Developer: SIE Bend Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PS4
Tested on: PS4
Days Gone – Preview
Days Gone is one of the eagerly expected Sony exclusive titles that is bound to be released in a few months. While the game has been in development for nearly six years, there is not that much footage of the game to be found. Luckily Sony invited us to take a look at an early build of the game which presented us with a few parts of the story, but mainly some gameplay that either allowed us to follow the main quests for the encampments you’ll find in the desolate wastelands, or some free roaming that allows you to find precious loot and upgrades. We tried both aspects of the build, and we’re actually quite impressed with the game so far.
The current build’s story is still somewhat on the vague side, but you know the world is going through a shitstorm as people are turning into zombie-like creatures. You’re playing as Deacon, a biker, who is trying to get his wounded wife to safety. How this plays out we’ll keep a secret for now, but during the campaign you’ll be playing as Deacon, who is befriended with Boozer, a fellow biker, who joins you for your first mission(s). You’ll roam around the work on your motorcycle, and this is a fun way of moving around, but it’s pretty much similar to owning a horse in other games, except it has fuel and damage meters, which means that regular upkeep is certainly desired.
Days Gone is a rather impressive game when talking about the graphics, but the current build does not come without its fair share of graphical bugs where enemies are stuck in doors, or that the wheels of your motorcycle seemingly sink into the ground. Except for the apparent bugs, the game does look good, the world around you looks interesting, the decay is well portrayed and the characters, safe for a few repeating models, are created in a decent fashion. Overall, the game’s world intrigued us, and we are curious to explore more of the world when the full game is finally released. The graphics are supported by decent voice acting, and a decent amount of it.
As is common with an open world game such as this, you’re pretty much free to go wherever you want in the game’s world. If you rather do story missions, that’s completely up to you, but if you want to go exploring, or earn some money doing bounties, that’s also a possibility. The game doesn’t really hold you by the hand, and allows you to free roam whenever you like it, or whenever you come across a point of interest on the road to a quest or story mission. Exploring can also allow you to find loot or upgrades, which are certainly appreciated. Of course, exploring can also cause you to waste ammunition and run into a horde of monsters, that will negatively affect you otherwise. Everything is a risk, and that’s just fine for a game such as this.
The game plays and handles great, which is certainly a plus. The aiming and fighting mechanics feel superb, and you always feel in control. The cover mechanics might need a little polish, but overall the game plays and looks like a game that has been properly developed. Our biggest gripe with the game’s mechanics was probably how the bike handled. It felt as if the soil, or roads, you drive on don’t make that much of a difference in terms of handling your bike. The handling feels a bit floaty, but luckily still pleasant enough for you to properly enjoy cruising around the map.
Conclusion
Our first experience with Days Gone was a rather good one. While the game is clearly still a work in progress, mostly in the graphical department, the gameplay was quite pleasant. The open world experience allowed us to do many things, if we decided to take a break from the main story missions. Even though you could simply play the game by finishing the story, and leaving all the rest behind you, it’s rewarding to explore and clear the world of its dangers. We are quite curious to see how the story ends up in the final version, as well as some extra variation in certain aspects of the game.
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