Days Gone is an open world zombie game with a long and relatively linear main story. It has some side missions but they contain only small story elements that are a little repetitive. Don’t worry … I won’t have any spoilers in here. The main story is a great ride and I don’t want to spoil it.
You control Deacon St. John, a former outlaw biker who is struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic version of rural Oregon. As Deacon, you start off with meager weapons that make fighting more than two or three zombies at a time a tense experience. As you progress through the game you’ll acquire more powerful weapons and traps that will enable you to take on a greater number of enemies at once. The tension of the fight never really subsides though.
The zombies you encounter are not the slow, shambling zombies of Romero-esque fame. These are fast-moving, organized zombies from World War Z. By mid-game, you’ll be facing groups of 200+ zombies coming at you at full speed! It’s a blast!
Zombies are not the only foes you will meet in your travels. Groups of humans are still trying to survive just like you. Some will be glad to meet you and offer help. Others will attack you on sight to steal your supplies. The human enemies offer a unique challenge as they act intelligently and use the same weapons as you to help achieve their ends.
The environment the game creates is truly beautiful. While not as graphically dense as Grand Theft Auto 5 the sights in this version of Oregon can be truly breathtaking at times. The game has full day/night cycles with the accompanying lighting and shadows that are very well done. The game also has a dynamic weather system that creates realistic rain and mud at lower elevations and snow at high elevations. The rain and mud look convincing but the snow and the way it accumulates needs some work.
The music in the game is subtle most of the time and adds an extra layer of atmosphere. It is dynamic and will build up as you enter more tense situations. The combination works quite well and legitimately adds to the experience. The sound effects are spot on. Gunshots are crisp and heavy sounding. Each shot is satisfying and makes you feel like you are really laying it into your targets.
If I had one complaint in this area it has to be the dialog. Deacon’s reactions to his situations don’t always fit with the setting. He will often YELL out “BEAR!!” even when one isn’t visible or isn’t really a threat but will remain silent as a horde of zombies is bearing down on him.
The gameplay is good for the most part. The controls are pretty standard for a third person shooter. A few of the controls change when using your bike and take a bit to get used to. The controls for both Deacon and the bike seem sluggish initially. But as you upgrade the bike and your character things tighten up quite a bit.
The only real issue that I still have with the game is the inconsistent frame rate. From time to time frame rate will drop as the game is loading in new objects or areas and it can be distracting especially when running from zombies. Since you will be doing this a lot it comes up quite often.
Overall I had a great time with Days Gone. Its roughly 30-hour campaign is great and builds to a satisfying conclusion. A number of activities open up at the end of the game to keep you playing after the credits roll. The first round of DLC is rolling out now and is free.
With Days Gone I did something I don’t normally do. I purchased it without reading reviews. I’m glad I did! If you have read the reviews of Days Gone and dismissed it… Take another look. It’s worth it. The first horde you encounter will have you running scared and glad you picked up the game!
NoShade's 