Published on: 08/06/2021

Oh, Where Have the DAYS GONE?

What Is Days Gone?

In the post-apocalyptic Oregon setting, Days Gone follows the adventures of Deacon St. John. The former biker gang member learns that his wife may still be alive and sets his sights on a mission to find her. Days Gone was originally released on the PS4 in mid-2019, and the zombie survivor game started off a bit rocky with bugs and glitches that put off a good chunk of gamers, But it’s safe to say it has had a passionate following in the time since. Traversing the Pacific Northwest encountering friends, foes and the undead is now also available on PC as of May 18th.

How to Fight a Freaker

One of the main aspects of the game is to maintain a running motorcycle by scavenging for scrap and gas to keep you moving along. Forget about your fuel, and you’ll be walking your bike home a considerable distance. The bike is also your hub to hold inventory like ammo and supplies. You can also customize the bike to a degree to best ride through the varying weather conditions you’ll encounter. The fighting relies mainly on stealth. Hide behind convenient waist-high cover and sneak around enemies to conserve ammo or get the perfect positioning to take your best shots from safety.

The latter is inevitable because the stealth aspect can be a boring way to play a zombie game where the enemies aren’t that formidable. You can use melee weapons like axes that will degrade over time or one of a few weapons. Firefights consist of lining up your shots, then moving to new cover most of the time. A few throwable items can mix up combat as well, like molotovs or proximity bombs.

At Second Glance

The mixed bag of writing and gameplay (both exemplary and subpar) sets the tone for the whole game. Moments can shine with depth and interesting characters, but others will suck you out of the narrative. The unintentionally cheesy lines and constant chatter of Deacon can be a bit much at times. The ridiculous names of some characters and the zombies being called “Freakers” are a telltale sign for the level of the writing.

The voice actors do what they can with the script, making even the worst lines bearable. The gameplay and visuals ride the line just above average to make it an enjoyable experience and welcome port to a new system. The PC release of Days Gone also improved on one of the best aspects of the game—the hordes.

What was once a maximum of 300 zombies at a time can now be 500. There is just something so satisfying and movie-esque with being chased by a swarm of the undead and trying to escape or funnel them to mow them down easier. The completely smooth 60fps in 1440p can even hold up with hundreds of those Freakers on the screen at one time. Check out some simple screenshots that showcase the game’s visual beauty at its best.

For more news on games with Freakers or (insert zombie substitute word here) check out Just Gamers and also Just Gamers Esports. Also, if you’re interested in esports betting feel free to check out our esports betting page here.

Written by Trevor Forrest