Critical Brit #7: Days Gone Review

856 days have gone since the first freaker outbreak and the world of Days Gone is very different from the one before.
Days Gone is an open world survival game from Bend Studios on PS4, PS5 (through backwards compatibility), and PC, based around a biker named Deacon St. John and his life from day 1 of a zombie outbreak (and it’s fast zombies for the record). Seeing the world go crazy and just trying to get out of the city to now, two years in, riding jobs and finding food & supplies for various camps of survivors in the rural hills of Oregon.

And despite its bleak situation it’s a surprisingly enjoyable place to spend more than a few hours, as long as you like stoving zombie heads in, getting ambushed by scavengers or avoiding getting eaten by bears, that is.
Graphically the large open world is as well done as any AAA game but it perhaps doesn’t stand out at first glance as its colour scheme is more dirty and realistically toned down compared to something brighter like Horizon Zero Dawn or Spider-Man. The motion capture for the cut scenes is great and shows some great character nuance from all the mocap actors. One thing that was a surprise to me, I genuinely like the characters and they feel like real people. I find most AAA characters kinda boring or at least they don’t engage me to the point I actually begin to care about them. Even the much vaunted The Last Of Us didn’t do that.

So what’s the gameplay like?
It doesn’t stray too far from the kinds of things almost all open world games have you doing. There are several “safe” camps in the large map where you can get missions, bike upgrades, ammo, and fill up your bikes ever emptying tank. Doing more tasks for one increases reputation and you can unlock higher quality items and upgrades. The first two camps had me thinking of the great PC game STALKER where the two factions were literally called “Duty” and “Freedom” and the first two camps in Days Gone definitely fit those names. One is ran by a guy who says the “truth” shall set you free & the other is all about work for the group. The difference isn’t really important, it’s just a little detail I spotted.
Working for one doesn’t turn the others against you so you can do all the things. Most jobs will be going to a place and taking out a few marauders or burning out some freaker nests (which reduces their presence in an area) or rescuing a camp mate or getting items for people. Then there’s animals to skin, medicinal herbs to pick, and random situations to investigate. It doesn’t really break the mold in this respect but there’s always something to do close by wherever you are on the map and when you’re traveling the radio chatter adds some story and atmosphere.

While doing all these tasks you’ll need to stock up on health kits, ammo, and fuel. You can buy them from camps with the camp credit you earn from jobs or you can do a part I really enjoy and that’s the scavenging. Roll up on a new small village and you’ll want to find some high ground to scout it out with binoculars, for threats, then start picking your way through looking in houses for things or popping hoods of cars for scrap to use for repairs.

I love the pace of it, you can spend quite some time just drifting from place to place looking for a few materials you need to craft some useful items, picking saplings for crossbow bolt wood or herbs for handy stamina boosts. It’s another point that really reminded me of STALKER. Well, it’s fun when you’ve got a bigger tank for your bike as the starter one is frustratingly small and running out means you’re walking.
It’s not like roach (the horse) from The Witcher who just conveniently trotts out of a nearby Bush when you whistle. Your bike stays where you left it, so you won’t want to go wandering too far.
As you progress, you will discover Nero bases where the games equivalent of the CDC had check points before the world really fell down and by unlocking their secure rooms you can slowly find out how the outbreak began while also boosting some player stats such as health and focus (bullet time)

As the game advances one thing you’ll end up doing, which is kinda the games signature thing, is dealing with hordes. Massive groups of freakers who spend the day in caves before wandering in packs at night, and those groups are HUGE, literally hundreds and even thousands all in a pack. You need to pick your fights and be prepared. When five or six can be a real threat, taking out hundreds before they swamp you is not straight forward and they will ALL be running for you.

I can’t think of any major problems with the game. It could run a little better on PC and there’s a weird thing when you rescue a random person in the wild where their lines are super quiet but that’s it.
Days Gone balances it’s world really well. Its large enough to feel real, but not stupidly huge where going to a place is a chore. And besides, there’s always good scavenging to be had on the way.

I’ve spent just over 40 hours in game so far, as much as anything, because I just enjoy the world. The mountains of Oregon are charming, even when teeming with freakers and slow rolling through a gas station looking to see if any cars haven’t been opened yet, while being wary of ambushes or hordes, is a fun way to spend time.
The story is pretty good and I genuinely want to see how it works out for Deeks & Co. And above all I’m really glad Doom recommended Days Gone, cheers dude.

Special thanks to our resident Critical Brit, @SteBoost, for his continuing contributions.

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And finally, given the state of the world, do what you can to leave it a little bit better than you found it.
As difficult as that may be currently, it can have an impact far greater than you know.
Until next time, stay safe out there, gang.