Most gamers in our sphere are very familiar with the meteoric crash of The Day Before, a survival shooter MMO from developer Fntastic that talked up a huge game ahead of its early access.
Our regular readers know what happened next: The game was found to be significantly lesser than its presentation, as the studio tried to claim it’s not a scam, move the goalposts of its originally stated MMO design after its disastrous early access launch, and ultimately saw the game and its studio shutter weeks later, all while telling disgruntled players that “shit happens” and claiming it was the target of a hate campaign. The studio was also not a particularly sunny place to work at if employee accounts are anything to go by.
Well don’t look now, fam, because one of our readers spotted that Fntastic is back with hat in hand, as it opened a new Kickstarter drive yesterday for a game called Escape Factory, a multiplayer platformer for four to eight players that promises “co-op physics-based challenges” in the form of deadly obstacle courses full of traps, monsters, and other impediments.
“You play as life-weary workers trying to escape the vicious cycle of deadly factories from which there’s no easy way out. Legend has it that only one great and mysterious individual has ever escaped.”
The new game – and the crowdfunding drive behind it – is part of Fntastic’s self-described “plan for recovery” that promises honesty, transparent communication, and a studio that actually hires developers instead of volunteers. “Our mission is to create games that will be loved for decades,” the mission statement document declares. “Our vision is to become one of the most loved game companies by creating fantastic, innovative, and emotionally engaging experiences.”
In spite of all of these resolutions, it would appear that gamer memories are long and forgiveness is thin: At the time of this writing, Escape Factory has so far raised just over $400 of its stated goal of $15,567. The game does otherwise have a Steam page and a demo that can be played, along with a trailer showcasing the game below.
