video games

New post-apocalyptic open-world survival game is heavily criticized on Steam. Players warn: „Don't be fooled by the trailers”

A new free-to-play entry on Steam has come under fire for criticism from gamers. The post-apocalyptic survival game with RPG elements called Darkest Days even reminded some of the infamous The Day Before.

Michal Harat

April 25, 2025 04:03

New post-apocalyptic open-world survival game is heavily criticized on Steam. Players warn: „Don't be fooled by the trailers” Source: NHN Corp.

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Even though the free-to-play game Darkest Days has just launched on Steam, it is already causing a lot of controversy. Although the number of players attracted by the project looks promising for this type of free-to-play title, with a peak of 4,084 active s at the same time, the reviews of the production on the Valve platform are devastating. Currently, the reception of the game is "overwhelmingly negative" (only 18% of nearly 600 reviews are positive).

Spiritual successor to The Day Before?

Players are tearing the game apart, criticizing not only its poor quality and terrible technical condition, but also its aggressive microtransaction model. Among the reviews, comparisons to the infamous The Day Before (via PCGamesN) often appear, as well as opinions about the "mobile" nature of the gameplay. One of the players, ExEDDoS, describes his experiences as follows:

Don't be fooled by the trailers. Mobile game on PC. It looks like PUBG, sounds like a mobile game, but lacks the fun, with microtransactions for 89 bucks and a storyline for 25. For me, it's a no no.

The game is available not only on PC, but also on mobiles. For instance, currently on the Google Play Store, it has 3.4 stars out of 5 (with 430 ratings given so far).

Darkest Days - basic info

Darkest Days is a free TPP action game with RPG and survival elements, set in an open world overrun by zombies. The South Korean studio NHN is responsible for it. The player becomes one of the survivors, roaming through post-apocalyptic wastelands and fighting for survival.

The title offers the possibility of playing solo as well as in multiplayer mode, in which you can cooperate with others or compete with them for rare resources. Apart from exploring, players also gather resources, build their base, and fight against hordes of undead and other people. A supposedly wide arsenal of weapons, vehicles, and a character development system was made available.

The game world, according to the devs' description, includes diverse locations - from deserts to ice-covered islands. The game also includes PvE modes with bosses and waves of zombies. The whole thing runs on a free-to-play model with an extensive microtransaction system, which, as reviews on Steam show, is a big problem.