The third post-apocalyptic game that I decided to play in the year 2019 was not Rage 2. Having never played the original, the latest title from both id Software and Avalanche Studios was never much on my radar. Rather, it was another PlayStation exclusive that had caught my eye – absorbing me for hours on end until I had nabbed the Platinum and had seen all of the interconnected story lines to 100%. Known for the Syphon Filter series as well as the handheld Uncharted adventure on the PlayStation Vita, this time Bend Studios decided to cut their teeth on something a little different. 

Days Gone is an open-world game set in a world where humans have been infected with a virus that turns them all but feral, the protagonist, Deacon St John, tries to navigate the ins and outs of survivor camps as he tries to eke out a living in the Oregon wilderness. A member of a motorcycle club, there’s much more to the gruff drifter that first meets the eye. And it was these story hooks: playing as an outlaw bikie who was married to a botanical research scientist that kept me going through what felt like two to three seasons of a television show. 

I’ll admit, there were moments that I found tedious. Particularly in the first and second act when they were trying to introduce the world. It also seemed as if they were trying to cram in a little too much world building within the actual story lines rather than focusing on Deacon’s immediate wants and needs. This was further exacerbated by my completionist style of play where I would continue to strive and complete all the side quests before moving on with the story.

Because of that, I rode quite a bit through back roads of Oregon instead of fast travelling. It helped that the bike controls handle well, although each subsequent upgrade made it a little less manoeuvrable with its increased focus on speed. Still, that’s what DRIFT is for. And I’d find myself zipping through the mountains and forests with ease.

The one quibble I have with the game is that there’s no way to run and gun. R2 is both melee attack as well as shoot when paired with L2. With the focus on running from huge hordes of freakers, it felt a little counter-intuitive that I could not simply turn around, spray the enemy with bullets and then keep on running. Or have Deacon shoot over his shoulder. Instead, he would slow down simply to aim. It slowed down quite a bit of the action and caused quite a few deaths in my first few attempts at tackling a horde.

Speaking of the zombie-esque enemies in Days Gone, none of them are actually undead. Much like in the Last of Us, these foes are quite alive but infected with a particular virulent virus strain that decimated any children under the age of 12 as well as the elderly. Those that survived became the Freakers – mindless zombie-like creatures that practice cannibalism and act incredibly aggressive to those that are not one of them. 

One of the major things that proved a little confusing in how the virus worked was that none of the survivors camped in what remained of Oregon state seemed worried about infection – even though when the initial outbreak happened, millions of people died or became freakers. Initially, I thought that like rabies, it was passed through saliva (or being bitten). Yet when you uncover when the virus first spread, it seemed much more plausible that it was airborne.

Perhaps after the initial infection, the so-called freakers that the virus created could no longer spread it? For a while, I pored over reddit threads to see if anyone else had a better explanation for why Deacon and many of the other survivors were so cavalier about the entire experience. 

This, too, was a sticking point for me with regards to the game but didn’t quite detract me from going along for the ride.

I also wondered a little about Sarah’s tattoos. Based on the trailers, I had thought she got them after meeting Deacon but she already had them along her arms at their first meeting. Perhaps it was an act of defiance against her parents. I, for one, would have preferred if there had been a bit more backstory for the characters.

As for the overall narrative to Days Gone, all I can say that it takes one for a spin. And even when it could have neatly ended in the second act, it still brought the focus back towards Deacon’s quest to find his wife. Though it seemed to be about Deacon’s death wish and struggle with grief, within two thirds of the game he is rewarded with news that everything he had believed was wrong. Rather than focusing on loss, the developers decided to reward Deacon with a happy ending. 

Like an article I read, it makes Deacon’s arc feel a little cheap. They try to prop him up as finally settling down and taking part in a community of survivors, but it still felt as if he hasn’t truly changed throughout the course of the game.

Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed Days Gone. After looking through a couple of reviews, I will admit that I was worried that the game would not entice me as much as it did. Perhaps because I played it a month after release, many of the bugs that had plagued early adopters never bothered me. There was no audio issues besides one time when it didn’t load for a cutscene (which was easily rectified by loading it up again from before it happened) and a few freezes along with texture pop-ins. The promise of a government conspiracy, though, has made me eager for more adventures in this world. 

And perhaps, Sarah might just find a cure for the aggressive virus that has now evolved to a point where it allows those infected to retain their intelligence and reason. Here’s to uncovering more about NERO’s activities and stopping their insidious plans for good!