Days Gone released back in 2019 and endured a very mixed reception when introduced to the PS4. However, almost six years later, the game has developed something of a cult following – with a very devoted fan base continually singing its praises. Below, we take a look at the game’s initial controversial launch, the game’s many positive features and why it deserves its status as a brilliant game.
2019 – Open World Fatigue
When Days Gone launched, gaming fans had been well accustomed to Open World style games, with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, and others such as the Fallout Series and the legendary Red Dead Redemptions had seen fans be blown away with the amount of Open World options out there, and Days Gone appeared to be coming to the party a little too late.
Besides this, there was also Zombie-genre lethargy going around – The Last of Us, widely recognised as one of the best games of all time, had blown fans away whilst TV series like The Walking Dead and a whole host of movies focused on the undead had lead fans to grow weary of the genre. Once again, Days Gone appeared to be released too late for fans to be interested.
Bugs, Glitches and More
Days Gone initial launch was far from successful, even without considering the wider cultural trends, due to a number of bugs, glitches and issues upon first release. Fans were discovering new technical problems every time they loaded it up. Some were amusing and not too detrimental, whereas some involved much more pivotal difficulties, including subtitle errors, audio cutting out and players falling through the map. Whilst the developers Bend Studios were quick to release fixes and address these issues, it still plagued many users’ first experience on the game.
In addition to the various technical issues, gamers also had problems with various aspects of Days Gone’s gameplay. Surprisingly, the game’s runtime – a full playthrough clocking in at around 30 hours – was seen as far too long by some, with the pacing and apparent lack of mission variety leading some to abandon the game early.
The main gameplay issue, however, seemed to be the ‘Open World cliches’ that Days Gone leaned into too much for some. Bandit camps, generic side quests and perhaps too much exploration without purpose can grow tiring. Days Gone’s shooting mechanics were also seen as too ‘safe’ or ‘generic’ for some, which only further enhanced the Open World fatigue the game suffered from.
Where Days Gone Shines
Across the past 6 years, Days Gone has gone through something of a renaissance – the technical glitches and issues have been fixed, various gameplay aspects improved or adapted, and fans have started to rediscover the fantastic game that Bend Studios produced. Replaying the game in 2025, whilst certain elements of the earlier criticisms remain, the pros far outweigh the cons to contribute to a very fun spectacle of a game.
The Location
Set in a post-apocalyptic Oregon, the Days Gone location, graphics, sound design and variety of the playing world leads to a truly beautiful sceptical. Driving around a forgotten and destroyed map, your character of Deacon St. John, wonderfully voiced by Sam Witwer, is a fantastic vessel to explore the beautiful map design.
The Freakers
Not strictly zombies, but essentially the same thing, the Freakers of Days Gone provide a truly exhilarating enemy for St. John. They are perfect for the story, the action and compliemtn the human enemies well – and can even be used against eachother. One thing which remains quite unique for the game, is that the Freakers do not power or level up as you progress through the story. The Freakers you face at the start (apart from a few varieties introduced towards the latter stages) have the same strength at the end of the game. This allows you develop St. John’s skills, figure out tactics and techniques that work for you, and perfect these throughout the game’s run time.
The Hordes
One of the unique selling points of Days Gone before launch, was the promise of hordes. Some hordes contain over 500 Freakers, and you are tasked with taking these out. Some are mandatory for the story, others you’ll wander across whilst exploring the open world, but the thrill and adrenaline of vast waves of Freakers chasing you whilst you use your arsenal of weapons, explosives and Molotov Cocktails, along with the environment around you, to whittle them down, is an experience like no other in video games.
Crafting Mechanics and Weaponry
With what some may call a rip off of The Last of Us, whilst others will call it a wonderful homage and adaptation of what The Last of Us did, Days Gone has an equally interesting and fun crafting system to help you navigate the barren wasteland of Oregon. You will find yourself continually scavenging for new materials and learning new skills to shape your attack and strategies against the Freakers and humans.
Additionally, the Days Gone melee weapons have the distinctive attribute of wearing down over time. Have a good axe to take down enemies with? You best make sure you have the tools to repair it, or alternatives close to hand if you plan on using it frequently. This adds a further level of complexity to the game, with your choices and strategies making a bigger and bigger impact to the eventual outcome of your fights and skirmishes as you are not able to rely on one piece of weaponry for too long.
Your Bike
Traversing the open world – its fields, battered roads and abandoned streets – on your drifter bike is a unique and exhilarating addition to the game. Your bike becomes a character in the game itself, with you having to constantly refuel and repair it as you progress through the story. Whilst this may be tiresome to some, it provides yet another interesting caveat to the game and your strategy and techniques. You need to ensure you have everything prepared, an escape option when things go wrong and knowledge of the surrounding area to make the most of the environment in order to succeed. Your bike will play a pivotal role in all of this. Altering its aesthetics and performance add another fun layer to your gameplay.
The Future of Days Gone
The rumours of a sequel to Days Gone have been rampant over the past few years, especially with how the game ends (no spoilers here!). However, Bend Studios have appeared to quash any doubt here with a follow up now very unlikely. Besides this, there are also rumours of a PS5 remastered version of the game – The Last of Us Parts 1 & 2 can testify to the potential success of this – however there has been no confirmed news of this as of now.
What we do know, however, is that Bend Studios produced a truly unique and exciting open world survival game, introducing many unique elements whilst leaning on some tried and tested characteristics of the zombie genre, open world and survival games, and third-person shooters. Despite its initial problems at launch, the game is truly an impressive spectacle and an incredibly fun time and deserves to be recognised as one of the best in recent years.
