Hordes
Individually, the Freakers in Days Gone aren’t much of a threat. In fact, they’re actually pretty boring. But the single most impressive technical aspect of the game has to be the way the Hordes are handled.
As the name suggests, Hordes are large gatherings of Freakers. There are easily over 200 of them in a group, and they act as part of a hive mind, chasing you down wherever you go. Freakers aren’t so scary on their own, but in a group of over 200 with the sole intent of eating you alive, that’s pretty frightening.
In Days Gone, taking on a Horde is like solving a puzzle as you’re forced to study your environments and figure out the best locations to lay down traps, and use your surroundings to your advantage. Preparing for the fight is crucial as well, as you’ll likely die if you go in with nothing but guns.
There’s little else in the game as satisfying as looking at the aftermath of the slaughter after you’ve finally taken down a Horde. It’s exhilarating.
A Varied Open World
With how high the bar has been set for these first-party PS4 exclusives these days, it was only natural to expect that Days Gone would look just as good as its peers. And it does.
Days Gone’s post-apocalyptic version of Oregon is completely stunning and nature-y. The open world itself is split into a few different biomes where you’ll be riding through lush forests one moment, and into the hot desert and snowy fields in the next.
The game also features an incredible day/night and dynamic weather cycle that helps to make the open world feel even more alive, and it’s just an all-around very gorgeous game to look at. With how pretty the game is, and how much there is to see, Days Gone is an easy game to keep playing, even if there isn’t actually anything interesting to do.
Motorbikes
Deacon’s bike in Days Gone could’ve been expanded upon so much more —the potential was certainly there— but for what we got in the game, it’s pretty good on its own merits.
First, the fact that everyone in Oregon now rides around on motorbikes is a pretty fun lore bit on its own. With how narrow the roads and highways have become, thanks to the stalled out cars from the initial outbreak, it’s only natural that the survivors would eventually gravitate towards riding bikes instead.
The motorbike customization also adds quite a bit to the experience, and you can really make it your own, especially with how many cool decals and other visual options you can unlock for it.
It would’ve been nice if the bike could be upgraded even further to include new weapons or other defensive additions, but we’ll take what we can get.
Published: May 3, 2019 10:32 am