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Tom's Guide
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I just beat Days Gone Remastered on PS5 Pro — and it's one of the most underrated PlayStation games
In a lot of ways, Days Gone is the black sheep of the PS4 library. Released in 2019, at a time when PlayStation Studios was dropping critically acclaimed gems on the regular, it landed with a bit of a dull thud. The Bend Studio-developed open-world zombie game didn't reach the same heights as its contemporaries like God of War, The Last of Us and Ghost of Tsushima. But Days Gone Remastered has now arrived on PS5, and represents something of a second chance for the game to find a bigger audience. While I doubt this remastering points to a full sequel (reportedly, plans for one were scrapped after the underwhelming reception of the first game), it does offer gamers who skipped Days Gone the first time a perfect excuse to see what they missed. And if you were one of the many who glossed over the game upon its initial release, I implore you to circle back, because Days Gone Remastered really is worth experiencing. The best way I can describe Days Gone is that it's pretty much 'Sons of Anarchy' mashed with 'The Walking Dead' in video game form. And come on, try and tell me that doesn't sound appealing! You play a drifter named Deacon St John, who trudles around a zombie-infested Pacific Northwest, taking on bounties and trying to find out what happened to his missing wife. Your main means of traversing the game's sizeable open-world setting is via a motorbike, and it's this inclusion that really makes Days Gone so compelling. Your bike is essentially a roving base; you can only save when you're nearby, and you can store additional supplies in its various compartments. The bike is also upgradable. It starts barely roadworthy, but by the endgame, you have a powerful hog that purrs with ferocity. Getting the additional reputation points required to unlock each new series of bike upgrades made me want to complete as much side content as possible. But outside of its predictable open-world trapping — you'll find the usual assortment of bandit camps and zombie (called 'Freakers' here) nests — Days Gone's meaty main campaign is the real draw. You get plenty of bang for your buck. Even a rushed run will take you 30 hours. If you want to see everything on offer, expect to double that playtime. A common complaint at launch was that the story meanders in its first act. I can't counter this. The core narrative takes a while to get going, but once you unlock the second region, things start to click into gear, and the finale builds to something quite exciting. I do wish my companions would cool it with the radio calls, though, as you're constantly interrupted, which gets annoying. Admittedly, there's a slightly generic quality to Days Gone. It's third-person action combat, which mixes stealth with melee brawls and shoot-outs, is routine, and it launched into a media landscape oversaturated with zombies. Nevertheless, generic doesn't mean bad, and I maintain that Days Gone remains just as enjoyable to play in 2025 on PS5 as it did back in 2019 on PS4. Perhaps the bigger question with Days Gone is whether it even needed remastering in the first place. Sony has taken plenty of online flak in recent years for its habit of remastering titles that still hold up to a modern standard (Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered is the most egregious example). Days Gone probably falls into the category of games where a remastering was largely unnecessary. While it was a native PS4 release, it was fully playable on PS5 via backwards compatibility, and its original visuals hold up extremely well. Plus, it already received a free update that enabled the game to run at a smooth 60 fps on the PS5 console. The Remastered edition does at least add a small smattering of additional content, including a permadeath option and new mode called Horde Assault (though to be honest, the battles with vast hordes of zombies never quite appealed to be in the base game). It also beefs up the game's accessibility settings (always a good thing) and adds full DualSense controller support. If you're playing on PS5 Pro, the remaster adds a new visual mode and takes advantage of the premium console's PSSR capabilities. So while I doubt many players were crying out for the remaster, it's now the definitive way to play the game, and it gave me an excuse to return to a title that had been in 'I really need to replay this' backlog for more than five years. Which is enough for me. I'll also give Sony credit for creating an upgrade path for pre-existing owners of the original. If you already own Days Gone on PS4, you can upgrade to the Remastered edition for just $10, which feels like a pretty reasonable price point for the extra bells and whistles. Whether you're returning to the broken road or you've never driven down these apocalyptic streets before, I encourage you to give Days Gone Remastered a shot. Who knows, perhaps if this remastering sparks enough renewed interest in the IP, we'll get that sequel after all. I certainly hope so.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Days Gone Remastered: PS Plus redemptions left out of cheap upgrade deal
Days Gone Remastered was one of the biggest surprises at Wednesday's State of Play, but Sony's decision to deny certain players a discount for the upcoming game looks set to cause frustration. Like many recent remasters, Days Gone comes with a tempting $10 (£10 in the UK) upgrade offer for those who already own the PS4 version. But there's a catch: PS Plus users who redeemed the game through the monthly catalogue or the now-discontinued PS Plus Collection are excluded from the deal and will have to pay full price (£50). The disclaimer, which is hidden away in the small print on the game's blog post, was spotted by a Reddit user. Unsurprisingly, the move hasn't gone down well with players. The majority of comments suggest Sony is squandering an opportunity to win over PS Plus members, potentially turning them off from a deal that could have boosted goodwill and sales for a surprise release that probably wasn't at the top of wishlists. It's safe to say the remaster that everyone was hoping for was Bloodborne, but that still hasn't materialised (if it ever will). 'They would actually have made a decent chunk of change if ps plus players were eligible, even if most didn't want to play it they'd at least be interested in paying 10 bucks to try it out for an hour or two,' said a Reddit user. 'They gave away the game for free so every copy is an extra £10/$10 they wouldn't have had but they decided to be awkward instead and cut out half the owner base. I'm not paying full price, it didn't even need a remaster,' said another commenter. Summing up the sentiment among disgruntled fans, a Redditor wrote: "This easily bumps this game to the bottom of my backlog.' Originally released for the PS4 in 2019, Days Gone is a gory survival adventure set in a post-apocalyptic Oregon. Players control Deacon St John, a former outlaw navigating a world overrun by Freakers – zombie-like creatures born from a deadly pandemic – on his customisable motorcycle. Despite garnering praise for its gripping story and vast open world, Days Gone struggled to stand out in a market flooded with zombie games, from The Last of Us and Dying Light to State of Decay. Still, it managed to attract a loyal following over the years, which may explain why it's getting a glow-up. The upcoming remaster for PlayStation 5 brings major improvements, including enhanced graphics, with better lighting, shadows, and a higher frame rate. Meanwhile, new content like Horde Assault Mode, Speedrun Mode, and Permadeath Mode should offer fresh challenges for returning players. Days Gone was previously available as part of the PS Plus Collection and was offered as an Essential monthly game in April 2021. The remastered version lands on April 25 as a digital-only title.
