LogIn"Today, we need your support once again to bring Fntastic back – by funding our new game Escape Factory."
Fntastic
Even though the year 2023 has seen its fair share of terrible and/or disappointing video games, none were as much of a disaster as The Day Before, an MMO survival shooter developed by Fntastic. Even before its release, the game faced heavy criticism and accusations of being a scam due to the questionable preview trailers, numerous delays, and the developer's hesitance to showcase gameplay. When it finally launched, The Day Before met players' already low expectations in a spectacular fashion, being so poorly made that it received an astonishing 0.4 rating on Metacritic and was shut down just 4 days after release, along with its developer.
A month and a half later, a wild rumor began circulating online suggesting that despite the studio's closure, Fntastic was still working on a new game that had entered production before the launch of The Day Before. At the time, the rumor was largely dismissed by virtually everyone, with most believing that such a monumental failure and the reputational damage Fntastic had suffered would deter any wannabe game developer from ever attempting to create another game.
Well, what do you know, it turns out there was something to the rumor after all. Earlier today, Fntastic made an unexpected return as Fntastic 2.0 to announce its new game, a co-op puzzle platformer called Escape Factory, and, in the most hilarious twist imaginable, ask the community to donate $15,000 to fund the game's production.
"Once, you helped us create Fntastic through Kickstarter. Today, we need your support once again to bring Fntastic back – by funding our new game Escape Factory," reads the new game's Kickstarter description. "We sincerely apologize for everything that happened and are committed to making things right. We truly hope for your support!"
The FAQ section on Fntastic 2.0's new website states that the studio is committed to "honest marketing, releasing development progress reports, and conducting beta tests before the official launch," with "honesty, transparency, and community engagement" claimed to be the studio's top priorities.
The team itself has gotten smaller, which was to be expected considering the circumstances, but the aforementioned Kickstarter page, verified by Eduard Gotovtsev, suggests that the leadership hasn't changed, making Fntastic's claims sound not at all reassuring.
Over on the website, the team also shared its official recovery plan, provided some details about its new games, and even launched a merchandise shop, which is definitely something a studio like Fntastic should do.
"Everyone deserves a second chance. We deeply apologize to everyone for The Day Before and take full responsibility for what happened," Fntastic wrote on Twitter. "Regaining trust will be tough, but we're motivated to make more games if our Kickstarter succeeds. With its 'all or nothing' model, contributions will be refunded if we miss the target. We value your support, and all funds will go to development, not profit."
Believe it or not, Fntastic's new project has actually received some donations, with eleven unfortunate souls pledging a total of $224 at the moment of writing. The Kickstarter is set to remain open until October 26, and if the financial goal isn't met, all donations will be refunded and Fntastic will return back to the Shadow Realm, most likely for good this time. Whether to trust the studio with your money is entirely up to you, but given their history, I'd say doing so would be a huge risk, and that's putting it as mildly as I possibly can.
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