics are decent enough for this style of game and you can easily distinguish between various items at a glance from some distance.”
“Graphics are nice, gameplay awesome, and with the open world I really love.”
“The graphics are terrible, you move around like you have lead boots on.”
“The graphics look disgusting for a 2017 game.”
“This game plays like a 10 year old stalker with graphics from the 90's and character models from the stock unity store.”
- stability197 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players acknowledge improvements over time, the overall consensus is that the game remains in a very unstable state, often making it unplayable or frustrating. Early access status is cited as a reason for these issues, but many feel that the game is not ready for release in its current condition.
“It works surprisingly smooth - no fps drops, no freezes, crashes, etc. There are things that need to be improved, of course.”
“It has animations for everything, diseases and animals that actually work and aren't buggy.”
“Ryzen 7 1700, 8GB RAM, RX 480 8GB VRAM, and it runs great all maxed out. I get over 80 fps.”
“This game is just a buggy mess currently, the servers won't load, crashes everywhere and the USA servers are dead.”
“It's way too buggy and for you to experience anything you have to spend 2+ hours, which then means no chance at a refund.”
“Buggy, broken, half-finished game.”
- atmosphere146 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and dense qualities, often compared to the iconic "S.T.A.L.K.E.R." series, with a strong sense of post-apocalyptic tension and attention to detail. While many players appreciate the atmospheric sound design and setting, some note that the graphics and gameplay mechanics could use improvement. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the survival experience despite some technical shortcomings.
“The atmosphere of the game is top notch, a bleak and abandoned area somewhere in the heart of Slav country with good mechanics and varieties of items and quests.”
“The atmosphere is dense and immersive.”
“This game has 'that' atmosphere.”
“Choppy, clunky and lacks atmosphere, avoid.”
“And while I love Stalker and the look/atmosphere, Next Day looks literally like it was built on the original X-ray engine, which is pretty dated by now.”
“- much of the graphics and 'atmosphere' of the game looks like a low-quality copy of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.”
- optimization139 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including low frame rates and crashes, particularly on lower-end systems. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay and good performance on mid-range PCs, others have expressed frustration over the game's poor optimization and lack of updates, indicating that it struggles to run even on high-end hardware. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are pockets of decent performance, the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance the overall experience.
“Game is enough optimized to run on low-end PC on ultra rolling on 50-60 fps.”
“I like the survival aspect in the game, it is well made and very well optimized.”
“Performance is surprisingly good for an early access title.”
“Most bugged and not optimized game.”
“Dreadful optimization from a game that has been in early access for 2 years. I have an extremely overpowered PC and yet this is the only game I struggle to run, and when I do (after constant crashes) all I get is 20-28 fps.”
“This game seemed fun at first, but then it crashes and crashes loading into each possible server. Even if I did load in, the game is poorly optimized, so you get errors saying you ran out of memory, which results in an instant crash. Wait till they patch the game some more, then buy it.”
- humor50 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of absurdity and dark comedy, with players finding amusement in broken mechanics, unexpected physics (like flying animal carcasses), and humorous encounters with NPCs and other players. While some aspects of the game are frustrating, many reviewers appreciate the laughter generated from chaotic situations, making it a fun experience, especially in multiplayer settings. Overall, the game's quirky humor and entertaining moments contribute to its appeal, despite its flaws.
“It's hilarious.”
“Bear and wolf carcasses fly 30 feet into the air when killed (actually hilarious).”
“For only 10 bucks the game is great and meeting a bunch of sick-minded people who take joy in the suffering of others is hilarious at times.”
“Not funny because there hasn't been a new patch in the last 2 years.”
- grinding46 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it rewarding to progress from nothing to a full inventory of gear, while others describe it as tedious and monotonous. Many users note that the game can feel overly grindy, especially with repetitive quests and item management, which may deter those who prefer a more streamlined experience. Overall, the enjoyment of grinding seems to depend on individual player preferences, with some embracing the challenge and others feeling overwhelmed by the time-consuming mechanics.
“I could see this having more success as a mod to Arma 3/DayZ, but as a standalone game, it's very clunky, repetitive, etc. If you love grinding out quests, this is the game for you; otherwise, it's honestly just monotonous.”
“So you end up not being able to get anywhere or you'd have to be grinding, grinding, grinding just to get back up to stability.”
“It is time-consuming, which I guess makes sense in a survival game, but it is tedious and may turn some players off.”
- monetization42 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 76 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" due to a lack of updates and perceived neglect from developers after initial hype. While some players noted the absence of microtransactions, the overall sentiment reflects frustration over developers prioritizing profit over quality, leading to a negative perception of the game's value. Users are calling for better oversight from platforms like Steam to prevent such practices in early access titles.
“There are no microtransactions !!!”
“No, I have seen no in-game shop or microtransactions thus far!”
“No ads model (except for scoped weapons) means you're aiming like PUBG's 3rd person sights.”
“I had hopes for this game but it is clearly just a cash grab as even the devs stopped paying attention to it.”
“Well, what can I say about this game... dead, dead, dead... no updates since the beginning of December 2017, also very boring, not much to do, very buggy. I do believe this game was just a quick cash grab. Do not buy.”
“They have a ton of work left to do; this was just a cash grab if you ask me.”
- music42 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with a mix of soothing background tracks and eerie, unsettling themes that evoke a sense of nostalgia. Players appreciate the in-game music, which can be toggled for a more immersive experience, and many find it complements the game's visuals and environment beautifully. However, some criticism exists regarding specific music DLC and issues with in-game musicians being too loud.
“The music is on point and adds to the atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack is fantastic, I love it.”
“Sound is pretty good, music in the game is quite nice, very rarely you have an online survival game with in-game (not main menu) music which adds a nice touch.”
“The music DLC is trash.”
“[*] Issues with settlement musicians playing the guitar too loud.”
“As the game starts, you are greeted with gritty hard metal music that is menacing to the soul.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a significant concern among players, with many citing a lack of content, small maps, and few quests as major drawbacks. While the introduction of a battle royale mode and AI NPCs offers some enjoyment and offline replay value, the absence of regular updates and new features leaves players feeling that the game quickly becomes dull and uninviting. Consequently, many reviewers suggest looking for alternatives that provide a more engaging and varied experience.
“Thanks to the AI NPCs, this game is completely enjoyable offline, giving it unlimited replay value, something that H1Z1, DayZ, and similar games have failed to do.”
“Not only because of the replayability, but for the pure fact that if you know what you're buying is being made with passion, then you will get a great product in return.”
“Now, there is a new battle royale mode, which is quite fun, if you can find people to play with, and, of course, there are two maps, which adds quite a lot of replay value.”
“The replayability in this game is horrible and because the game never updates there's no new stuff.”
“Boring game with very little replayability; it does not make you want to come back to play it with how dull it gets. Save up and buy an actual game like Escape from Tarkov.”
“Currently, this game doesn't offer a lot of replayability... the map is small, there are only a few quests, and not much to do after you've got a bunch of guns and currency.”
- character development4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being minimal and offering insignificant benefits, leading to a disappointing experience for players. Many users express frustration with the overall quality, citing poor character design and numerous glitches that detract from gameplay.
“Character development is lacking as it's very small benefits for your gains.”
“I've refunded this; this game is absolutely horrible and has a lot of glitches. I can die with one shot, the character design is bad, and even the animations are just so bad.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has been positively impacted by recent updates, enhancing the overall experience, though some users feel it still requires minor improvements. Overall, players find the game to be good and emotionally engaging.
