I actually started playing it back in 2021 when Days Gone had a PC release on May 17. Originally it came out on 24 April 2019 and was a PS exclusive. I started it and only scratched the surface and then quit. I don't remember exactly why I did it but I guess some other game came up or I just lost interest. Recently I have had trouble finding games that interest me to play because I have played almost all of what I want to. After searching the internet and steam I came up empty-handed still. I stumbled upon a thread of Days Gone and I saw so many reviews that said this game is absolutely great and it gets better the more you play. I decided to give it another go from scratch. These are my impressions.
Every photo is taken by me, in-game.
Overview
Days Gone is an open-world story-heavy adventure game, a zombie game. It's really down to a preference if you like games with zombies but I like the post-apocalyptic theme and got nothing against zombies. Yeah, it uses an already-done formula for how the world goes to shit and you try to survive. I don't care if it's a repeated formula. If the game is exceptionally made then I will like it.
The World
It's quite big and tons of exploration you can do. There are no cities, only some smaller villages you can find on the map. The world is dense and detailed with little empty space. Everywhere you can find stuff to loot and inspect, camps, or hordes of zombies. These hordes are scary as hell.
There are also different biomes. Some part of the map is dense forests, some of it is more like a desert and another is like a mix of these two. Ideally, I would have preferred a little bit more variety in terms of nature but that's not really a problem at all.
The Story no spoilers
One of the strongest aspects of this game. I might have originally quit this game because it started up slow and kind of in the middle of the shit. The reviews were right that the more you play the better it gets. After 5 hours of story play it got really interesting, to the point later in the game when I was unable to stop.
Basically, the world goes to shit and zombies appear. You get out of the big city and to the countryside. Two in-game years have passed since the shit started and you start to play with your character. There are several storylines running at any given time and you will encounter some plot twists on the way.
Zombies are only one hostility and aspect of the story. You have to deal with other groups who are trying to delete your group from the face of the earth. One of the stories is also the main character trying to cope with the loss of her wife but he gets a glimpse of hope that his wife might still be alive somewhere, after 2 years. A tiny chance but still worth trying and finding out. Much much more to the game's story.
In addition to the already pretty long 35+ hour main story, you have side quests and activities. Some of the objectives can be a bit repetitive like bounty hunter missions you are assigned by some camp leader. You just must go there and kill/find someone. Even though its a bit repetitive, there is always new and interesting dialogue attached.
Like Motorcycles?
The game is heavily motorcycle themed and it works absolutely great. The main protagonist was in a biker gang in a previous life and this has not changed much even after the world went to hell. Not much of a gang anymore but more like a solo rider with his buddy. There is something incredibly satisfying, about riding your bike in the wilderness. You can also upgrade it and make it stronger and faster. Of course, you also have many weapons, melee and firearms both.
Characters
There are quite a bit of main characters and they are well crafted and the voiceover is really good, as are the motions. Dialogue is always interesting to listen to. Though sometimes the main protagonist got a little on my nerves with dismissiveness when someone contacted him. Very often he says he's busy and has no time to talk now. But I want to talk god dammit😄. The same can not be said for all the side characters. By that, I mean that there are some repeated persons. Sometimes you find some survivors out in the shit and many times these survivors were the exact same person. OUT IN THE SHIT, it's one of the main things people say in the game. It means outside the camp.
Graphics
Really good overall. You can see that it's a 2019 game and some far textures could be better and more detailed but is not too bad. By today's standards, I would give this game an 8/10. I played it in 4k, maxed out and my PC had no trouble running this with constant 60fps, and no frame drops. My hardware is I9 9900k, ROG Nvidia 3080TI and 32GB of RAM. I am certain that most people find this game to be graphically gorgeous if you are not nitpicking.
Conclusion
I am damn happy that I picked this game up again and decided to give it another go. With its great graphics, satisfying combat, amazing story and characters, I found myself enjoying every minute of my 63h playthrough. Made it to full 100% completion, I only do it if I really like the game. If you like open-world adventure games, especially post-apocalyptic. It should be no brainer for you if you still haven't played it, Don't let the slow start put you off, it's A TRAP!
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