Birmingham Devs Embraced as 'Scam' Game's Saviors

The medieval zombie survival game God Save Birmingham burst onto the scene in April with an 8-minute "gameplay" trailer that generated as much doubt as it did hype. Amid jabs about its Birmingham setting, many argued it looked too polished to be genuine, with animations suggesting the trailer showcased pre-rendered footage rather than actual gameplay—potentially misleading players.

Perhaps the most severe criticism came from comparisons to the infamous The Day Before, with some labeling it a "fake game" or even a "scam." For those unaware, The Day Before stands as one of the most disastrous and controversial game launches in recent history. Marketed as "the next generation of post-apocalyptic MMO open-world survival," it released as a stripped-down, broken extraction shooter. IGN's review awarded it an exceptionally rare 1/10 score, and its shutdown was announced a mere four days after its Early Access debut.

Following the viral spread of God Save Birmingham's April trailer, Korean publisher Kakao Games and developer Ocean Drive showcased a demo at PAX East and released updated gameplay footage. This newer video presents a more grounded look at the game's current development state, helping to counter the narrative set by the explosive initial reveal. Yet, accusations linking it to The Day Before as a "scam game" persist.

With this context, I spoke with Ocean Drive CEO Jae Kim and head of publishing Jungsoo Lee to explore whether God Save Birmingham can ever distance itself from The Day Before's shadow. Surprisingly, both executives appeared quite comfortable with the comparison. Read on to discover their reasoning.