Everything You Need to Know about Days Gone

Days Gone was first revealed at Sony’s E3 2016 showcase, and the upcoming new IP comes from the same developer that brought us Uncharted: Golden Abyss for the PS Vita. At first glance, Days Gone is a title that seems aesthetically reminiscent of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, both in tone and in content; but the more we have seen of Days Gone, specifically on Sony’s stage at E3 2017, the more it’s done a good job of differentiating itself from other post-apocalyptic titles while putting its own unique stamp on the genre. So if you’ve lost track of any news about the game, or just haven’t been following it at all, here’s everything you need to know.

In Days Gone, players will take control of Deacon St. John, “a bounty hunter facing a brutal struggle for survival, searching for a reason to live.” In a world overrun by mindless creatures known as “Freakers” (basically zombies), Deacon will traverse the dangers of the wilderness, while encountering other survivors and exploring what makes them human. Against the backdrop of a devastated world, Deacon, along with the survivors he meets, will still strive to find hope in a seemingly hopeless world.

Days Gone is a third person, action-adventure game and is set in an open world environment. Based on the gameplay and story trailers we’ve seen thus far (namely from E3 2017), the game employs sandbox combat which allows players to take down enemies in a number of creative ways. The latest gameplay footage we saw also put an emphasis on stealth and crafting resources in order to cause a distraction for the Freakers. The Freakers are fast and aggressive, and it seems that any sound they hear can either draw them to Deacon, or away from him.

In the announcement trailer for Days Gone, Deacon takes on a horde of these Freakers, using a combination of shooting, classic diversions like pulling objects in the way of the enemies, and of course, good old fashioned running. Fast forward to the extended look that we got at E3 2017, and we see that Deacon’s movements are a little more calculated and that his choices of weaponry are more creative.

As far as Deacon’s personality is concerned, he’s a smooth-talking, fast shooter, with a nonchalant personality. Even in the bleak world that the game is set in, where “every man for himself” is a common mantra, Deacon seems to have a loyalty to (possibly even a strong friendship with) another survivor known as Manny, who he ventures off to rescue.

Set in the scenic Pacific Northwest, Days Gone will take players through a number of environments in a “single geographic area”. The setting can change in an instant between deserts, forests, and other dangerous environments that have been affected by volcanic activity, and the diversity of setting will also have an impact the gameplay as players will have to adjust their style according to the terrain. Each location is sure to present its own interesting challenges when it comes to Deacon’s survival.

As of now, there is still no scheduled release date for Days Gone. There were rumors flying that the game was going to release this holiday season, but SIE Bend Studio and SIE have not set a definitive release. What we do know is that in addition to launching exclusively for the PlayStation 4, Days Gone will also be available on the PS4 Pro.

Keep up with more Days Gone news at LoadingXP, and if you missed the seven-minute gameplay trailer from E3, you can check it out below.