Days Gone was initially exclusive to the PlayStation 4 and later released for the PC. The game told the tale of Deacon St. John, aka Deek, a United States Army veteran turned motorcycle club member. The setting was a post-apocalyptic open world, and the game focused on slow narrative and character building.
The title, when it first came out, opened to mixed reviews. Over time, however, it has managed to gather and retain a cult following. Fans have begun to appreciate it as a title, which may have done some things wrong but was not bad. While not in the league of God of War or Marvel’s Spider-Man, it was a tremendous exclusive in its own right. Also, if given a second shot in the form of a sequel, it could very well make an epic comeback.
Why Days Gone Is Undoubtedly Worth Experiencing
Sony Bend has genuinely put in its heart and soul with Days Gone. Everything from Days Gone‘s soundtrack, art direction, visuals, and narrative are commendable. Admittedly, the game had several technical issues at launch, such as bugs and glitches. However, the studio didn’t give up on the game. Sony Bend tried to ensure they smoothed the rough edges as much as possible and added new content to the title.
When released on PC in 2021, the game hit number 1 on Steam in terms of sales within the first week. It currently stands at very positive in terms of reviews. Out of the 72 thousand reviews on its product page, more than 67 thousand are positive. That is nothing short of a testimony to how much of the game’s quality. Bend also stated that this was its highest-selling title. Despite this, Sony has vetoed the idea of the fantastic game receiving a sequel.
The title’s narrative saw a troubled individual fighting and sticking by every person he loved. He fails to join his wife when an evacuation team comes on-site due to the helicopter carrying individuals not having enough room for him. He stays with his best friend, Boozer. The story does a fantastic job of letting the player live vicariously through Deacon.
It is a narrative that must be felt not because of its focus on survival but on interpersonal relationships in a troubled world. Coupling that with the brilliant motion capture and voice acting from everyone on the cast makes it even more engrossing than one would expect. The story has little to no relief, comedic or otherwise, and is admittedly intense, with each character visibly severe and grim.
The motive for the protagonist and deuteragonist in the title is made clear from the get-go. Admittedly, the game tells an elaborate tale and might initially come off as exhausting, but it cannot be emphasized enough that all of it makes sense in the end. Playing through the story makes for an experience akin to reading a giant book, paced very slowly.
However, despite that, when you reach the end, you cannot stop wanting more and cannot stop pondering why it ended so soon. One cannot get enough of it if one sees it through.
The game’s combat was a joy to experience; it was buttery smooth and featured brilliant gunplay, dodging cover-based shooting, and melee mechanics. One fights against both humans and zombies in the title. The zombies, called freaks, feel prompt, active, quick, and aggressive. When riding your motorcycle down the hill and moving away from your safehouse at night, your heart pounds as you hear their howling voices.
When combat situations are concerned, unless you are playing on the easiest difficulty, you cannot just run and gun and go John Rambo and expect to make it out alive. It certainly helps if you are strategic and tactical. Especially when dealing with hordes of the undead.
One has to sit through a considerable amount of playtime. To get the essential upgrades that would equip one to deal with a more extensive undead fleet. No matter what, one cannot catch a dull moment while playing the title, which is precisely why it is so enjoyable.
Why Days Gone Didn’t Do Well
Days Gone‘s initial footage was very well regarded and received by most players. This was because the game looked amazing for its time. The massive fleet of zombies in hordes chasing Deek while he tries to flee on his motorcycle and use everything at his disposal to survive was terrific.
Then came the launch of the title, which was troublesome. The game had many technical issues; people bombed the title in their reviews. Admittedly, reviewing a title with issues is a pain, but that in no way implies that the game isn’t worth it. Simply because technical issues, unlike issues about the plot and setting, can be fixed with patches.
Another reason the game did not do well was that critics and users alike criticized the game’s length; some even called Deek a toxic masculine figure. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, the battle-hardened US Army veteran who is also stuck in a place where zombies are running behind his life cannot be expected not to have personality issues. Deek is, in no way, a perfect character, but he is also in no way a toxic one.
This is not even the worst and most problematic part of the critics’ take on the video game. Popular websites had issues with Deek’s race as well, with some criticizing the protagonist for just being a white man.
It is incredibly appalling that leading video game journals would focus on the character’s race and gender when there are a lot of other avenues to be discussed while dealing with a title. If one were to place some other character with another origin in place of Deacon St. John, no one would dare mention something of the sort.
All in all, it is now proven that Days Gone isn’t a game that sucks you in during the very first hour when you begin. If anything is far from it, it is a game that takes its time to explore the backdrop and explain the events that lead to the present. Several titles do things similarly, and the current upheaval of the game’s relevance and popularity and the fact that the game has begun to gather a cult following speak for themselves.
After all, it is no small feat for a video game to deliver memorable experiences today, when almost every game focuses on microtransactions and multiplayer. It is most certainly recommended to try the game and be patient with it to discover why there won’t ever be another title like Days Gone.
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