Gamers around the world have been eagerly awaiting the release of the highly anticipated post-apocalyptic survival game, Days Gone. Now that it’s been some time, we’re excited to dive in and provide an honest and in-depth Days Gone review. From the gameplay mechanics to the story and characters, we’ll be breaking down everything you need to know about this thrilling game. So, sit back, relax, and let’s explore the world of Days Gone.
Introduction to Days Gone
Days Gone is an action-adventure game developed by Sony Bend Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the majority of humanity has been turned into zombie-like creatures known as Freakers. The game follows biker Deacon St. John as he navigates this hostile environment, seeking answers about his wife, who he believed had died in the early days of the outbreak.
Players must scavenge for resources, craft items, and manage their motorcycle as they traverse the vast open world. The game features a variety of gameplay mechanics, including stealth, combat, and exploration. With impressive graphics and sound design, Days Gone creates a haunting atmosphere, immersing players in its living, breathing world.
While the game has received criticism for its repetitive missions and meandering storyline, it still offers a satisfying gameplay loop for those who enjoy action-packed, zombie-filled adventures.
Gameplay Overview: Open World, Zombie Post-Apocalypse
Days Gone is an open world post-apocalyptic survival horror game that takes place in the American Pacific Northwest. Players take control of Deacon St. John, a biker who is seeking answers about his missing wife in a world overrun by zombie-like creatures called Freakers.
The game’s world is vast and encompasses old-growth forests, deserts, and abandoned towns. Players must travel between locations on Deacon’s trusty motorcycle, which requires maintenance and fuel scavenging. While the game’s mechanics are relatively basic, they provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment and immersion. The game’s sound design and graphics are top-notch, with a gloomy atmosphere that perfectly captures the end-of-the-world vibe.
However, the game does suffer from some bugs and issues, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, Days Gone’s gameplay remains an exciting and engaging experience that will appeal to fans of the open-world survival horror genre.
Gameplay mechanics and features
7 Features That Make Days Gone’s Gameplay Stand Out
- Open-World Exploration – Days Gone allows players to explore a vast post-apocalyptic world filled with dangers and mysteries. From abandoned buildings to treacherous forests, the game offers a rich and immersive environment to explore.
- Stealth Mechanics – Players can use stealth to avoid detection or take out enemies silently. The game rewards smart and strategic play, which adds depth and challenge to the gameplay.
- Crafting and Resource Management – Days Gone features a robust crafting system that lets players make weapons, ammo, and other items using materials found in the world. Resource management adds another layer of challenge to the game.
- Horde Mechanics – One of the game’s standout features is the massive hordes of zombies (Freakers) that players must contend with. These hordes can number in the hundreds and offer intense and thrilling combat scenarios.
- Motorcycle Riding – Players can traverse the open world on Deacon’s trusty motorcycle. The bike can be customized and upgraded to enhance its performance, and riding it feels visceral and satisfying.
- Day/Night Cycle – The game features a dynamic day/night cycle that affects gameplay in significant ways. During the day, enemies are easier to spot, but at night, the Freakers are more active and dangerous.
- Dynamic Weather – The game’s weather system can change on the fly, affecting visibility, enemy behavior, and player tactics. Rain, snow, and fog can all make the game more challenging and immersive.
Graphics and sound design
The graphics in Days Gone are impressive, especially in terms of character models and environmental design. The attention to detail is evident, from the way plants and trees sway in the wind to the moody lighting that sets the tone for the world’s bleakness.
The sound design is equally impressive and adds to the game’s immersion. The ambient noise of wildlife, creaking of abandoned buildings, and even the screeching of Freakers all add to the sense of danger and unease in the game. The voice acting is also commendable, with Deacon’s gruff tone and occasional moments of vulnerability captured well.
However, there are some issues with graphics and sound design in the game. At times, the framerate can drop and there are occasional texture pop-ins. Additionally, some of the soundtrack can feel repetitive, especially during long stretches of travel on Deacon’s motorcycle.
Overall, though, the graphics and sound design in Days Gone are solid and contribute significantly to the game’s atmosphere. The attention to detail and immersive world-building make for an engaging experience, even if there are occasional technical hiccups.
Protagonist and Characterization: Deacon St. John
Deacon St. John, the protagonist of Days Gone, is a biker with a bad-ass appearance. However, he fails to captivate players due to his dull and docile personality. In comparison to other strong video game protagonists like Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn and Joel from The Last of Us, Deacon falls short in terms of his indecisiveness and lack of strong character development.
Much of the game revolves around Deacon’s desire to find his wife and his constant battles with members of his own camp. Unfortunately, Deacon’s character suffers from poor writing and dialogue, making it difficult to understand his motivations and beliefs. Despite his tattooed and rebellious appearance, Deacon often conforms to the requests of his superiors, turning him into a hired gun with no real authority.
Overall, Deacon leaves much to be desired as a protagonist and fails to live up to the standard set by other strong video game characters.
The Role of Deacon’s Motorcycle in the Game
Deacon’s motorcycle is a key element of Days Gone’s gameplay mechanics. It serves as both a mode of transportation and a resource that needs to be constantly maintained in order to survive in the post-apocalyptic world.
Deacon can upgrade his bike with better parts to improve its performance and survivability in the harsh environment. The motorcycle also serves as a way to escape from dangerous situations or to outrun hordes of Freakers. However, the emphasis on the motorcycle can also be a double-edged sword. Some players may find the constant need to refuel and repair it to be tedious and repetitive.
Nonetheless, the motorcycle adds a unique element to the game that sets it apart from other open-world zombie titles. It also helps to reinforce Deacon’s character as a biker and adds to the overall atmosphere of the game.
Storyline: Issues with Repetitive Missions and Inconsistent Emotional Throughline
The storyline in Days Gone suffers from several issues, including repetitive missions and an inconsistent emotional throughline. While the initial motivation of seeking answers about Deacon’s dead wife serves as a consistent emotional thread in the first half of the game, it loses direction in the second half.
The focus shifts to new characters and changing relationships with old ones, leaving the player confused about why they should care about these developments. In addition, the game insists on tedious, barely interactive flashbacks of Deacon and his wife, which can feel like bad high school drama. The repetition of missions also adds to the problem, with them beginning and ending with Deacon spouting overly-long monologues about their love.
These issues combine with a lackluster plot, predictable twists, and weak voice acting to make the storyline feel more annoying than thrilling or entertaining. Overall, the storyline fails to engage the player, resulting in an uneven and mostly toothless zombie experience.
Review of the Game’s Graphics and Atmosphere
Days Gone boasts breathtaking graphics and an immersive atmosphere that bring the post-apocalyptic world to life. The weather effects, including rain and snowstorms, not only enhance the visual appeal but also impact the behavior and number of enemies encountered. The rich and lush world reflects the sense of abandonment by mankind for two years, setting the tone for an emotionally charged story.
The attention to detail in the world-building is impressive, making exploring the open world a rewarding experience. The game’s graphics are top-notch, with stunning landscapes and character modeling that adds to the realism of the game.
The impressive attention to detail and atmospheric environment make Days Gone an immersive experience that transports players into the post-apocalyptic world. Overall, the graphics and atmosphere of the game are impressive and contribute significantly to the overall success of the game.
Resource Management and Motorcycle Maintenance: A Satisfying Loop
Days Gone features a satisfying loop of resource management and motorcycle maintenance that adds depth to the gameplay experience. While riding from one place to another, players need to keep an eye on their gas tank and scavenger for fuel to ensure they don’t run out of gas on their journey. In case of an accident or an ambush, the player needs to gather scrap to repair their bike.
The simulation of motorcycle maintenance is basic but crucial to the gameplay. Popping open the hoods of abandoned cars to scavenge for scrap or dodging zombies to find gasoline provides a sense of satisfaction to the player. However, this loop can be frustrating for players who want to reach their objective faster.
Therefore, the game offers fast travel mechanisms as well. Overall, the resource management and motorcycle maintenance mechanic make Days Gone’s open-world game feel more alive and give the player a sense of accomplishment for taking care of their transportation in a harsh post-apocalyptic world.
Bugs and Issues with the Game
Days Gone has received mixed reviews since its launch due to a variety of bugs and issues. Here are nine of the most common complaints players have encountered:
- Long load screens.
- Slow frame rates on the PS4 Pro and PS4.
- Audio sync problems where the lip movements don’t match the spoken words.
- Clipping pop-in images that fill out as you approach them.
- Cars that float.
- Freakers that get stuck in a corner.
- Story bugs, including missing dialogue and cutscenes.
- Clunky shooting mechanics.
- Inexplicable drops in frame rate.
Despite these issues, some players have enjoyed the game’s story and open world setting. However, it’s worth noting that many of the technical problems have persisted even after several patches. As a result, players may want to approach Days Gone with caution and keep their expectations in check.
While it’s not a perfect game, it may still provide some entertainment value for those interested in the zombie survival genre.
Conclusion and Final Verdict
In conclusion, Days Gone falls short of the high standard set by other exclusive titles in the PlayStation 4 lineup. While the game offers an interesting take on the zombie apocalypse genre, it fails to bring anything new or innovative to the table.
The gameplay structure is predictable and lacks the depth and complexity found in other open-world games. The bike mechanics, while unique to this game, are clunky and frustrating. The story, while emotional at times, fails to fully capture the player’s attention or provide a satisfying conclusion.
Despite these shortcomings, the game does offer some harrowing moments and a few fun gameplay mechanics that make it worth checking out for die-hard zombie fans. Ultimately, Days Gone is a missed opportunity to bring something new to the PlayStation lineup and comes up short in comparison to other first-party titles from Sony.
