Days Gone hit the PlayStation scene in 2022, but it didn’t land using the weighty impact Sony Bend desired. Intricacies and hit-and-miss mechanics turned a powerful concept right into a mixed bag experience of both the eyes of critics and consumers. Further stacking the deck against it, Days Gone failed to provide the same pedigree as countless other PlayStation exclusives leading up to its release. The PlayStation 4 had seen its great amount of top-tier exclusives, flexing Sony’s first-party quality and creating a certain expectation. Bloodborne, God of War, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End all garnered universal praise, managing Metacritic ratings over 90, with Marvel’s Spider-Man and Horizon: Zero Dawn sitting barely below that prestigious threshold.
Days Gone was facing stiff competition from its own camp, also it suffered various setbacks in the eyes of prospective buyers even before launch, furthering its uphill battle. And despite its missteps, our original review found the flawed adventure to be rather enjoyable in spite of its shortcomings. Underneath its issues is definitely an enjoyable, by-the-books open world outing. Following several patches and content additions, it’s time for you to visit again Bend’s zombie title and see the way it stands 2 yrs later empowered with a new platform.
For the uninitiated, Days Gone stars Deacon St. John, a drifter-slash-bounty hunter trying to create his place in the ruthless, Freaker-infested outdoors of Oregon. Freakers (read: zombies) roam the land prepared to tear unfortunate beings towards the bone. And those still one of the living have grown to be just like soulless as the undead, prepared to harm their fellow man in unspeakable ways. Two years following a catastrophic pandemic event, Deacon has eked out a living in this unforgiving environment. The narrative that unfolds from here sees our gritty biker protagonist chase down results in uncover answers about those from his past and puts him in touch with other hardened inhabitants of the lush, green wasteland.
Now, I won’t bother reiterating every gameplay mechanic and system in Days Gone. Our PS4 review covers that nicely. The game hasn’t changed into another thing entirely in its move to PC. Most of the original gripes still exist. The bike feels a little sluggish, aiming isn’t terribly tight, and Deacon still aggressively whispers about virtually exactly what is going on. If those rough-around-the-edges aspects bothered you within the console version, then let me inform you that none have experienced an extreme overhaul on PC.
That said, laptop computer has removed the configuration confines of Days Gone’s initial console release. Powered by a RTX 3080, i7-10700K, 32GB DDR4, along with a Western Digital Black SN750 NVMe SSD, there was significantly more horsepower backing the game during my playtime. No more would be a semi-unstable 30fps displayed. Pushing out a silky 60fps was effortless and the framerate could be uncapped to consider advantage of higher refresh rate monitors. Seeing Days Gone run at twice (or even more) the frames observed in 2022 was an absolute treat. And also the added PC graphical options made the planet look richer and those extended draw distances didn’t hurt either. Inside a game where there are lengthy rides between missions, the additional visual fidelity is much more than welcome.
Much like we have seen from other PlayStation titles making the jump to PC, Days Gone is more modifiable of computer was on console. Those with the current components can operate a truly stunning game. It may not be enough to entice those that recently used Days Gone on PS5, but it's a transformative experience for people who only know the game’s PS4 performance. Ultrawide support and fully remappable keys are certain to please PC enthusiasts looking to dive into Bend’s narrative-driven survival game.
The added features help further elevate Days Gone above its lesser pieces. The introduction is still a slow burn, however i found more joy in navigating the outlet hours unburdened by an inconsistent framerate and technical issues. Sure, enemy AI can nonetheless be a bit erratic and weird, but nothing game-breaking was encountered throughout the campaign. That’s not a claim I had been capable of making a few years ago.
Additionally, laptop computer version comes packed with every free content update that made its method to its console counterpart. The Survival difficulty setting and the Challenge Mode’s various trials are included to add extra hours to an already lengthy 30+ hour campaign. Survive Freaker onslaughts, quickly clear enemy camps, or put those motorcycle skills towards the test in a number of scenarios to earn player upgrades across all modes. They may not sit as the primary reason to dive in to Days Gone over and over, but they provide a fun diversion for some time.
Days Gone still carries its design flaws, but there's plenty to enjoy in this more traditional open world game. Letting the sport breathe on a number of new hardware will allow a new group of players experience the Freaker-filled narrative without as many bumps as the PS4 pioneers in 2022. For those willing to overlook the clunkiness of a number of Bend’s designs, there's a good time available in the apocalyptic North american.
The Verdict
Days Gone has found a brand new home on PC. The move hasn’t drastically evolved the experience into one no more anchored by its biggest negatives, but it has alleviated the technical sticking points from the original release. Which makes this all-inclusive package on PC an attractive prospect for those that handed down Deacon St. John’s adventure in 2022, even if it isn’t the finest from Sony’s library.
