In recent years Playstation exclusives have been reigning supreme in the gaming console war, with titles like The Last Of Us, Uncharted, Bloodbourne, and now with Days Gone. But will this title become known for its great potential as a franchise? Or will it be a glitchy and repetitive game that PlayStation owners should have second thoughts about?

Plot
When a virus causes a large portion of humanity to become uncontrollably violent, Deacon, along with his wife Sarah and his biker brother Boozer, attempt to flee for safety. However, during the escape, Sarah is stabbed and critically wounded, forcing Deacon to evacuate her on a National Emergency Response Organization (NERO) helicopter. Due to the helicopter being at capacity, Deacon stays behind with Boozer, intending to reunite with Sarah.

Two years have passed, civilization has collapsed and large hordes of the infected, now called Freakers, roam the landscape. They are a persistent threat to the surviving humans. Deacon and Boozer now work as freelance bounty hunters in what’s left of Oregon, with Deacon believing Sarah is dead after finding out the NERO refugee camp she was evacuated to was overrun by Freakers. With all hope gone, Deacon and Boozer have one plan in sight and that is to survive, but both know surviving is not the same as living.

Gameplay
Days Gone is set in an open world and allows the player to use multiple ways to complete objectives. You can use either stealth or take the aggressive approach: the choice is up to you. The map has a different numbers of enemies and enemy types, with some areas having less Freaker activity, while others will have swarms of them. Freakers aren’t the only things trying to kill you though, as the map is populated with other survivors, a freak loving cult called the Rippers, and animals such as wolves, bears, and crows. Basically, everything is trying to kill you!

Freakers are the main antagonists of Days Gone and these aren’t your basic zombies. These freaks are smart. They travel in packs, and sometimes hordes of 500 or more. These freaks are the most terrifying creatures I have ever fought against. In this 60+ hour game, you’ll experience many different types of Freakers. They will all keep you busy, with variations such as Newts, Breakers, Screamers, and Reachers. If that doesn’t seem like a problem for you, just know that wildlife can get infected too!

Deacon’s motorcycle is also key to gameplay, serving not only as transportation but also as a mobile inventory to hold ammunition and supplies. The motorcycle is customizable to better suit the different environments it will need to traverse. Although, gas isn’t infinite. You will need to scavenge for more in order to avoid being stranded. Sometimes while driving around, a pack of survivors will shoot your bike out and you’ll have to repair it.

Days Gone implements a dynamic weather system, with each type of weather having a different effect. Rain will cause the roads to have less traction and reduce noise, making it easier to sneak, although enemies will be able to more easily sneak up on Deacon as well. Snow will reduce visibility and also give the Freakers a boost in strength.

Pros
As a whole, the storyline was one of the best apocalypse plots I have played in most recent years. The fact that I’m not trying to save the world, only to survive, made the game more enjoyable for myself. Feeling nowhere is safe and that everything is trying to kill you caused me to stay on my toes and made the game more enjoyable.

The Freakers were so unpredictable, making them a great antagonist to the game. The 60+ hours of gameplay seems hard to do for games nowadays since most games go for 10 to 15 hours at most. Supporting characters gave me a reason to fight for them and help them. Upgrading your bike and making it personalized for you with decals is such a great little feature.

Cons
This game had a slew of bugs and glitches. But before I was done, updates kept coming out, which fixed a lot of my issues. But there are still a few I have problems with.

While playing, there will be certain mini-events that will pop up, but when you get there, nothing is happening or the event already passed. The game drags for the first 5 hours, which is a deal breaker for most gamers, but it’s understandable since you need to learn what you’ll be going against.

Lip sync issues at the last hours of the game became very frustrating, with audio from a few scenes going 10 seconds ahead before the voices do. The game can also get very repetitive; get me this, save this random survivor, help me get back to camp, kill this random guy. Most of these aren’t part of the main story, they are just throwaway missions to help you gain experience but sometimes there’s too much of this and becomes bland.

Overall
After getting the updates and fixing a slew of issues, Days Gone has been one of my favorite titles of the year so far. To the gripping story, smart minded Freakers, to the everything that tries to kill you, Days Gone is a title you should be playing. Even before the fixes, it reminded of another title that rose to become a great franchise and I honestly can’t wait to see what comes next.

We Give it 4.5 out of 5