Survival MMO The Day Before promises jobs, houses, and saunas in the apocalypse

The Day Before - billed as an online cross between The Division and The Last of Us - has outlined its MMO features, detailing some distinctly metaverse-y offerings.

In a new interview with Well Played, studio co-founders Eduard and Aisen Gotostev said that the game "predominantly leans towards player-versus-player engagements." While the team isn't ready to share its server population goals, the pair also suggested that the aim is for a balance between a "dynamic, populated world and optimal gameplay performance."

The duo also outline the spaces that players will actually share with one another. A 'survival colony' within the skyscrapers of the game's urban setting will act as a safe zone. While there, players will be able to trade, talk, and undertake quests together. They'll also, however, have the chance to work in-game "jobs," and then hit the sauna, the bar, or the gym to wind down as part of an attempt to "add to the depth of our game world, reinforcing the sense of a lived-in, vibrant community."

Those jobs will also give you the chance to buy your own in-game house - clearly in short supply despite the apocalypse. Fully customizable, they'll be immune to player attacks, and will serve as safe havens where you can hang out with friends.

On the one hand, there's an obvious MMO slant to this content. Games like Runescape and Final Fantasy 14 let players buy houses, and plenty of online PvP games offer safe spaces for players to explore at their leisure. On the other hand, I'm getting some real Metaverse vibes from these comments - getting a virtual job so you can buy a virtual house and then go and lift some virtual weights reminds me more of Web3 than World of Warcraft, and might be yet more evidence of developer Fntastic's apparent tendency to over-promise around The Day Before.

Big claims around the depth of the world and its player interactivity saw The Day Before shoot to the top of the Steam wishlist charts, but that was before it was pushed off Steam due to a trademark dispute amid a nine-month delay. A gameplay trailer which came shortly after that delay proved a disappointment, and was overshadowed by community moderators who said even they didn't know if the game could deliver on its promises.

Fntastic claims that The Day Before will make its way back onto Steam "soon," but given that that echoes claims originally made in April, there's still some scepticism around the entire project.